I was wearing them without threading the laces through, even though they were brand-new, and people were like, “That’s impossible!” (lol).
—I had the impression that the Timberland shoes Mr. Fujii wears featured the minimalist color schemes typical of collaborations, so seeing them in the authentic colors feels refreshing.
Takayuki Fujii (hereinafter referred to as Fujii):That's true. But even though it wasn't this "Beef & Broccoli" pair, the first pair of "field boots" I ever wore were also a dark brown color. I think they were on sale for cheap at "Foot Locker" back then, and I think I bought them online. Was that around 2000?
—Was that 26 years ago? What were you doing back then, Mr. Fujii?
Fujii:I used to work at . That's about when I first met Morley, wasn't it?
Katsuhide Morimoto (hereinafter referred to as Morimoto):That's right. Fujii, wasn't "Beams" after that?
Fujii:No, ’Beams” came first. It was around ’98 or so.
—What were you thinking when you decided to move from “Beams” to ?
Fujii:I guess you could say I was getting a little tired of it all being just about clothes. My interest in culture was growing stronger. Back then, the UK music scene was booming with acts like the Chemical Brothers and Underworld, and I was even traveling to the UK myself from time to time. I loved American items bought in the UK—including those made exclusively for the UK market.
—You don’t really hear much about that era in the media, do you?
Fujii:It's not like anyone asks, anyway (lol).
— (laughs). But the *Cyrus* from back when “One Gram” was running it was really interesting, wasn’t it?
Fujii:That’s right. Back then, we were part of the same company, and I was on good terms with the folks at *Supreme*, whose store was right nearby in Daikanyama, but the customers lining up at each of our stores—especially during our launch—were completely different, which was also interesting. The people at Supreme looked like delinquents, but they were all so pure at heart. They were actually the ones who inspired me to want to try wearing “Field Boots.”
—Back then, the folks at *Supreme* in Japan wore them a lot, too, didn’t they? Paired with baggy pants.
Fujii:Yeah, I’d roll up one leg of my extra-thick denim jeans. Since *Cyrus & Maria* was a brand-exclusive store, the only things I could really choose freely were shoes and hats, so I always went with *Timberland*, *Clarks*, or *Converse*. The guys at 〈Supreme〉 would wear Wheat’s “Field Boots” with the laces loose and floppy, even when they were brand-new, and I’d tell them, “That’s unthinkable!” (laughs). So for myself, I’d tie the laces really tight.
—So the first pair of Timberland shoes you ever bought were “Field Boots”?
Fujii:Actually, my first pair was a 6-inch model I bought in LA. Later, I also bought a custom gray 6-inch pair from the New York sneaker shop “David Z,” but I heard later that it was apparently designed by Ronnie (Feig). The yellow nubuck definitely had a strong hip-hop vibe, but personally, I always thought of Timberland as an American casual boot—kind of like the Italian brand Paninari.
-I see.
Fujii:To be honest, when I first saw “Field Boots,” I thought they looked like the kind of shoes an older guy would wear. The color is classic, and so is the shape. But since I’ve always liked outdoor gear, I started to think they were great as boots you could wear more like sneakers. Speaking of “Wangram,” Teruki (Tachiki, who launched ) used to go on business trips to the UK a lot, and he’d bring back “Eurohiker” boots from there and wear them—they looked really cool. Even though they’re American-made, they didn’t look American at all.
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