Historical Case Studies 1: Storing Imelda Marcos’ Shoes

Many things can be said about Imelda Marcos, but one thing is for sure: her life has been and still is in no way dull or drama-free. This lady’s name (also known as the “Iron Butterfly”) is synonymous with prosperity, greed and lavish lifestyle – many a woman would kill for her huge collection of designer shoes and gowns.

So who is Imelda Marcos, how did her shoes become a symbol of her excessive lifestyle and more importantly, where are her shoes stored now?

Imelda’s story

Imelda was born into a land-owning family on July 2 1929 in Manila, Philippines. In 1954 she met and married a young politician called Ferdinand Marcos, who she also had three children with. In 1965 Fernando became president and Imelda attained her role as the first lady of the Philippines – a role that she held for 20 years.

Becoming the first lady opened many doors for Imelda and she got to meet several influential world leaders, such as Fidel Castro and Lyndon B. Johnson. But the Marcos regime was corrupt, and funds from the Philippine treasury were transported to offshore accounts. While millions of Filipinos lived in poverty, Imelda was travelling the world and going on several extravagant shopping sprees.

Imelda’s purchases included the $51-million Crown building and the $60-million Herald Centre in Manhattan, expensive jewellery and a 175-piece art collection with works by Michelangelo, Botticelli and Canaletto. And last but not least; thousands of exquisite designer shoes. She also spent millions of dollars (of public funds of course) on lavish events, such as the Miss Universe pageant in Manila in 1974. Her excuse was that it was her “duty” to be some kind of a star and give the poor some guidelines.

In 1986 Fernando was forced out of office as a result of the People Power Revolution, and the family fled to Hawaii where Fernando died in 1989. However, Imelda’s 15 mink coats, 508 gowns, 1,000 handbags and vast collection of shoes had to stay behind. Imelda eventually returned home to the Philippines and instead of being imprisoned for corruption she was elected to the National Congress in 1996 and again in 2010…

The story of Imelda’s shoes

During her years of glory Imelda splashed out on a lot of things, but her immoderate stash of shoes was what became a symbol of her extravagant lifestyle. There doesn’t seem to be an exact idea of how many shoes Imelda Marcos actually owned, some say it’s 1,060, some that it’s 1,220 and others that it the number is closer to 3,000. It has even been estimated that Imelda owned up to 7,500 pairs.

As mentioned, Imelda and her husband had to flee and leave most of their personal belongings behind in Manila – including more than 1,000 pairs of shoes. For years the shoes were stored without protection in the presidential palace.

A few years ago the shoes were packed and moved to the National Museum – away from the termites, humidity and mould that threatened them in the palace. But the shoes, packed in boxes, were abandoned in a museum hall – without the staff knowing how precious the contents were. In 2012 a tropical storm caused a leak in the hall and damaged the shoes and other belongings. Needless to say, the staff were shocked when they opened the wet boxes and found the personal items belonging to Imelda.

The shoes that weren’t beyond salvation were repaired and can now be found in the National Museum or Marikina Shoe Museum in Manila.

Good storage is key

The lesson of this story is clearly that you should always invest in adequate, quality storage solutions instead of leaving valuable things lying around in your multi-million pound palace for bugs and mould to ruin. If the shoes would’ve been stored better they would be worth a lot more than they are now.

So, if this story made you feel guilty because you know you’re storing your grandmother’s valuable dining table and chairs in a humid basement; don’t hesitate to give us a call. Flexistore will come to the rescue and store your valuables in appropriate conditions for a very appropriate price.

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