If I am not mistaken, this is the location of the original ShoeMart, the shoe shop that started it all for Henry Sy.
It's not as grand or polished or luxurious as the Mall of Asias or Auras or Megamalls, made for strolling and relaxing. It's a straightforward department store where people can buy school uniforms and school supplies for their children, casual apparel for men and women, and of course, shoes.
It's a busy location, and people like me use it as a shortcut to get to the other side of the street as it is located in the middle of Sta. Cruz and Quiapo.
If you're a foreigner and you find yourself here, you can bask in its history and know that the biggest SM Malls were once just a humble department store, and an even humbler shoe shop. read more