Picture this: it’s the late ‘50s, and a small shoe store called Shoemart opens on Rizal Avenue, Manila, sparking a retail revolution. But alongside SM’s meteoric rise, a chic little brand called Parisian emerged — one of Henry Sy Sr.’s earliest milestones.

Harley Sy, executive director of SM Investments and co-vice chairman of SM Retail, shared this interesting piece of history. “Shoemart was established in October 1958 and my father’s shoe brand Parisian for ladies was also established in 1958, born from his travels abroad in search of quality footwear for Filipinos. His obsession with shoes was well known; he believed that comfortable, well-fitting shoes should be an affordable aspiration for everyone,” Sy recalled.

Parisian wasn’t just a brand—it was an experience. With iconic Eiffel Tower shoeboxes and a name that oozed Parisian charm, it brought European elegance to Filipino streets.

Behind every step

The name Parisian reflects Sy Sr.’s admiration for European craftsmanship, symbolized by the iconic Eiffel Tower that adorned the brand’s original shoebox design. Harley described how his father’s journey mirrors not only the evolution of a brand but also his growth as a retail visionary. “In his travels to Boston which was the shoe capital of the world then, he sought out shoe agents for showroom samples. It was daunting for him to navigate the shoe trading houses, speaking limited English. But many of them eventually started selling to my dad since he was buying in bulk. These were typically small sizes which would fit Filipino feet, leading to his shoe trading venture,” he explained.

During the local industry’s heyday in the 1950s and 60s, Sy Sr. engaged with Marikina’s shoe manufacturers. Harley fondly recalled that he would hear from Tatang’s people that his father would sample shoes at the Carriedo store after office hours from 10 p.m. to 12 midnight.

Craft meets comfort

Henry Sy had specific non-negotiables regarding the shoes he offered. It was during the 1980s that Harley worked with his father closely at the store and understood more about the anatomy of a shoe.

To illustrate this vital lesson, Harley picks up his casual office shoes. He makes a reverse L sign with his thumb, index and middle fingers and inserts them just above the insole. “Look for the middle part of your finger. The counter of your shoe, or the back part that gives support, should end there at the middle part,” he said as an indicator of shoe comfort.

“This was a learning experience that forged my appreciation for detail and hard work,” he said.

“Tatang would closely look at the shape and fit of every shoe. He would even get a white- tipped drawing pencil or chalk and point to the parts of the shoe that needed to be corrected. These were very important,” Harley said. “Comfort was paramount. My father had an innate ability to assess fit and quality. He could identify flaws just by looking at a shoe.”

This meticulous attention to detail had been passed down through the generations and all the merchandisers learned from the elder Sy. “Tatang had the eye of a master shoe craftsman, honed through years of listening to customers and nurturing his passion for shoes,” Harley noted.

As Sy Sr. developed his shoe brand, he envisioned a transformation in retail. Inspired by the emergence of department stores and malls in the US, he was always a step ahead as he introduced innovations that laid the blueprint for SM’s growth. “Shoemart was the first shoe store in Carriedo to have air conditioning, creating an inviting environment that drew customers in,” Harley explained.