As "YourFIT365," a service that measures customers' feet and recommends shoes with a suitable last, expands to men's footwear, the "Millennial Last" has emerged, aimed at younger generations. This article introduces the "new standard" that sets it apart from conventional lasts and shoes.

The answer is "Millennial Last"

The "Millennial Last" is a shoe last designed for the millennial generation, that is, the younger generation born between the 1980s and 2000s. The project began with an observation by Tomoyasu Tabata, a buyer at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building . When Mr. Tabata was the sales manager of the shoe department, he often witnessed young people trying on shoes and then leaving with puzzled expressions. This resonated with him, as he was one of the older millennials.


"For example, we have quite a few young customers who have calluses on the top of their feet, above the ball joint. I actually have them too, and it's because the flex point of the shoe rubs against the top of my foot. Conventional shoes and lasts can't accommodate thin insteps, leaving excess space. So, we thought that by creating a new last, we could make leather shoes accessible to more young people," (Tabata)

Coincidentally, the aforementioned "YourFIT365" system takes customer foot shape data and recommends shoes by matching it with shoe last data.
The introduction of the "[last name]" to men's shoes was also underway. In June 2019, we consulted with Masakazu Hirokawa, president of Hirokawa Shoe Manufacturing, who was quick to cooperate with this initiative, about this millennial last. It took more than 10 months since then to finally complete the new last and the shoes made with that last.


"We remade the sample shoes about four times. Ideas for improvements kept coming up, and we made repeated revisions," says President Hirokawa. The shoe last created at Mr. Tabata's request is a D width, even narrower than the slimmest single E width in the Scotch Grain lineup, and the heel cup is also two sizes smaller. As a result, the paper pattern that determines the shape of the upper was also revised, and the shape of the insole was also significantly changed.

"By using the latest toe laster that we recently introduced, which allows for lasting with a force close to that of the hand, and by further increasing the clipping process, I believe we were able to create shoes that conform to this type of last shape," (Hirokawa).

Millennial last shoes also reflect the high level of shoemaking technology of the factory.