Finding My Way Back to My Roots

They say every journey begins with a single step. Mine began with a memory.

Before Thy Roots ever existed, I was just a child running around leather scraps and rubber soles—within the walls of my grandparents’ shoe factory. Our family once owned one of the most trusted shoe manufacturers in the country. We supplied to some of the biggest names—SM included. Our business was built with decades of craftsmanship, sweat, and a deep love for shoemaking.

But life has a way of testing you when you least expect it.

When Typhoon Ondoy hit, everything changed. The waters didn’t just flood our shop; they washed away years of hard work. Soon after, my grandparents—my greatest inspirations—fell ill. In a matter of months, what was once a thriving factory turned into silence. Machines stopped humming. Orders stopped coming. Our legacy felt like it had been taken away.

Years passed. And then came the pandemic. Another blow. Another moment in history where everything stood still.

But in the stillness, memories came rushing back. I remembered the smell of leather, the sound of hammers striking heels, the pride in my grandparents’ eyes every time a finished pair was sent out the door.

I realized something in those quiet moments—our story wasn’t finished yet.

So, I started again. No big factory. No long list of clients. Just a dream, a heart full of purpose, and the grit that had been passed down to me. I learned everything from scratch—designing, sourcing, producing, building a brand that reflects not only who I am, but where I come from.

Thy Roots isn’t just a name. It’s a tribute. A reminder of where I began, and a promise of where I’m going. It’s the embodiment of perseverance, of taking loss and turning it into legacy.

Today, every pair we create carries a piece of that history. A piece of my grandparents’ hands. A piece of home.

I may have started again from nothing, but I’m walking with everything I need.

Because I know my roots.

And from my roots—I rise.