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

 

364. Sporty Fashion for Your Feet: SPARTAN FOOTWEAR, Print Ads 1960s

SPARTAN COMMANDER, THE MOST GUWAPO OF THEM ALL! 1963.

 

One of the most iconic athletic footwear brand from the 1960s-70s  is SPARTAN. It was so popular that the brand “Spartan” briefly became a generic name to refer to rubber shoes. SPARTAN was the rubber shoes of choice of many basketball teams and sports leagues, with many styles to choose from.

SPARTAN CHIRSTMAS AD, 1964

For example, there was the ‘Commander’ style, touted as “the most guwapo of them all”, with its colorful ankle patch and blue and red stripes. There was also a SPARTAN Speed Star, made for hardcourt action and agility. It eventually venture dinto other footwear like children and ladies’ shoes and sandals.

SPARTAN was made by KP Rubber Corporation located along Francisco St., in Caloocan City, but not much is known about the company. It folded up I the 1970s. The SPARTAN name is being used today as a brand for rain boots, and also by Reebok, for its line of all-terrain rubber shoes.

SOURCES:

Spartan Speed Star Ad: Pinterest.ph via Eduardo de Leon