“When you want a challenging task done, trust a woman to do the job.”

This has been the case at Converse Philippines for almost 10 years now. The president and chief executive officer of the iconic brand of rubber shoes closely identified with men and basketball is a woman.

Since 2003, Margie Go has been at the helm of Filcon Manufacturing Corp., the marketer and distributor of Converse sports shoes and apparel since 1983. She started as company comptroller and was offered to be a business partner by the original owners of Filcon shortly after.

Go said that she enjoys being at the helm of a brand that became popular as the preferred shoes of the National Basketball Association, or NBA stars. And she still marvels at the staying power of Converse shoes, especially the Chuck Taylor All Star, which has seen a resurgence in the last few years as the “hip and cool” brand among the younger generation.

“The nice thing about the Chuck Taylor brand is its long history and we’re the first specialty shoes produced for basketball,” Go said.

Converse has evolved into a fashion and lifestyle brand to fit global costumers. It also caters to both men and women of all ages, from infant wear to kids’ skate shoes, all the way to teens and adult specialty shoes, bags and apparel.

An all-American brand that dates back to more than a hundred years, the company celebrated its centennial in 2008—proof of its staying power.

During its early years, Filcon maintained its footwear manufacturing operations, specializing in vulcanized and cemented rubber shoes with canvass and leather upper. It has been the exclusive licensee of Converse in the Philippines for almost 30 years.

Go said that Filcon used to manufacture Converse shoes here in the Philippines with the exact specifications as its mother factory in the US. The firm was forced to shut down its operations when China opened up to global trade and commerce since they could no longer compete with China’s lower operating and raw material costs. Filcon now imports all its Converse products and distributes them nationwide.

For 2013, Go said that they are adding another milestone for the Converse brand and Filcon by putting up the very first flagship store in the Philippines. She said that the brand has its flagship stores in other countries and Filcon has been waiting for the perfect time and place to open up one in the Philippines.

“It has been our dream to put up this flagship store for a few years now, so that our customers can enjoy looking at our full range of products and specialty items under just one roof,” she said.

The flagship store will be launched on January 18 at the second level of Glorietta 2 in Makati City. As expected, the flagship store will house all their lines, including the new ones like the John Varvatos franchise line, which can only be found exclusively in Rustans Department Stores.

“We hope that this flagship store can further bring up the image of the brand,” Go said.

Filcon also has other activities lined up this year to strengthen Converse as the ultimate fashion and lifestyle brand. Go said that they want to focus on their strongest market—the teens and the yuppies—who look to the brand as part of their modern lifestyle.

Go said that everything boils down to making their customers happy. She said that Filcon has an excellent sales and marketing team and strong distribution networks. With the flagship store set to open, she is confident that Converse will continue to be the preferred brand of the hip and the cool. It’s a fitting status, she said of the brand that has survived for more than a hundred years and has laid down the standard for other rubber shoes to follow.