Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

There was a time that, when you thought of the Philippines, you thought of Imelda Marcos and her shoes.

Imelda, wife of former president Ferdinand Marcos, president from 1965 to 1986, is still seen, from time to time, around Manila. Some 200 pairs of her shoes are still seen every day at the Marikina Shoe Museum. Scattered among the shoes are photos of Imelda and Ferdinand hanging out with world leaders. After doing some work at church to set up the ECW's new used book exchange, we headed to Marikina to see the former first lady's shoes.

Marikina is well-known in the Philippines for making shoes, and a part of the museum is dedicated to the craft of shoe-making. The tall post in the center of the photo is covered in "shoe lasts," the wooden models of feet that shoemakers use to make their shoes.