Shoes Of The Week - Imai Hiroki

When I usually discover something new and I like it, you can bet that for the first few weeks, you will see it several times on my blog, kind of bombarding you. But, hey, when you find gold, you flaunt it. So that takes me back to this Japanese shoe maker, Imai Hiroki, that I have most recently discovered, who I must say, just might make some of the most unique and daring shoes, THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. But I absolutely love them!!! His version of a double monk is amazing and I can't quite recall if it is the first time that I have seen it done, but I must say, the way he contrasts the colors from the straps to the shoe, is genius. His style of shoemaking is so unlike most Japanese makers, who will generally have a certain feel and look about them. I would be willing to bet that the style that Imai creates comes from a background of studying shoemaking in France, as the resemblance to shape and his patina's, strike me as French influenced. While I could be wrong, his work is breathtaking nonetheless!! Well, for me, this is shoe porn at it's finest, so if you are like me, then enjoy and if not, sorry!

Have a great weekend,

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Today's Favorites - Imai Hiroki Slippers

I love the internet!!! When using it, you constantly have informational gold just at the end of your fingertips, so long as you know how to capitalize on it. That being, I was able to discover this Japanese bespoke shoe maker (or more he discovered me), Imai Hiroki, who makes some of the most incredible shoes that I have ever seen and has some of the most beautiful pictures of Japan on his site.

After punching through each link on his website (which is completely in Japanese) I came across this lovely collection of amazing house slippers. In reality, there are no words to describe just how cool these are and I guess that if you are not a shoe freak -- like me -- you may not even understand where I am coming from, but man, do I wish that I owned one, if not 5, of these! I mean, really.....how often do you see the insole of a shoe (or slipper) with a hand-patina finish? My guess would be.....NEVER! And that is what is amazing about this guy and most Japanese makers for that matter. They are so insanely obsessed with shoes, that they will take every detail in the shoemaking process and either spend 3 times the amount doing it (to make sure that it is perfect) or create new, little details that you would never have thought about, such as hand-finishing the insole.

Even though I can make my own shoes, when I come across a unique maker such as this, I still say to myself, "I would want a shoe made by this guy!"