Le Coq Sportif, a sports brand, has welcomed shoemaker Kentaro Gobo as its director, and the "CRAFTED SNEAKER" collection, launched in 2020, is innovative footwear that can be worn in both business and casual settings.

This time, ahead of the release of a new model that incorporates customer feedback and updates from the first collection, we spoke with Tomoyasu Tabata, former men's shoe buyer and current floor manager at Isetan Shinjuku, who has a close relationship with Mr. Gobo. We asked them about the ideal form of shoes that meet today's lifestyles and their vision for the future of footwear as a whole.

View all Le Coq Sportif men's shoes products.

A shared set of values considering the evolution of "shoes" as "tools."

—First, could you tell us about your relationship?

Gobo: Originally, my profession was in leather shoes, or what you might call traditional shoes. And then there are athletic shoes made by sports brands like Le Coq Sportif. I think these two are generally perceived as separate things, but I personally considered them to be the same thing—shoes—and a consistent everyday item.

This is a viewpoint that surprisingly few people agree with, but when I met Mr. Tabata, I realized that we had a similar level of thinking, and my initial reaction was, "Who is this guy?!" He's someone who thinks about problems and changes in society from a different perspective than fashion, using shoes as a tool. Of course, fashion is a necessary form, but I've come to realize that shoes need to be a specification in themselves, as something that can be used in various social situations, such as being easy to walk in during disasters.

Tabata: What left a strong impression on me was our conversation about how we perceive shoes, rather than about the product itself. As Mr. Gobo just mentioned, shoes are a fashion item, but before that, they are fundamentally a tool. So I think it's important to consider how we perceive shoes as a tool and how we can evolve them.

I see myself as the seller, and Mr. Gobo as the maker, or rather, the craftsman, but I've always thought that if everyone seriously considered their respective roles, we could do so much more. We each have our own theories, and there are many cases where the maker and the seller are not consistent, or rather, they are disconnected.


Tabata: But Mr. Gobo always had the seller's perspective, understanding what the market was looking for at that moment. When I told him what I had envisioned, he taught me a lot in return, and we realized that we had the same perspective and way of thinking about things, so we talked about the possibility of doing something together. I don't get to see Mr. Gobo that often throughout the year, though.

Gobo: That's right. When we meet occasionally, it's like a national tournament (laughs). There are times when he says something like, "He said that at such a perfect timing!"

Tabata: No, for me, it's Mr. Gobo. We don't see each other often, but we always have the same perspective, and it's like, "Mr. Gobo, you were thinking about that too?" When we meet at a time when our values and ways of thinking are being updated, the content we output is always substantial, and it feels like we're looking at the same things far into the future.

Sustainable shoes are those that you can wear for a long time with affection.

—So you see each other as someone who can inspire and challenge your own thoughts?

Gobo: That's right. For example, from the first time I met Mr. Tabata, he had a way of thinking that is close to what we now call sustainable. There wasn't a defined term for it, but he thought that shoes are just tools, so if you take care of them, including reuse, repair, and customer support, they can be worn again. At the time, there weren't precise terms like sustainable or SDGs, but I was impressed that he had such a sustainable way of thinking.


Tabata: Actually, I told this story to several people before I told Mr. Gobo, but back then, the definition of sustainability wasn't common in society, so I couldn't get any empathy from them. That's when I met Mr. Gobo.

These days, "sustainable" is often used as a synonym for a word that appeals to consumers, isn't it? I don't necessarily disagree with that, but when you ask, "What is sustainable?", it's not as simple as "it's kind to nature" or "it returns to the earth." As I mentioned earlier, I consider shoes to be tools, and since they are likely to be used for a long time as tools, I think it's important that the concept itself is sustainable.

The question is whether you can use it with affection. Many things that you use for a long time, like your beloved car, are things that you "love," aren't they? I believe that what you wear and what you own is a reflection of a person's identity, and I think that's where sustainable shoes have a role to play.

Unlike everyday items that change every season or day by day, shoes are more likely to be worn for two or three years. I think that the idea and products that are meant to be worn out and thrown away will be phased out in the future.


—I see. So it's not as simple as just keeping it simple.

Tabata: Of course, it's important that no harmful substances are used when tanning the leather. It's important, but that skips over the basic concept and becomes just a means to an end. I think the preceding steps are important because of the characteristics of shoes as an item. To put it in extreme terms, even if you use very natural and environmentally friendly materials and manufacturing methods, are shoes that fall apart in six months sustainable? I think that's completely wrong.

Gobo: Also, in terms of sustainability, with food products, you can see the place of production and the producers, but it would be better if buyers could also see. That's why there are stores like Isetan, and there are things that you can't really see with e-commerce.


Gobo: In the store, customers have the opportunity to learn about where the shoes are made and what materials are used, and regardless of whether that leads to a purchase, I think that being able to leave satisfied is one form of sustainability through shoes.

