I’d be happy if you could naturally appreciate the comfort and quality.
—After hearing what Mr. Yamada had to say, has your impression of *Moonstar* changed?
Ebe: When I visited the store in Jiyugaoka, something just clicked for me. For the past decade or so, hasn’t the value in fashion been increasingly concentrated on “hyped-up” items? People have even started talking about resale prices and asset value. I’m not denying that trend itself, but I’d always viewed it with a bit of detachment. However, with Moonstar shoes, I sense something different from that mindset—I feel the “essential core of fashion.”
Kaji: I feel the same way. These days, words and symbolism tend to take center stage, and it’s often hard to tell how much of it is actually true. But when I actually listen to people talk about it and engage with the product like this, I can really sense that it’s been created with genuine care and dedication. That’s incredibly important, isn’t it?
Ebe: But ultimately, I think being “popular with the opposite sex” is important, too (laughs). With fashion, there’s always that tension between clothes that appeal to men and clothes that women like, right? I’ve been thinking about that balance for a long time.
Kaji: I guess as we’ve gotten older, we’ve learned to strike that balance, haven’t we? I think these shoes are the perfect item for achieving that balance.
Ebe: Oh, right. This looks like it'll work, doesn't it?
Yamada: They look very ordinary. But that “ordinariness” is exactly what we were aiming for. We’d be happy if people wore them casually in their everyday lives without overthinking it, and naturally appreciated their comfort and quality.
