Interviews

buntA: Waraji Sandals Born from Medical Insoles in Kobe

We visited Fuji Koatsu Products in Kobe, the rubber maker behind buntA, to see how a material made for medical insoles became a sandal that helps you walk with all five toes.

ABE HOME SHOES: Slippers from Japan's Slipper Capital

We visited Abe Sangyo in Kahoku, Yamagata, Japan's top slipper town, to learn how a 100-year-old subcontractor built its own brand of comfortable home shoes.

m+: Leather Goods That Their Owners Complete

We visited m+ in Kuramae, Tokyo, to hear how a former architect trained in Italy became a leather craftsman, and designed wallets that age beautifully with use.

Reela: Leather Room Shoes Shaped Like Fine Footwear

We visited Yamato in Matsuyama, Ehime, a sandal maker of over 60 years, to learn why its room shoe brand Reela is shaped on wooden lasts like fine footwear.

KURODA: Leather Gloves from Japan's Glove Capital

We visited KURODA in Higashikagawa, Kagawa, the town that makes 90% of Japan's gloves, to learn how its leather gloves achieve their remarkable comfort.

clife: Brass and Leather from an Osaka Metalworks

We visited Unai Kinzoku Kogyo in Osaka, the metalworking company behind clife, to learn how its brass and pit-tanned leather accessories are designed and made in-house.

Mizutori Kogyo: Reinventing the Geta in Shizuoka

Founded in 1937 in Shizuoka, Mizutori Kogyo went from geta to shoes and back again, creating hand-carved geta designed for all-day comfort.