London during the transition from 80s post-punk to 90s new wave. The legendary shop "House Of Beauty And Culture" in the East District must have exuded an unusual atmosphere, with various creators coming and going. In this city, one young Japanese man was deeply immersed. His name is Shintaro Yamamoto, a rising shoe designer who is currently attracting attention in Japan.


London in the 90s was my playground.

I moved to England when I was 15, and initially attended school in a southern town, but I dropped out and moved to London, where my cousin was living at the time. He was friends with Daita Kimura (designer of the shoe brand Daita Kimura, who runs his own shop, Old Curiosity Shop, in London), who was attending Cordwainer (a shoe design school) in London at the time. While hanging out with them, I met Ian Reid, Judy Blame, Christopher Nemeth, and others at the House of Beauty and Culture. Spending time with them almost every day and experiencing the creative process with them, who were carrying on the legacy of John Moore, a shoe designer who stood out in London in the 80s, constituted a large part of my life in London.


I was living in Soho at the time, so there were lots of artists around who didn't have much money. In Britain, where class society is deeply ingrained, the habit of continuing to use traditional items was something only the wealthy could do, and I think the young people were full of creativity and ingenuity. Punk and New Wave were also the first movements to emerge from London. I myself spent my days instinctively searching for what I wanted to do amidst the conflicting cultures of London: the classic and traditional, and the emergence of outstanding and new things that no one had ever seen before. That's when I learned how to make shoes. I never imagined that I would become a shoe designer one day.


London culture and fashion

What was my style back then? I'd wear short, baggy knits or blousons as tops, paired with Christopher Nemeth denim jeans and chunky shoes. I liked unbalanced, avant-garde shoes, but I think I also liked classic British shoes. I think the first shoes I bought in London were Loake tassel loafers. I think Ian's fat shoes and hog-toe shoes, John Moore's vamp shoes, and Kimura Daita's Bigfoot shoes are all part of my origins.


While my fondness for bulky shoes may have been a trend of the time, the double monk strap upper and the thick rubber sole known as creepers remain iconic elements of Kids Love Gate. That said, I'm not trying to simply rehash 90s London styles. I always prioritize a sense of balance that is relevant to the present era. I want to create shoes that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but also stand on their own as a style and a fashion statement. As someone who carries on John Moore's DNA, I want to create original shoes that will endure into the future. I want to carry on the sense of craftsmanship that I absorbed at "House of Beauty and Culture." I also want to create even more extreme and daring pieces. While a business foundation is necessary, my sensibility for searching for interesting things hasn't changed at all since my London days.


Exhibiting at "JAPAN Shoe Expo 2015" Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building

When I decided to participate in the shoe exhibition this time, the first thing that came to mind was how to incorporate Japanese techniques. That's when I thought of using Inden, which is deerskin processed with lacquer. I had made Inden slippers before. The Inden leather I ordered from a tannery in Nara Prefecture is a precious material, so it's not suitable for mass production. The lacquer pattern was also drawn specifically for me. The sole is, of course, thick, and I think this balance is very much in line with my style. Don't you think there's a power of creation that comes from breaking down the idea of "how things should be"?

Shintaro Yamamoto
Born in 1974. Moved to the UK in 1990. Worked as an assistant to shoe designers Ian Reed and Daita Kimura at Old Curiosity Shop, and returned to Japan in 2000. After working for a company that planned, manufactured, and sold OEM shoes, he launched his own brand, KIDS LOVE GAITE, in 2008.

Text: Ikeda Yasuyuki
Photo: Okada Natsuko

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