Located in a quiet residential area of Komazawa, in an apartment room, is the atelier of Yugo Hayano, who debuted in 2017. Isetan Shinjuku Store will feature this up-and-coming bespoke shoemaker in conjunction with the renewal of the men's shoe section on the first basement floor of the Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building .

"There wasn't a dramatic encounter that sparked my interest in shoes, nor was there any specific motivation like having foot problems. After graduating from university, I naturally took the entrance exam for the Taitung branch (a vocational training school for shoemakers)."

Hayano graced the cover of the shoe specialty magazine "LAST" immediately after his debut. He is a rising star who has his peers trembling with fear. Approaching the interview with such a man in mind, I was surprised to find him surprisingly calm.

"If I had to say, I guess I like classic things. I've been drawn to vintage clothing and antiques since my student days."

As they were talking, Hayano recalled another memory.

"My parents loved music, and we had a huge collection of records at home, from jazz to rock. We listened to everything we could get our hands on. My mother is still proud of the time she went to a Beatles concert. Perhaps because of that environment, I watched quite a few old movies. Or maybe the gleaming shoes that graced the silver screen were imprinted on my memory."

When Hayano became a university student, there was a boom in men's shoes. Without giving it much thought, he devoted himself to collecting materials related to shoes while he was a student. And so, he went on to the Taito branch campus.

"It's made using traditional methods. So many different craftsmanship techniques are incorporated into such a small product. I found it fascinating and became completely engrossed in it."

After graduating from Taito Branch School, he got a job at a long-established men's shoe manufacturer. Bespoke shoes hadn't yet become widespread enough to be called a boom, and he chose the manufacturer because he "never imagined that such a path would open up for him in the future." However, shortly after starting his working life, he met a bespoke shoemaker.


Hayano, who began helping out only on weekends, was immediately captivated by the classical style of taking measurements, carving shoe lasts, sewing uppers, and attaching soles, and decided to switch to that field.

I was given the opportunity to try out a wide range of techniques, but the one thing I never felt truly confident about was wooden modeling. However, that's understandable. Wooden modeling is essentially a monopolistic market within the wooden modeling industry, a closed world that rarely actively shared information. In other words, I never had the opportunity to learn it systematically.

Next, I will study under John Lobb's last maker.