Despite debuting in 2015, the footwear brand Flower MOUNTAIN quickly rose to popularity, with leading international select shops such as the now-defunct Colette in Paris, Antonioli in Milan, and Keith in New York all stocking their products. This time, we interviewed designer Keisuke Ota. What is the reason behind the global popularity of this enigmatic newcomer?

A creative process like a jam session, where the blood of the two of them blends together.

"This footwear brand offers functionality that fits perfectly with festivals, camping, and outdoor activities, while also competing on original design and exceptional comfort."

Keisuke Ota, who admitted to being a little nervous during the unfamiliar interview, introduced the brand Flower Mountain in this way. His beard was a vibrant blue. It seems like he has a very particular style with plenty of stories to tell, but let's not dwell on that for now.


Mr. Ota has built his career as a shoe designer for famous fashion brands and select shops both in Japan and abroad. Theきっかけ (trigger) for launching Flower Mountain was a visit to the factory that manufactured sneakers for a skate brand he was contracted with.

"That's where I met Yang Chao, who was also working on designs for other brands. As I talked with him, I really resonated with his way of thinking, his sensibilities, and his design philosophy. I guess you could say we just clicked. I don't speak Chinese, and he doesn't speak Japanese, so we communicated in English through an intermediary (laughs)."

Sneakers: Left/ 22,680 yen , Middle/ 22,680 yen , Right/ 17,280 yen

Sneakers: Left/ 23,760 yen , Right/ 22,680 yen

The two hit it off instantly and decided to work together as designers on a single brand, with Japan and China as their respective bases of operations. They launched Flower Mountain in 2015. "Flower Mountain" is apparently the name of a mountain that Yang Chao often visits for hiking. "He came up with the name on his own, though (laughs)," he revealed secretly.

"Both Yang Chao and I draw design sketches and go to the factory to give detailed instructions. Sometimes he finishes a design I've drawn, and vice versa. Sometimes I do everything myself. But when you look at the final product, the ones we create together are more interesting. It's like our blood blends together. Sometimes the finished product is completely different from what I instructed, but that can actually be a good thing. Surprisingly, we prioritize the flow and are quite flexible."


What makes their footwear unique is the fusion of natural, organic design and handcrafted details with industrial-looking sneakers. But above all, their priority is comfort, even more so than design.

"I love developing outsoles, I love designing them. I design everything from the last to everything else from scratch. But I haven't received any formal training. It's all the result of trial and error throughout my career. In other words, I'm self-taught."

The last was designed to fit Japanese feet, including a wider ball girth (circumference of the metatarsophalangeal joint, also known as width). By employing the sacchetto (Bolognese) construction, which softly wraps around the foot, and combining it with an outsole that excels in shock absorption and rebound, it achieves exceptional stability, ease of walking, and comfort.

NEXT> What are these evolving handmade sneakers that seem poised to become the next big thing?