Business Aug 22, 2021
A $13 billion sneaker fortune started on a pig farm in Taiwan
by Venus Feng
Today, the founder of Huali Industrial Group is worth more than $13 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Summer Olympics Jul 28, 2021
As athletics records tumble, new shoe technology puts comparisons in question
by Mitch Phillips
Since the arrival of thick-soled, carbon-plated road shoes and now their track spike equivalent, long-standing records set by the sport's all-time greats are being obliterated.
Business Jan 16, 2020
Possible ban of Nike Vaporfly 'supershoe' pushes up Asics and Mizuno shares
The sneakers have helped elite runners shatter records since their release.
National Aug 27, 2019
Women still required to wear heels at most customer-facing firms in Japan, survey shows
A majority of companies where in-person customer service plays a major role in their business, such as banks and airlines, have dress codes requiring women to wear high-heeled shoes, according to a survey by Kyodo News. While the sample size is small, at 28 companies, ...
National / Social Issues | FOCUS Jun 10, 2019
Men force feet into high heels as Japan's #KuToo movement seeks to build on media attention
by Toma Mochizuki
Men jam their feet into high-heeled shoes and walk back and forth, some falteringly, others with unlikely confidence. Some women watch, gauging the men's reactions while sympathizing with each other's stories about wearing the torturous items masquerading as fashion. They were all participants in a ...
Business Jun 3, 2019
Group files petition to ban dress codes in Japan requiring women to wear high heels at work
A group fighting gender-based workplace discrimination submitted a petition to the labor ministry calling for a ban on dress codes that force women to wear high heels at work. The petition bearing 18,856 signatures was presented Monday by Yumi Ishikawa, the leader of the group ...
National / Crime & Legal Feb 5, 2019
Japan shoe sniffer admits sexual kicks drove him to steal 70 pairs of used footwear
A man on trial for the theft of a large number of shoes has admitted he committed the crimes because he gets his sexual kicks from sniffing people's used footwear, police said Tuesday. Makoto Endo, 40, is suspected of stealing 70 pairs of shoes worth ...
Business / Corporate Nov 29, 2017
Birkenstock looks to step up Japan sales with a mix of tradition and bold new ideas
by Alex K.T. Martin
German shoemaker Birkenstock plans to double its business in Japan and offer consumers a wider range of products through selective distribution, according to the first chief executive officer from outside the founding family to run the centuries-old company. The iconic footwear firm known for its ...
Style & Design Jul 9, 2017
Tokyo filling the shoes of European artisans
by Philip Patrick
While Yohei Fukuda was learning the art of shoemaking in London in the early 2000s he applied to work at John Lobb, one of the oldest and most prestigious footwear firms in the world. He was offered a position, but was asked if he ...
People | WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN? May 20, 2017
Shoemaker Hidetaka Fukaya models creations on feline elegance
by Joji Sakurai
A renowned craftsman in Florence is working hard to maintain his freedom of expression as a shoemaker.
Business / Tech Apr 14, 2017
Tokyo IT firm taps 3-D technology to offer perfect-fitting shoes
It's every shoe lover's dream: Footwear perfectly made for their feet. Tokyo-based information technology firm Flickfit Inc. is developing just that — a service that virtually fits shoes to a person's feet using 3-D scans. The service, which would enable customers to search for a large ...
National Nov 26, 2015
Rent-a-shoe project aims to lighten financial load for parents with young children
Parents fed up with finding that their children quickly outgrow expensive shoes are now offered an alternative: rentals. A shoe store in the city of Kumamoto lets parents rent pairs of children's shoes up to three times a year for a fixed fee. The shoes ...