Once I remembered Three Feet High, I had a sense of direction.
NAOKI:Yes, I think I was in my late teens. A friend of mine worked at "Hectic" in Osaka, so I bought them there. Mizuno" itself had a strong image of being worn for club activities, so it was quite a fresh experience for me to produce signature shoes with Mr. YOPPI, or rather, I was betrayed in a good way.
In fact, when we collaborated with Mizuno on "SEIHALO," the first thing that came to mind was the "Three Feet High. It was a model with that much impact.
Please tell us how you came to collaborate with "Mizuno".
NAOKI:The offer came to me via London. At first, I was hesitant, but then I remembered "Three Feet High," and I began to get a sense of the direction I wanted to go. I looked up "Mizuno" again, and found that they have a unique approach to fashion. I thought, "If this is the way to go, then it makes sense for us to do it.
Moreover, the hurdles to producing shoes are high due to lot size and size development issues. That is why we decided to work closely with Mizuno to create a good product.
What did you think of the actual project with Mizuno?
NAOKI:Well, it was difficult. Shoes have a lot of parts, so the design process becomes confusing. It is a completely different process from clothing, which has a body, graphics, and so on. That is why we were able to rely on Mizuno, a partner with a solid production background.
YOPPI:There are various regulations. In addition, the way young people buy shoes, the way they look at shoes, and the way they view shoes are changing. Monotone is popular. That's why we dared to use crazy patterns. I had seen the collaboration with Sei Hello before, and I wanted to create something completely different.
NAOKI:It's a different feeling from what I want to wear. In a sense, we are conveying our own message through our designs.
YOPPI:I want to make an impact if I am going to do it. Even if there is criticism, it is meaningful to take on challenges.
We heard that the reactions to the models you worked on on Mizuno Sport Style's Instagram page were extremely positive.
NAOKI:A little good story... I'm afraid I don't get told that directly very often (laughs).
YOPPI also participated in the design of the collaborative model with "XLARGE," which became No. 1 in the news ranking on ZOZO, and the number of users among young people increased dramatically.
YOPPI:I wonder if it was a feeling that "Mizuno" was going to produce such a coloring? I didn't know they had such deep pockets! I was like, "Wow, they have such deep pockets! Well, I guess it was just a quick look. We wanted to create something that had never been seen before. When the team members were discussing the direction of the design, we decided that if it was going to be an XLarge and a Mizuno, we should bring out the best of both brands.
I think it is interesting that it is based on the "COURT SELECT OG" volleyball shoes that were developed in the 90's only for overseas. the EVA midsole is partially covered by an outsole that rises up to prevent lateral blurring and provides good stability when the heel touches the ground.
NAOKI:For young people who seem to love "Mizuno" shoes for club activities, this kind of thing suddenly came out and must have resonated there. It would be interesting if we could design such models for use in physical education classes and club activities, or running shoes for so-called athletes. The role of fashion design would become clearer and more people would wear them.
I think that the collaboration with "XLARGE" was more successful because of the movie on SNS.
YOPPI:We didn't put people in the images, nor did we specialize in volleyball shoes, so we made the images based on shoes, thinking about how much we could expand the image with just the images. The shoes themselves were a pretty crazy pattern, so we just played around with photos of the shoes and made a collage-like image. I tried not to create a specific image of fashion so as not to limit the people who would wear the shoes.
What would you like to create if you were to work with "Mizuno" in the future?
NAOKI:Personally, I like sneakers with a sharp form, so I would like to arrange soccer training shoes or something like that.
YOPPI:In my case, what I say today and tomorrow will be different (laughs). But I think it's the reissue of "Three Feet High," which was the subject of today's talk, isn't it? I have a dead stock at home (laughs). (laughs) If that is difficult, then you could make a new pair of skate shoes. I think we can do it, because our technology is outstanding. You have to do it now, Mizuno. I will help in any way I can.
