Monocle Selects Four Tokyo Leather Shoe Brands Keeping 'Made in Tokyo' Shoemaking Alive
In the late 1800s, Tokyo saw the inception of Western-style shoemaking with a military-boot factory in Asakusa, which eventually became a center for cobblers. Currently, only a handful of workshops exist, such as Rendo, established by Teppei Yoshimi, who merges British designs with meticulous Japanese craftsmanship. Following the pandemic, he introduced the Tep_P collection. In 2022, Yosuke Ide and Tetsu Ishiguro launched Fysky in Kichijoji, focusing on customizable shoes and plans for a ready-to-wear range. Hideyuki Nagasawa's Liberato features tatami insoles in its Asakusa-made footwear. Ryo Kashiwazaki's Hender Scheme reinterprets traditional trainers and operates six outlets throughout Japan, recently collaborating with Vibram and Artek.
Key facts
- Western-style shoemaking in Tokyo began in the late 1800s when Meiji Japan established a military-boot plant in Asakusa
- Only a handful of shoe ateliers still manufacture in Tokyo, making the 'Made in Tokyo' label increasingly rare
- Rendo founder Teppei Yoshimi studied at London's Cordwainers Technical College and worked as a pattern-maker before launching the Tep_P casual line after the coronavirus pandemic
- Fysky was founded in 2022 in Kichijoji by Yosuke Ide and Tetsu Ishiguro, with a typical three-to-four-month turnaround and a ready-to-wear line and shop planned for next year
- Liberato founder Hideyuki Nagasawa uses tatami insoles made from igusa rush sourced from Kyushu, with shoes largely made in Asakusa and sold in Azumabashi
- Hender Scheme was founded by Ryo Kashiwazaki and has been a Tokyo leather-goods staple for 15 years
- Hender Scheme operates six locations across Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya and sells online
- Hender Scheme's recent collaborations include the UFO sole unit with Vibram and leather-wrapped furniture and home accessories with Artek
Entities
Artists
- Teppei Yoshimi
- Yosuke Ide
- Tetsu Ishiguro
- Hideyuki Nagasawa
- Ryo Kashiwazaki
- Yoshitsugu Fuminari
Institutions
- Rendo
- Fysky
- Liberato
- Hender Scheme
- Cordwainers Technical College
- Vibram
- Artek
- Monocle
Locations
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Asakusa
- Kichijoji
- Azumabashi
- London
- United Kingdom
- Kyushu
- Osaka
- Fukuoka
- Nagoya
- Italy
- Finland
Sources
- Monocle —