Wear the Shoes and Rule the World

CEBU, Philippines - Finally, men can now enjoy the same comfort as women get while wearing a FitFlop sole sister with the arrival of the first ever collection for the FitFlop Men's Line that basically uses key trend colors of inky blue, blacks, browns with hints of mimosa and warm red.

They're not girly as Frou or Floretta, nor flashy as Electra or Rebel, nor studded as Luna or Pietra. Yet, they're crafted for formal, as well as casual, everyday use; designed with classic ergonomics yet stylish, with a modern spunk.

Men's Line

Leading the pack is by far the bestselling everyday sole comfort, the iconic FF Supertone shoe (comes in leather or canvas) inspired by the 1970s design with padded back collar. Its ankle-high version, the FF Supertop, is also a steal. Turning to the classics, there's the Sling, available in textile or leather. Raff, on the other hand, is a slip-on in soft suede material with a "stitch-and-rolled jute-edged foxing". On suit up days, Lewis is a work shoe for the corporate hunk then he can switch to the slightly bohemian sneaks Monty during weekends.

Men Who Rule

An official launch of the first Men's Line for FitFlop was organized by The Primer Group of Companies, exclusive distributor of FitFlop in the country, and Rogue Magazine at The Skye Lounge at the Bonifacio Global City, Taguig in mega Manila last month to unveil the Core Contemporary Collection (Autumn/Winter 2012).

In concurrence was the awards function recognizing five young men who embody the FitFlop philosophy: "Wear the shoes. Rule the world." They are tour guide, Heritage and Culture awardee Ivan Man Dy; chef extraordinaire Sau del Rosario in the field of Culinary Arts; digital advertising specialist, Business awardee Rafa Alunan; renewable energy executive (sustainable waterways) Quintin Pastrana for Advocacy; and the only Cebuano to be recognized was La Clinica Dental's Dr. Gail  Bitancor for Health & Wellness. 

All sporting the right shoes, these five young men from various fields received their awards that night amidst a crowd eager to try on the latest release from the brand that gained its popularity through its patent-pending comfort (mid-sole) technology of the Microwobbleboard used in each pair.

Shoe Story

That night, over cocktails, I sat with event photographer Mark Philip S. Dales who shared that he's love affair with photography dates back from the time when he bought his first pair of FitFlop around three to four years ago.

The 30-something IT guy was previously working with an IT firm in Singapore as System Administrator when he was introduced to the brand in one of his shopping trips. After a year, he came back to his roots. And in one of his business junkets to the capital, particularly in Greenhills, he bought his first baby, a Canon 350D. "I know the brand and technology," relating his reason for purchasing his first toy. Surprisingly, his first test shot was that of himself facing the mirror contrary to the usual - landscape, streetshots, among others.

As a lover of the arts and a person who actually paints using charcoal, pastel and oil as media, his new fascination with photography was a breeze. "Being a photographer, you have to improve yourself. You have to be out of that barrier. You can develop it (craft) through time," he explained. 

In three years, Mark became part of one of Cebu's photo societies, and became a recipient of two awards - one of the grand champions in one of the major categories of the Sinulog Photo Contest 2012 and the Mutya ng Pilipinas photo contest.  If before, he averaged to 1000 shots per event, his current number of shots per event is 300.  "Impress yourself first, do it (improvement) for yourself," he enthused, adding that practice and exposure pay off.

An extrovert, Mark dabbles in sports and ship salvaging (ship wreck dive to salvage things to sell) with his sister. It is normal for a sport buff to have joint/back problems and muscle pains, hence Mark was encouraged to get a pair of FitFlop to ease off the back pain.  Indeed, it works! "It's very comfortable to use! Now, I got myself two more pairs," he said.

If he is not underwater perhaps you'll see him out in the field hitting a home run or smashing shuttlecocks…or gulping down four espresso shots, his usual coffee-fix, in one corner of his favorite coffee shop.

The FitFlop Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection is now available at the FitFlop store in SM City Cebu. Also available at ROX Ayala, BratPack Ayala and ResToeRun Ayala. (FREEMAN)