If ‘Ang Tibay Shoes’ was known for its durable leather footwear, Elpo was the local king of rubber shoes. The latter was the brainchild of Don Tomas C. Geronimo who opened El Porvenir Rubber Products Inc. in 1933. The said company was the pioneer rubber shoe manufacturer in the Philippines.[1]

The company’s Flagship product, the Elpo rubber shoes, was the Philippines’ answer to Converse during the 1940’s and well into the 1960’s. The term “Elpo” was a contraction of El Porvenir which means “the future.” [1]