STARS like Bella Hadid, Scarlett Johansson, Aubrey Plaza, and Jenna Ortega are said to be fans of the shoe brand Vivaia, with K-pop star Jennie of the girl group BLACKPINK spotted wearing them as well. While it has already made its presence felt in the Philippines since January through pop-up stores (in Power Plant Mall and Shangri-La Plaza), it officially opened its first permanent store in SM Megamall on May 8.
Vivaia’s store occupies 92 square meters on the mall’s 3rd floor. There are wall-to-wall wooden shelves filled with the brand’s signature styles for flats, heels, loafers, sneakers, bags, and many more, all bathed in warm lighting. Comfortable seats invite shoppers to try on the shoes, which cost between P6,000 and P13,000.
At the entrance, the “Conscious Comfort Wall” highlights key details about Vivaia’s footwear production, from how six PET plastic bottles are recycled per pair (acquired through suppliers in the US) to the padded insole technology that makes sure the feet are well-supported.
Eira Peña, co-owner of Vivaia’s Philippine stores, talked about discovering the brand in Hong Kong in 2023.
“I used to work in corporate and I was looking for comfortable shoes I could wear to the office. I had my eye on the brand for a while, but they didn’t have it in the Philippines,” she said. “I did some research and I saw that the technology of it is really good.”
Vivaia was founded in the US in 2020 and is now present in over 60 countries. About the shoes’ comfort, Ms. Peña said, “The shoe technicians embed sneaker-like comfort into everyday wear. I feel like it’s an underserved market in the Philippines. There’s a lot of potential to serve Filipinos’ everyday conscious comfort.”
Vivaia Philippines co-owner Jeremy Go added that it’s the only brand that “brings together the two worlds of fashion and technical comfort,” making it unique.
“We do have competitors on both sides, style-focused heels and fast-fashion shoes on one hand, and walking shoes in the comfort space on the other. Uniquely, there’s no one kind of in the middle where we are, that’s melding both worlds of comfort and fashion,” he explained.
This sentiment was echoed by Ms. Peña, who maintained that Vivaia has “no direct competitors.”
WALKING THE WALKWith this, BusinessWorld tried on a few of the shoes and gave them a spin around the store, to see if Vivaia indeed blended style and comfort. Notable new designs are the trendy Cristina Ballet Sneaker Flats and round-toe Nelly Mary-Jane Flats. Those looking for boots can check out the Ryan Slip-On Chelsea Boots.
We opted for the bestseller Margot Mary Janes, available in blue, red, beige, and black — they were requested by about three-quarters of the visitors at the launch, so we had to ask for them, too. The Margot 2.0, which is a variation of the Margot Mary Janes without the buckle, but available in more colors, was also very popular.
Slipping one’s feet into a pair, one immediately feels the high-quality comfort. The simple style lends a timeless look to any outfit. Walking in them was like walking on clouds. While the shoes are machine-washable, we found it was easy to gently wipe off a dirt stain from the side of our beige pair (a plus for those who actually will use them to walk on the streets in this tropical, urban setting).
“A lot of other brands try to do this, but you can actually wear this one every day and just wash it,” said Ms. Peña. “It’s why celebrities have been loving it, because of the chic look combined with that luxury walking experience.”
Mr. Go emphasized that the shoes are sustainable, made entirely of recycled plastic material. “We work with REPREVE, a company in the US that makes sure that each bottle used in making the fabric is actually diverted from landfills. No virgin materials are used,” he said.
They added that more Philippine stores are in the pipeline, with Glorietta and SM Mall of Asia branches set to open in the next few months.
“After that, hopefully in Power Plant Mall, and maybe in Opus Mall,” Mr. Go said.
Vivaia’s first store in the Philippines so far is located in Level 3 of SM Megamall Building B, Mandaluyong City. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
