The Marikina Shoe Museum is the reason most visitors make the trip out here. Housed in a purpose-built structure near the city hall complex on JP Rizal Avenue, it holds the world's largest collection of shoes from a single individual: Imelda Marcos's personal wardrobe of more than 3,000 pairs. The range is extraordinary — platforms, stilettos, embroidered slippers, jewelled sandals, evening shoes in every colour — and the effect is somewhere between a history lesson and a fever dream.
The museum has expanded the collection over the years to include footwear donated by Philippine presidents, foreign heads of state, and celebrities, as well as examples of traditional shoemaking from Marikina's workshop districts. Admission is modest and the museum is rarely crowded, making it one of the more pleasant cultural stops in Metro Manila. Expect to spend about an hour. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday; check hours before visiting as they can vary.