407. ZENCO FOOTSTEP: We Shoe The Philippines, 1983

ZENCO FOOTSTEP CORPORATE AD, 1983

The shoe store that boomed in the 80s and 90s selling such brands as Mighty Kid, Islander and Kaypee, started back in 1957 as Zenco Commercial (ZENCO) , a distributor of footwear founded by Yao Khapu. From a tiny store in Binondo, and later in Caloocan, Khapu moved to Divisoria to open his  first ZENCO FOOTSTEP on 26 May 1961. A strong marketing network propelled ZENCO FOOTSTEP’s business, pushing its diverse footwear and shoemaking products in major markets  nationwide.

 WATCH A 1991 ZENCO TVC HERE:

Courtesy: RoofDev Studios

When ZENCO partnered with Rubberworld Philippines in 1981, business grew even more, and soon ZENCO FOOTSTEP became the place to go for Rubberworld products that became hugely popular with the young and sport set, including Grosby, Adidas, Spartan sandals, Kaypee, Dockmaster, Mighty Kid shoes and fashions.

The closure of Rubberworld due to the financial crisis, the pull-out of Addias, and the renewed effort of SM stores to regain its foothold of the footwear business by building its giant malls  in 1990s, put a halt to ZENCO’s amazing run. Through all these, ZENCO FOOTSTEP remains in business today—more modest, but still viable-- in a few, but choice locations nationwide.

 SOURCES:

Zenco Footstep weebly: http://zfootsteps.weebly.com/about-us.html

 A short history of Zenco Footstep, https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/zenco-footstep-history-a00289-20220615

 Zenco Footstep TVC (1991) (Effects and footages), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNjf5jvpIrg, Uploaded by RoofDev Studios

 

292. Childhoood Memories at our Feet: MIGHTY KID of RUBBERWORLD Phils. Inc. 1984

Rubberworld Philippines Inc. was once a giant shoe manufacturer of the country, maker of such iconic brands as Spartan, Kaypee,  Grosby and the super popular children’s brand –MIGHTY KID, launched in the early 1980s.

The fashionable kiddie shoes for school and play, caught the eye of parents and kids, with their snazzy color combinations, and Velcro straps that made the shoes so easy to put on. 

To top it all, a MIGHTY KID mascot pushed the brand to greater heights, a flying superhero who appeared in commercials, appeared in events and used in merchandising displays.

So successful was the brand, that MIGHTY KID expanded its product line from shoes to trendy children’s wear. As predicted, the kiddie fashions sold very well

 MIGHTY KID was an active advertiser, creating mainstream and seasonal advertise such as this Christmas commercial:

WATCH A MIGHTY KID TVC HERE: 

Uploaded by oblaxz2007, 14 March 2010 

In 1990, Rubber World employed rising young international singer and 1989 Junior Star Search champion  Josephine “Banig” Roberto to appear in a MIGHTY KID commercial. But 4 years after, plagued by internal turmoil that led to court cases, ceased its operations, leading to the demise of  MIGHTY KID Shoes. But children growing up in the 80s still remember the multicolored sneakers that they wore out in school and at play and the MIGHTY KID mascot who kept the brand flying high for a good number of years.

MIGHTY KID KIDDIE WEAR,1984

SOURCES:

Gilbert commercial. Rubberworld. Mighty Kid!, uploaded by oblaxz2007, 14 March 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moTGzDnA4zM