INTRODUCTION Over the years, thousands of savvy Filipino shoppers found their way towards Rusty Lopez boutiques nationwide. Even balikbayans make it a point to include Rusty Lopez in their itinerary. No wonder because one discovers there is no need to navigate farther to find the desired footwear, clothing or accessory. The wide spectrum of shoppers is answered with Rusty Lopez’s wide range of footwear, clothing and accessories assured to fit your budget, answer your needs, satisfy your taste and last for a long time. Rusty Lopez brand enjoys the trust and loyalty of the market having been an established name since 1977. Even with the growing population at an annual rate of over two percent, the Philippines is a compelling market for manufacturers of footwear and Rusty Lopez is blessed to be a pioneer and continues to be one. Rusty Lopez is a proud member of the Philippine Footwear Federation Incorporated or PFFI.     HISTORY In 1977, Lolito Lopez opened a shoe store by the name of Centropell, in the Cubao Shoe Expo. Almost three decades later, the tandem of Lolito and wife Lily has blossomed and now sit at the helm of a shoe business empire that is renowned for its commitment to the development, manufacturing and marketing of quality, authentic and affordable footwear under the following brands: CENTROPELLE, RUSS and RUSTY LOPEZ. Building on the success of Centropell, the Lopezes positioned Rusty Lopez as the brand name that rivaled the best of what the local shoe industry has to offer. The popularity of the Rusty Lopez brand eventually exceeded the expectations of the holding companies and as a result, holds one of the biggest market shares within the entire local shoe industry. Maritalia Manufacturing Incorporated, which was established on December 17, 1996 and became the official manufacturing arm of the company. It is through the joint efforts of Filipino and Italian shoemakers that Maritelia was born. To give pride and honor to this collaboration, the name "Maritalia" was created by combining Marikina and Italy, "MARI" (Marikina) and "ITALIA" (Italy) thus, forming the word "Maritalia". Today, MARITALIA sits on a one-hectare property on E. Rodriguez Avenue in Sto. Niño, Marikina City. It houses state-of-the-art imported equipment from Italy specifically designed for mass shoe production. Operating at full capacity with 300 workers, Maritalia can produce as many as 24,000 pairs of shoes in a month.