Axto Co., Ltd., which runs & Steady, a custom-made shoe store in Nihonbashi Ningyocho, has the concept of “building your body starting with custom-made shoes,” and is proud of the precious kimonos and obi that are filled with the thoughts of our customers. We launched a new service, “And Steady Reborn”, which is tailored to “sneakers” on Saturday, August 8, 2020. Last year, we released a completely custom-made kimono/obi sneaker that came close to the Japanese spirit of “mottainai”, and it was very well received, and this service has started.
Kimono and obi that have been passed down are traditional crafts that Japan is proud of. In addition to the technique of handling pure silk that we have cultivated so far, shoemakers in Asakusa tailor each pair with a high-quality shoe manufacturing method called the “hand fishing method” to bring back a pair of shoes that can be used in modern times. You can also visit the Asakusa factory.
And steady reborn
At the beginning of the year, we made a press release of “Kimono/obi sneakers”, and many media covered us and received inquiries. That is, “Can you make it with the kimono that your grandmother has given you?” “I want you to make it with my wife’s keepsake obi,” saying that you want to remake your own kimono/obi. Muffled kimonos and obi are very traditional crafts of great value, but in busy times, there were few opportunities to wear them, and there was a desire to transform them into something that will help you in your daily life.
Kimono and sneaker sneakers that started from the idea of ”remaking tradition and making life comfortable with traditional crafts close to us” can be used in modern times by adding craftsmen to valuable materials I remade them into sneakers, but we were only getting kimono and obi. In this project, which started from unwinding my mother’s kimono, I already have no kimono at hand, and I have been stocking it when ordering.
Therefore, we will keep important kimonos and obi that customers want to revive, we will undertake from unraveling (pressing) and pressing, lining to finish into one piece of cloth, tailoring sneakers hand-fished by shoemakers, I decided to deliver it.
We have taken one step further from the “remakes” we have made so far, and have envisioned all types of remakes that have a higher degree of freedom, regardless of the prototype, and have decided to use “reborn” to bring new life to the kimono and obi.
Before Before After
Japanese culture and the social significance of "Re" bones
Originally used for kimonos and belts, pure silk has high strength and elasticity, and is a suitable material for shoes that support the foot that is the foundation of the body. In Japan, there is a kimono culture where you can solve it many times and make it into a towel, diaper, thong, or change its shape and continue to use it.
Right now, with the great shift in values, from the era of mass production and mass consumption, we are turning back to the values of making good products and continuing to use them carefully for a long time. The culture of “Re” youth, “Re” makeup, and “Re” bone is not new, and it has been taken since ancient times in Japan, which has taken the symbiosis with nature for granted. It is the spirit, and I think it is truly sustainable and the SDGs themselves.
In order to connect Japanese culture to the next generation, the reborn that revives traditional crafts that sleep in the chest with the hands of modern artisans is extremely essential and very cool, and it will be in the form of apparel for the 21st century. Must be.
Reborn as sneakers using traditional leather shoes
Since this sneaker is made by the so-called “hand fishing” method of making high-end shoes, there is a hole in the heel as a proof. In other words, they are “leather shoes called sneakers”. Each pair of shoes craftsmen at the Asakusa Headquarters Factory do handwork and tailor.
Because it is made to order as a custom order, you can choose not only the size, but also the two types of “normal” and “thick”, so the walkability is clear and comfortable, so in these three and a half years We have grown into a very popular product that receives orders for over 6,000 pairs. These 100-year-old sneakers are designed to keep your feet functioning so you can keep walking on your own.
We will put the important kimono and obi that you have inherited on the stable format and tailor it. Even though pure silk has strength, it is still inferior to leather. For reinforcement, choose from 6 colors of leather and decide the combination with kimono and obi.
Perforated holes in hand fishing shoes
6 colors to choose
・Elegant and gorgeous gold (GD)
・Silver (SV) that brings elegance
・Black (BK) with strength in mysteriousness
・Intelligent and cool impression navy (NV)
・Passionate and affectionate red (RD)
・Purple (PP) with a noble and lovely image
Order the design (string, velcro), sole (black, white), and wood pattern (21.5-27.5 cm, normal/narrow) online, and after processing the material and tailoring it into sneakers, it will take about 2 months. It will be delivered. The price starts from 46,000 yen (21.5 to 25.5 cm), and the reborn price (unwinding, pressing, backing, shipping) 10,000 yen is included. The price per pair will be cheaper if you make a few pairs at the same time, so it is recommended that you order a pair of mother and daughter, or two daughters. The number of legs that can be made varies depending on the pattern, so please consult us before proceeding.
Sneakers that have beautiful appearance and functionality are extremely popular not only as a fun to wear, but also as a souvenir for people overseas.
You can also visit the handicrafts of shoemakers at the Asakusa Headquarters Factory, so please feel free to contact us.
Axt Co., Ltd.
Developed from a shoe material manufacturer in Asakusa that lasts 60 years. At the head office factory, while continuing the tradition of shoemakers and continuing research and development of materials, at “Kutsu/Ashi/Ark Research Institute & Steady” operated by Nihonbashi Ningyocho Co., Ltd. We offer bespoke shoes and walking lessons. He is close to a woman with a shoe gypsy in an unprecedented business style of using shoes as a tool to condition the whole body. There are 11 partner stores nationwide.
＞ & Steady
