Carcar shoe vies again for 'world's largest'

The Carcar United Footwear Manufacturers Association, Inc. is bent on producing the world's largest pair of shoes, after the first giant shoe it produced failed to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records since the huge taupe bulldog shoe didn't come with a pair.

This pursuit was revealed by Carcar municipal councilor Nicepuro Apura, the vice chairman of the committee on tourism.

The shoe industry in Carcar, hailed the second largest shoemaking center in the country, grabbed attention during the first Kabkaban Festival in November 2002 when it showcased the largest shoe the town had ever produced, measuring 7.6 meters long, 2.9 meters wide and 4.2 meters high. The shoelace, braided into eight steel eyelets, measured 24 meters long.

However, the huge taupe bulldog shoe made of leather imported from Thailand failed to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records because it didn't come with a pair, unlike the entry of Marikina City.

The Marikina pair of shoes measured 5.5 meters long, 2.25 meters wide and 1.83 meters high.

Apura said that they will be asking for a P300,000 subsidy from the local government to finance the production of the other pair.

Such move found favor in Carcar Mayor Patrick Barcenas who assured support to the undertakings of the association, even though he could not give assurance that the municipal government would be able to give the amount in full. - Garry B. Lao