Of course, e-commerce may become more transparent in the future, but in terms of that kind of visualization, I think shoe size fitting will also become necessary.

—That also connects to the concept of attachment, doesn't it?

Tabata: That's right. At its core, the most important thing is that people like it, isn't it? There are several elements to what makes someone like something, and of course the design is important, but so is the comfort, and whether the size is right in the first place. No matter how much you like the design, if your feet start to hurt while walking, you'll stop wearing them.

Even if you use good materials and are environmentally friendly, the question becomes, is that sustainable? As Mr. Gobo mentioned, we are constantly changing our sales methods to keep up with the changing times, but ultimately, we still place great importance on human interaction, and we have introduced the 3D foot measurement system "YourFIT365" in our stores. Rather than simply saying that e-commerce is better or that brick-and-mortar stores are better, I think it's very important to adopt a mixed approach, a hybrid approach, that responds to the changing environment.

Sneakers that prioritize the comfort of leather shoes.

—So, does the concept of sustainability also apply to "Crafted Sneakers"?

Gobo: That's right. In particular, we focused on creating a stable and comfortable fit. Shoes are put on straight through a single opening, so if you force them to fit, the front will shift, causing distortion throughout the entire foot. To prevent this, we removed the heel cup that previously held the heel in place. Instead, we adopted a clip-type heel counter called a "heel clip" that adjusts the position of the heel.


Gobo: About 80% of Japanese people have deformed heels. Men often twist their ankles inward during sports, leading to inversion sprains, while women develop bunions due to walking with their toes pointing inward. Shoes are made straight, so if you wear them to fit a deformed heel, your toes will slide. This is the reason why people say, "These shoes don't fit because my feet are wide." Japanese people don't have wide feet at all; it's just their heels that are shifted. To make people aware of this, we've added heel clips to create space at the toes, making the shoes fit everyone.

Tabata: By today's definition, these shoes look like sneakers, but they feel completely like leather shoes. When wearing them for long periods of time, leather shoes are far less tiring than sneakers. Sneakers are comfortable for, for example, a 20-minute walk, but if you move around Tokyo all day, I think your feet will be completely exhausted from the strain.

Gobo: Technically speaking, leather shoes really do become comfortable if you wear them for a long time. They are made with millimeter-level measurements so that the material fits your feet and the shoes conform to your feet over a long period of time. At first they don't fit well, so they cause blisters and hurt, but once they are broken in, they feel like your feet and shoes become one, like a second skin.

In contrast, sneakers are great because you put your feet into a large, soft container. When you walk, your feet move about 1 to 1.5 cm inside the shoe, which can cause your little toes or heels to rub, and the shoe material itself can deform and twist.

Tabata: Personally, the difference between leather shoes and sneakers is like the solid foundation of a house; leather shoes are like the solid foundation of a house, while sneakers are like the foundation that becomes wobbly after wearing them for a long time. I'm not saying sneakers are bad at all, but because they become wobbly, wearing them for a long time puts a strain on your feet and worsens your posture.



Tabata: This "Crafted Sneakers" are great, and so are leather shoes; they have a solid foundation, so you can stand on them with ease. The initial comfort of sneakers is amazing, but when you consider wearing them for a long time, the craftsmanship of leather shoes is incredible.

The future of "shoes," a shoe that is expected to play an essential role.

—So, "Crafted Sneakers" combine the best features of leather shoes and sneakers, right?

Gobo: As I mentioned at the beginning, I don't draw a line between traditional shoes and athletic shoes. I think that "Crafted Sneakers" represent one of my ideas in the field of footwear as a product.


Tabata: To put it in terms of a department store buyer, this genre is still a untapped market. Until now, no shoe brand has approached the market with more than two options: leather shoes or sneakers. That's why I'm paying attention to it as a new type of footwear.


Gobo: I think we need to adapt shoes into our daily lives going forward. Currently, shoes are mostly chosen for economic and fashion reasons. But that's not the point; I want people to know that shoes are a much more familiar part of their lives.

I think that in the near future, shoes will be re-evaluated as an essential part of daily life. People will start asking themselves: what is most important in my life? What kind of shoes, with what functions, do I need? It's difficult to put into words, but I think these fundamental questions will become increasingly important.

Tabata: In an increasingly convenient society, the role of shoes may extend beyond simply walking. However, the act of wearing something to go outside will likely remain unchanged for some time. The human body isn't going to evolve overnight, so we'll still need to wear some kind of tool. I think it's absolutely possible that shoes will evolve, gaining more functions and expanding their role in the process.

As Mr. Gobo mentioned, we've entered an era where you can't survive unless you focus on the essential aspects. It's easy to use "sustainability" as a catchy slogan. But we've reached an age where it's clear that simply focusing on superficial aspects won't lead to long-term success. Therefore, the fundamental and essential aspects will become extremely important in every aspect going forward.

View all Le Coq Sportif men's shoes products.