Last Updated on February 18, 2024

Shoes with Japanese soul

The older I get, the less I buy to take home from my travels. I prefer to spend my money on food and experiences abroad rather than filling my suitcase with trinkets and mementoes. On a recent trip to Japan, however, I made an exception; I had fallen in love with a pair of shoes before even setting foot in the shop. Tokyo Kimono Shoes sells the sort of footwear that does this to you.

Tokyo Kimono Shoes was established in May 2022 and began selling online only via its presence on social media. I’d been following the Instagram feed (@tokyokimonoshoes) with its regular posts of their fabulous handmade sneakers using recycled kimonos and obis. No sooner had I booked a flight to Tokyo where I was to celebrate a significant birthday, than Tokyo Kimono Shoes announced they were opening their first store in the city. The opening was to take place a few weeks before my arrival. I earmarked the shop for an urgent visit and immediately increased my holiday budget to include a birthday gift for myself.

The shop is in Asakusa, one of the most tourist-filled neighbourhoods of Tokyo, and also the traditional home of leatherware and shoe making. Tokyo Kimono Shoes, therefore, chose to open their first shop in the district and has proved as popular on the ground as online. But this is not simply a business selling fabulous footwear, it has a wider mission – to revive kimonos by changing their form. By rescuing discarded kimonos and upcycling them, Tokyo Kimono Shoes is certainly part of Japanese eco-fashion. Every part of the shoe is made in Japan and keeps alive age-old traditions.

I had many questions that I wished to discuss with the General Manager of Tokyo Kimono Shoes, Shotaro Kawamura, as I was by now fascinated by this brand. I was lucky to have the privilege of being shown around Tokyo by Junko Takahashi, a fixer and translator for journalists visiting the city. With Junko’s help I was able to gain an understanding of the concept behind the shoes. I was particularly interested in the place of the kimono in contemporary Japanese fashion as well as the idea of combining the contemporary shoe with this traditional item of clothing. In Japan, kimonos are no longer worn on a daily basis but are now generally used on special occasions such as weddings. While in Tokyo I came across a number of graduation ceremonies and noticed that a significant number of women were wearing kimonos. Some of these are rented, no doubt, but others are bought specially and once the celebration has passed, the kimono languishes in the wardrobe, often never worn again. A bit like a wedding dress.

Tokyo Kimono Shoes buys up abandoned kimonos and obis (the wide belt used to tie the kimono) and transforms them into exquisite footwear. Bags and accessories are on the drawing board too. It is estimated that some 500 000 tons of kimonos are abandoned every year in Japan. Some are languishing in the back of wardrobes while others are thrown out. The kimono is a very expensive item made from silk, and I was told that it is estimated that the value of these wasted kimonos is around 30 trillion Japanese Yen ($220 billion). Making shoes will not save every abandoned kimono – a goal the company would like to achieve – so other projects will hopefully come into play in future.

There is no garment more quintessentially Japanese than the kimono and the fact that these shoes are handmade in Japan makes them a desirable accessory. I love the fact that I have been able to bring home a beautiful object from my travels, a totally unique and upcycled item that I selected and was then handmade. I was fortunate to visit the workshop where the shoes are made and witnessed, first hand, a group of mostly older men and women, true artisans, using labour intensive machines and traditional tools. Each shoe is deeply connected to Japanese culture and aesthetic, the individual kimono having belonged to a particular woman and having been worn on an auspicious occasion. I wish I knew the story of the kimono I chose.

It is just as well that I don’t live in Tokyo or my bank account might be in jeopardy. Choosing one pair took time and I dearly wished to buy several in different colour schemes. The shoes have generated a lot of interest from shoppers abroad who make up 80% of buyers. The shoes can be worn by any gender.  Judge these lovely shoes for yourself on the Tokyo Kimono Shoes website and to find out more about the technical details that make these shoes so comfortable to wear. Don’t miss visiting this small shop if you are in Tokyo where staff speak English and provide a personal experience.

Did I find my ideal birthday gift? Indeed, I did. While I was in the shop, I began to get that slightly stressed feeling that comes from being surrounded by too much beauty and having to make a choice. Then I was shown a kimono that had just arrived in the store, and I knew right away this was the one for me. All I then had to do was select the colour of leather I wanted and then the designer would decide precisely which part of the kimono to use when making my shoes. I asked for some of the cherry blossoms in the kimono print to be included if possible.  A few weeks later my shoes arrived at my door. They were beautiful beyond my expectations.  Did the new shoes take the sting out of becoming a woman of a certain age? Well, as the cliché suggests you are as old as you feel, to which I add another – if the shoe fits, wear it.

Tokyo Kimono Shoes (open Wednesday – Sunday).
2-11-9 Hanakawado
Taito-ku,
Tokyo
Japan

Looking for something different?  Check out my series of features on food in Tokyo