A cobbler has bespoken

“Shoes can make or break an outfit,” recounts women’s shoe designer Maco Custodio. “There are times when a woman may have great hair and makeup with an equally amazing outfit, but when worn with a pair of shoes that are totally off, it ruins the whole thing. A great pair of shoes can really go a long way.” Such are the sentiments of someone who grew up in the shoemaking industry. As young as six years old, his father would casually discuss with him the technicalities of shoemaking, from the aesthetics to technicalities. He was schooled at UST, majoring in fine arts, after which he got a scholarship to the Philippine Footwear Academy where he learned the ropes (leather selection, pattern making, nesting, cutting, skiving and stitching) of shoemaking. According the Maco, shoemakers in Marikina indeed have the experience; what they lack, however, is design input.

And speaking of design, Maco’s shoes definitely carry a certain unorthodox uniqueness to them, in designs so forward that you need to be clothed in the simplest outfit to be able to appreciate them. To say that he gets his design inspirations from the stem of a glass of wine to motorbikes, cars and anything that has anything to do with architecture, furniture and art suggests that he is not partial to your usual kitten-heeled pointed pumps. Maco’s aesthetic is currently evolving, but what is consistent are the flow of lines, the play of silhouette, texture, form and visual balance. He uses a lot of snake, calf, kid, sheep, lamb and swine skins, with suppliers from the local scene to Spain, Pakistan, India, Italy and Morocco. Needless to say, a pair may go from P4,000 to P8,000.

Bang Pineda shares Maco’s views on the fundamental role of shoes. “It just makes the outfit,” he claims. But unlike Maco, Bang’s calling to shoe design was born out of necessity. “The clothes I designed for Fashion Week required shoes,” the menswear designer recalls. “And I ended up doing it last-minute.” The design prodigy has had no formal training in fashion design nor in shoe-making, citing experiences with friends in the fashion industry and his mere love for fashion as teachers.

Bang only makes shoes for men, initially to complement the clothes he designs. The designs of his shoes vary from the ultra-conservative to the super-edgy in complex designs. He is partial to neutral colors with a lot of blacks, whites and grays in materials locally sourced, and sometimes in China and Thailand.

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Maco Custodio is located at 453 Design Showroom, 453 Adalla St., Palm Village, Makati City (tel. 896-9974, cellphone 0920-9381286. Visit www.shoesbymacocustodio.multiply.com for more info.

Bang Pineda is available at Anthology, Power Plant Mall (cellphone 0906-5046407). Visit www.bangpineda.com for more info.