Wolf's Head and Fukurokuju. Through the collaboration, we feel why we should buy things at actual stores.

Mikita: . I think it's because we fundamentally like the same things. . I had a lot of fun designing the studs. When Okuyama first showed me the boots and asked me to put the studs on them, I immediately had an image of what the finished product would look like, and as a result, it turned out to be almost exactly as I had initially imagined.

Okuyama: All I asked for was a look that looked like something you might find in a vintage pair of boots, but definitely wasn't there, but as soon as Mikita-san picked up the boots, he said, "Here they are! I saw the stud pattern! Mikita-san said, "I see the pattern of the studs! . Perhaps it was the fact that we had the studs and the boots, the foundation of what we had been working on with our hands all along, that made the process so quick. However, Mr. Mikita ended up coming to our factory in Ibaraki twice.

Mikita: When the collaboration was decided, I was so excited that I told Okuyama that I wanted to see the boots being made. There was really no need for me to go to the factory, but it was fun to work with the factory staff on the specifications for the collaboration, joking around, laughing hysterically, and then suddenly getting serious about it. . I think it's important to have fun while making something like that, and I think it's reflected in the final product.

Okuyama: When Mikita-san came to the factory, he started branding a lot of "Wolf's Head" on the insoles just for fun, and it looked so cool that we decided to use it on the boots, or we tried studding one pair with brass and silver, and it looked really cool, so we used it. We also incorporated some ideas that we came up with while playing around with them.

Mikita: However, Okuyama seems to be still not satisfied with some parts and is fine-tuning the position of the studs. I like it the way it is now, but I will keep working with Okuyama until he is satisfied with it.

Okuyama: . I was wondering for about a week whether or not to ask him to fine-tune it (laughs). (Laughs.) Normally, when you are as senior as Mr. Mikita, if you say, "I want you to fix this part," he will probably just say, "I don't know. However, I am grateful that he was willing to accept my request for correction.

Mikita: I explained to him that I was doing it for the vintage look, and he said, "What's wrong with that?" I was like, "What's wrong with it? The other day, Okuyama called me and said, "The revised version looks great! I was like, "You called me all the way to ...... just to say that" (laughs).

Okuyama: I was so excited , I wanted to tell someone. Even my wife doesn't listen to me talk about my boots anymore (laughs).

Okuyama: They are made to look cool from all angles, front to back, left to right, and they really are better than I could have imagined. The position of the studs is well thought out so that they don't get caught when you take off your boots, and the position of the jewel studs is calculated so that they can be used as reflective materials when you ride a motorcycle.

Mikita: Many of the engineer boots from the 1930s were made in a way similar to the Bespoke method, and although the vamp is slim and cool, they are not suitable for the Japanese foot. When I customize my own boots, I often put studs all over them, but this time I kept it simple, taking advantage of the quality of the boots.

Okuyama: Ordinary craftsmen learn shoemaking from the top down, from uppers to soles, but in my case, I started making original boots by repairing soles, so the order in which I learned to make boots is completely opposite. Through repair work, I have seen the internal structure of various brands of boots, and many ideas that I always thought "it would be better to make it this way" are incorporated in Keystone's boots. This is reflected in the comfort of the boots.

Mikita: It's absolutely impossible, but if these boots were to be found in the US in a vintage deadstock, I would not be surprised if they were sold for $2,500 to $3,000. Oh, excuse me.... Okuyama, can you come here for a minute?

Mikita-san and Okuyama-san interrupt the conversation to take a three-shot photo in a friendly atmosphere with a visitor to Wolf's Head. Wolf's Head is certainly a store with a tense atmosphere, but it does not seem to be merely a scary place.

Mikita: This customer came to our store from out of town. He stopped by "Fukurokuju" in the morning and ordered the collaboration boots, and then came to our store. He was surprised to see Okuyama again when he came to our store.

Okuyama: We have many customers who visit both Wolf's Head and Fukurokuju. I am happy that they come to Wolf's Head and Fukurokuju even though they are completely different businesses.

Mikita: Although Sendagi and Asakusa are close to each other, it is a different translation from visiting a few stores in Harajuku, and this is another proof that we were able to collaborate in a good way.

Mikita: However, before the Internet became widespread, it was commonplace to search for secondhand clothing or anything else by foot. No matter how much you looked for something, you could never find it, which made you want it even more, and you felt the value of encountering something you had never seen before, which is why you went all the way to the U.S. or England to buy it. I honestly don't understand people who think they know what they are looking for just by doing some preliminary research on the Internet.

Okuyama: I feel the same way when I sell boots, and I want them to be worn properly with love, which is why I have them come to the store when I first measure them for size. Keystone's boots are made in a price range and comfort level that will interest not only veterans who have worn boots a lot, but also young people who have never worn boots before. We hope that people will enjoy visiting our store and not just buying boots on the Internet.