Article by Desa Desiree Tayting
A casual laid-back day needs a good pair of comfy shoes. This article comes with a good news because we’ve come across one of the newest brands in the Metro: Southern Comfy. These shoes are unlike any other! Wanna know why? For sure, you’ll feel as proud as a Filipino can get when you wear them!
(READ: 5 Sandals Every 20-something Girl Must Have)
The first espadrilles of Southern Comfy
Back in 2015, a colleague of Michael Tayag, one of the brand’s proprietors, gave him a pair of espadrilles. He liked wearing those kinds of shoes – the ones that just give comfort to a casual look. This gave birth to an idea of putting up a business all about ‘comfy’ pairs of espadrilles. Instead of reproducing the exact kind, though, they replaced the color of the stitches from white to orange, which is now the signature color of the brand.
You’ll know it’s Southern Comfy when you see the orange stitching!
The name ‘Southern Comfy’, on the other hand, was brainstormed by Tayag and his partners Billy Villareal and veteran actor Dominic Ochoa. It came from the idea that they were all from the South and that the goal of the brand was comfort for everyone.
Both for men and women, they have different colors to choose from – gray, blue, red and even leatherettes in mustard, off-white, black and more. They also have prints if Camou is your favorite!
Also, while other brands tend to focus on deep background meanings in the names of the shoes, the owners of Southern Comfy have chosen to sprinkle fun and cleverness into theirs. You’ll find these names funny – their shoe model codes start with either TLA which just literally means “tela” (cloth) and LTR which just means leatherette. Fun fact: the names of their shoes were inspired by the owners’ love for cars!
Perfect for casual outfits!
The appearance of these pairs may look expensive, but they’re actually not! With Southern Comfy, you’ll realize espadrilles don’t have to be pricey. They sell their TLAs at Php600 and LTRs at Php700. What a win, right? They also customize shoes!
So, how can a pair of espadrilles make you feel proud as a Filipino? Well, wearing a pair of Southern Comfy means wearing a pair of shoes made out of local materials. It also helps a local shoemaker family that produces them.
“The brand is all about helping,” says Mike, as he shares the story of finding Tess Emata and family, a family of shoemakers in the South, and helping them sell better. They even have future plans of reaching out to more shoemakers who can produce comfy shoes of other styles and designs; as well as plans of recycling old jeans and transforming them into shoes. How does that sound? We just met another eco-friendly brand with an advocacy to help our locals!
LTR Belluga Black for Women, (Php700) was named after a color scheme of a popular car brand
Speaking of future plans, check out their social media accounts from time to time as they will launch more attractive designs and prints this year. Hope you get first dibs on their summer designs!
Southern Comfy Manila
Shopify: https://www.shopify.com/southerncomfy
Instagram: @southerncomfymanila
