This past Sunday, I went to Kamakura, where the cherry blossoms were just beginning to fall.
The Kamakura Festival was just around the corner, and the weather was warm and sunny, although there were huge crowds,
The purpose of this visit was to have men's shoes made to order!
In Kamakura, there is "Kamakura Shoes Komaya," a store specializing in custom-made and imported shoes run by Mr. J, a close ally of mine from my days studying in Italy, and I went there to order shoes from him for the first time.
Kamakura Shoes KOMAYA
http://komaya-shoes.co.jp/index.htm
He trained in Florence, Italy for 6 years and has customers all over the world.Stefano Bemer.He has an amazing background, having worked as one of the main craftsmen at a Japanese company.
Not only were they in Florence at the same time, but they are exactly the same age, and after returning from Italy, they have taken over the family business from their parents and are working in it. They have a great deal in common, and are best friends, fellow writers, and valuable fellow business owners who can share their problems.
Today we went to the first step of the custom-made process, a design meeting and foot measurements.
His workshop is located on the second floor of the store. The shop is lined with valuable tools that he brought back from Italy.
Samples of skins and wood patterns. There are a total of three types of skins to choose from, not only for the surface of the shoe, but also for the interior and sole.
Since it was the first order, we chose English black cowhide for the outer skin to make it easy to use for formal occasions, as it will last a lifetime. Conversely, we ordered dark green leather for the inner lining and sole to give them a custom-made look.
The next step is to take measurements to make a wooden form.
Mr. J himself took detailed measurements on a special table with ink for taking footprints.
My shoe size is 26 cm, but when I actually measured my foot, it was a whopping 24.5 cm!
Here are the results of my foot measurements.
On the left is a foot print, not a fish print! It is said that depending on the density of the ink, it is possible to determine the balance of the weight on the foot, the place where strength is applied, and even the hardness of the skin of the foot.
After this, we decided on the overall design and discussed details such as the presence or absence of seams in each part, the finish of the soles, the type and shape of the laces, and so on, and that was the end of today's meeting.
We plan to come back in July, three months after the next visit, to check the shoes that have been temporarily sewn.
Final completion is scheduled for the end of September! A full shoe order takes about six months to be carefully handcrafted and built.
It is different and similar in some ways to custom-made jewelry, and it is very helpful.
Oh, I'm so incredibly excited about the completion!
After a two-hour meeting, I came first thing in the morning, but it was already lunchtime.
After stocking up on two pairs of leather sneakers made in Spain from shoes Mr. J had purchased directly in Europe, we left the store and went to a Japanese restaurant owned by a classmate of Mr. J's.
Japanese Cuisine Hiwa
http://hiyori.sitemix.jp/
Mr. Numakami, the owner-chef, who had worked at a Japanese restaurant in Germany during the time we were in Italy, prepared a very delicately tailored menu of creative Japanese dishes using vegetables from Kamakura.
Tempura of brightly colored spring vegetables. The color combination is like the Italian flag.
I was very inspired by my classmates who are active in Kamakura, whether as shoemakers or chefs.
The double-flowered cherry trees blooming at Goryo Shrine, which has a shrine right next to the Enoden, were very beautiful.
By the way, here are the sneakers I bought.
I love leather sneakers without laces (slip-on) because I have trouble putting on and taking off shoes,
Whenever I come across leather sneakers without laces, I almost reach for them regardless of the design,
Mr. J's store is always full of sneakers that I like. I want to buy all of them.
