New York Buffalo wings and blue cheese, sounds just about right! However, this weekend adventure is not about trying a new wings joint to replace Frankie’s. In fact, it’s not even that new, it’s THE BLACKWING, and it’s been around for quite some time now. I’ve heard tons about it from friends who sport more than just a pair (going on third, fourth? you know who you are!)
I’ve always imagined it to be such a luxury to get anything custom-made. The biggest barrier I had was thinking, for sure it will be super expensive. And then there’s also the fact that it’s going to be such a long wait.
Knowing my alternatives are pretty decent (and instant), plus you’ll likely find something that’s on sale, it made it less attractive to make the effort. Besides, buying apparel nowadays is hardly a pre-planned activity, you swing by the mall one random Sunday and it’s another opportunity for a purchase. If it’s a really good deal, get two (says my inner shopaholic). That’s fast-fashion for you! And just like most people, I love it when I stumble upon good bargains, value for money. I’m easily convinced. I don’t mind if they’re from last season, because really - who can keep track when we have fifty two seasons these days, with new designs rolled out on the weekly.
My friend Liza scored reservations through facebook. Waze pointed us to what seemed like a hardware store selling rubber mats. It was a standee with different types of soles that hinted we were at the right place, and a little tarp to the left that said “BlackWing”. I don’t know why, but I somehow I imagined something more homey than commercial. However, what seemed liked something lifted off the speak-easy trend, they bring you to a smaller air-conditioned room inside to do the fitting - think, a secret bar behind the hardware facade. Not sure if that was intentional.
What happens next is a pretty straight-forward exercise, you get your foot drawn on paper, reminiscent of when you wanted to send your size, so relatives from overseas can send over shoes! shout out to my Titos! It’s not all that crude of course, they also have that measuring device for the actual length, but then there’s all the other dimensions that makes custom-made, well, custom-fit.
You end up with a piece of paper with a print of a sweet potato (or is that an island?). I’m a size 11, and you know what they say about people with big feet... they have big dreams! That and also, they leave a massive foot print, though interestingly, you can choose not to. More on that in a bit.
Because these DapperTod kids shoes distracted me. How come everything mini is adorable?
I’m getting what I consider to be my first “proper” pair, in black. Going for this design I lifted off instagram. Would have wanted a bit more consulting time in picking the style with actual samples right in front of me, but alas, had to resort to whatever is available in photos. Online-offline integration it is, then!
My friend, Liza, is getting these pumps in Merlot. She swears they don’t feel like you’re wearing heels. I guess that’s a big plus!
Liza’s boyfriend, Arnuad, who’s super picky with his shoes tagged along, first to just see how it’s done. His curiosity paid off, as it prompted Buddy (Mister BlackWing himself) to give us a demo on shoe cleaning 101. He basically treats leather like skin, it needs to breathe, so much so that he actually used a gentle pre-teen astringent (think, Eskinol) to get the gunk off Arnaud’s shoes.
Fun Fact - did you know that the instant shine products you’re probably used to using from back in high school actually do more harm in the long run? It's like painting over your shoe, or when you just keep piling on make-up everyday so you’d look good, without ever washing it away = clogged pores, then cracks? ack! Much in the same way, leather gets clogged, then it's downhill from there there. No wonder none of my shoes lasted. Buddy was wearing a shoe that was six years old, and they still looked looked pretty good. But then perhaps too good, and that could be a problem. He mentioned of clients he thought didn’t like their pair, only to return 3-4 years later for another one.
When asked why he does what he does.. I did not expect the answer to be ‘of service to the industry’. Apparently, despite what seemed like a resounding success, given the six to eight week-queue, you’d think many others in Marikina, the shoe capital of the Philippines, will follow suit and get good business out of it.
I guess even with competition sprouting, it’s still not enough to consider it a proper thriving industry. So, Buddy plans to keep on going, recently venturing into the restoration space too.
I did mention one of my barriers was the price. That day, I was willing to shell out more than the usual. Their website said prices start at 5K, and I was ready for a 7-8K bill, with the carabao leather sole and what-not. I ended up with... 5K + 300 pesos! Yes, 5,300 for the design I chose. While not cheap, I also wouldn’t call it uber expensive. It’s fairly in the range of what you can get off the rack, and considering the fact that it is custom-made, this price seemed like a steal!
Buddy did mention that there is yet another tier of customers (obviously with lots of money to spend) who’ve been looking for the 25-30K range, which is why he’s now experimenting with a premium line with fancy imported leather. I touched (and actually smelled) the sample he showed us. I’ll probably never be able to tell the difference, apart from the price tag.
It’ll take another six weeks before I hear word of when I’ll be getting my pair, which is why this is only considered a ‘taste of..’ Should be worth the wait, I also didn’t have to shell out money right there and then, will just need to deposit to a bank account closer to actual production day. Apparently, it only takes three days to finish, but given they only get to make around twenty pairs a week, you end up with the long-ish wait.
On a related note, that same night, I popped in another Netflix documentary. Still reeling from The Minimalist movie, I subjected myself to yet another one that’s sure to give you a wake up call. And I’m glad I did, no matter how uncomfortable it made me feel, knowing how I contributed to the labor injustice in the sweatshops of Bangladesh (and perhaps the Philippines, too). I’ll be sure to reconsider the next time I see something on sale.
And while this weekend started out as a post about consumption, the twist is, it actually taught me about the exact opposite.
One - to be truly materialistic, that is, to be mindful of what you buy, to care enough to think about how it’s made, who’s making it (and under what conditions) and your role in taking care of the things you own, so you don’t find yourself looking for another piece to satisfy an “unmet” need, which all too often is far from the necessities, and closer to intangible self-validation.
Two - the little impact I think I have as a consumer still adds to the tons of waste that end up in landfills, all from the cycle of buying more. This holds true, not just in clothes, but in just about everything I consume. While it may not mean I’m embracing a zero-waste lifestyle tomorrow, I could definitely be consuming a lot less.
And Three - I am part of an industry, whether as a consumer or in my case, an actual mover of product in the value chain. There are ways to contribute. One starbucks cup, afterall, is already a day’s wage elsewhere. And while there continues to be a disconnect with what I see in documentaries, to the everyday consumption that I end up doing, one can argue that there are a lot more ways to actually bridge the gap, and actually see change, perhaps all I need to do is care a little bit more.
