Credit: Comme des Garçons Homme x Kids Love Gaite
Japan is certainly known for its clothing, but perhaps not everyone knows that in the heart of the Japanese capital there is also a real forge of the art of footwear. Asakusa, the oldest district in Tokyo, has been the center of leather processing for centuries: with over 100 shoe factories, it preserves an artisanal knowledge that has its roots in the era of the samurai, when leather was used for armor and sword sheaths. Today this tradition translates into footwear that maintains a perfect balance between craftsmanship and aesthetic innovation.
Among the most contemporary interpreters of this tradition is Kids Love Gaite, a brand that embodies the excellence of the Tokyo footwear district and has become a point of reference for all the avant-garde brands in the country thanks to its ability to blend craftsmanship and aesthetic avant-garde. Its founder, Shintaro Yamamoto, trained at the famous The Old Curiosity Shop in London, a point of reference for English artisan footwear, before returning to Tokyo and immersing himself in the manufacturing tradition of Asakusa. His latest creation is yet another shoe designed with Comme des Garçons: a pair of combat boots with a pointed toe, presented at the Fall Winter 2025 men’s shows, with a design that seemingly defies gravity.
In recent years, the Japanese footwear industry has received a boost thanks to METI (the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), which in 2017 launched the HAKIMONO consortium—meaning “that which walks with you.” The initiative brings together specialized brands with the aim of passing on Japanese footwear know-how to new generations, ensuring that this artisanal legacy continues to evolve without losing its connection to its roots.
