In this installment, Isetan Men's "men in their 30s" receive a lecture from a legend in the fashion world, and the guest is Yuhi Ozaki, the designer of Sankakke.

The crew from "GUIDE by ISETAN MITSUKOSHI" went to see the vintage sneakers in Mr. Ozaki's "Ozaki Collection," as he is also a connoisseur of vintage clothing!

Learn all about vintage sneakers – their fascinating aspects, appeal, and value – through these videos!

Tsuchiya: "I want to learn more about the world of vintage!"

Tsuchiya, Tashiro, and Matsuoka, who are studying the world of vintage clothing on Yuhi Ozaki's YouTube channel "Yuhi Ozaki's Clothing Paradise," visited Ozaki's atelier. What's noteworthy is the drool-worthy item behind the three of them!

"This vibe! It's really picking up speed from behind!" says Tashiro, and it feels like a lot of amazing vintage sneakers are going to be coming soon!

Since visiting the vintage clothing store " SAFARI ," Tsuchiya has been buying up classic and iconic vintage clothing, but wanting to learn "a different way to enjoy vintage clothing," he steps into the world of vintage sneakers for men in their 30s.

Ozaki recommends, "Military-style sneakers are interesting!"

The three pairs of shoes that Ozaki prepared for Tsuchiya were: German trainers from the 1980s (used by the German military), Superga shoes from the 1980s (used by the Italian military), and Silver Shadow shoes from the 1990s (used by the British military).

German trainers are famous for being featured by Martin Margiela in the 90s, Superga's white sneakers are rare, and Silver Shadows are produced by the sports manufacturer Hi-Tec.

According to Ozaki, "What military sneakers have in common is how easy they are to find. Military items are produced in large quantities, so it's easier to get deadstock in their boxes that are still in warehouses than to get a pair someone else is wearing," he explained.

Tsuchiya said, "I've never been interested in military-style sneakers before, but I've been looking at these and I really want them," showing a burning desire for the Silver Shadow.

In addition to the German, Italian, and British military uniforms selected by Ozaki, Tashiro heard that US military uniforms (which Converse produced), Swedish military uniforms, and Czech military uniforms were also available on the vintage clothing market, and he strongly encouraged Tsuchiya, saying, "Then, how about we collect them all from the EU?" 

Matsuoka: "I've seen it before, but the atmosphere is clearly different!"

Ozaki praised Matsuoka's styling for the day, saying, "It's perfect!" To celebrate, Ozaki chose three pairs of Converse All-Stars made of leather, not canvas. Apparently, Ozaki immediately bought the leather All-Star low-cuts that came out in the 90s.

Ozaki explained in detail, "The Converse All Star first featured a leather upper in the 80s. The 90s models have rubber added to the leather upper, but the 80s models had leather placed on top of a canvas sneaker upper, so the fabric was thicker."

Matsuoka commented, "Canvas material is too casual, but leather looks a bit more mature and refined," to which Ozaki replied, "Leather is warm, so I wear leather shoes in the winter."

Ozaki recommends "hidden gem sneakers that you might not have noticed yet."

When Ozaki said, "Converse has released inline models with leather uppers, but those who are really into it are looking for the originals. However, they don't have that much value in the vintage clothing market yet, so leather might be a hidden gem?" the man in his 30s got excited and said, "This is a really great idea! You're spreading it all over the world!"

Tashiro, who has a penchant for quirky things, chose "80s Adidas and Puma basketball shoes."

"Tashiro has a quirky personality, so I chose some unique vintage items that would be incredibly lucky to find in a second-hand shop!" said Ozaki, showing off a pair of 80s Adidas and Puma basketball shoes. They certainly look like they have a strong personality!

"In the 80s, Nike sold a ton of basketball shoes with its powerful 'Air Jordan' brand, but Adidas and Puma, lacking such a weapon, tried to compete by using exotic-looking leather," says Ozaki.

Ozaki recommends, "The leather texture expresses a pop sensibility!"

The three pairs of shoes—an ostrich-style and a lizard-style Adidas, and a lizard-style Puma—are all rare items in the vintage clothing market, but Ozaki says he buys them immediately whenever he finds a large size. He enjoys styling them by "wearing oversized shoes with shorts."

Are You Ready? What did the three of them choose for the annual runway show?

Tsuchiya's selection: "It's very on-trend, I might go buy it tomorrow."

Matsuoka's selection: "It goes well with slacks and blends seamlessly with the items I currently own."

Tashiro's selection: "Let's go to Yoyogi Park now! Is it okay if we play basketball in this?"

Addictive? Click here if you're curious about the three's RUNNWAY!

Next time on the Ozaki Collection, we'll be reinterpreting denim! Stay tuned.

►Watch the full "World of Vintage Sneakers" video here!

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This is Mitsukoshi Isetan's owned video media, which develops adult men's fashion projects with the theme of "enjoying fashion."

＊The information in this article is current as of the time of publication. Product information may be revised or changed without notice.


Text: Makoto Kajii

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