Fuji and Sun" was held in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Fuji, a cozy outdoor festival where you can experience music and activities with your whole body while being embraced by the majestic nature of Mt. Surprisingly, Teva®, the leader in outdoor sandals, opened a booth at this popular event for the first time. Here is a snapshot of the crowded booth, and what makes Teva® sandals ideal for festivals!
Photo_Fumihiko Ikemoto
Text_Keisuke Kimura
Edit_Yosuke Ishii
The stage is set in the wilderness at the foot of Mt. Fuji, this camp-in festival is gaining more and more recognition every year!
Fuji and Sun" was held for two days. Fuji Kodomo no Kuni, located at the foot of Mt. Although the summit of Mt. Fuji was hidden this year, you can see it up close and personal on a clear day.
The festival has just started and has a short history, but it has a good reputation. At this year's festival, I heard nothing but good comments at the venue, such as, "The scale is just right," "There are many families, so it's safe," "The level of food is high," and so on.
Indeed, when you walk around, the grounds are just so vast that you don't feel cramped by the number of people. The distance between stages is also moderate. The camp site at night is also quiet. There are zones where you can interact with animals as well, and kids can fully enjoy themselves.
One of the main attractions of "Fugi and Sun" is the genre-less performers who intermingle the overground and the underground. This year's performers included Naotaro Moriyama, Kururi, Yoshiho Nakamura, Yuta Orisaka, Satoko Shibata, Ozora Kimijima, Donguri Zu, and many more, representing a wide variety of artists from the past to the trendy. (For interviews with Satoko Shibata and Ozora Kimijima, click here.)
Another feature is the close proximity to the artists; if you are in the front row of the MOON STAGE, you can even hear the artists breathing.
And let's not forget about the gourmet food. Some of the restaurants use local Shizuoka ingredients in abundance, while others offer special pad thai from Kakan, famous for its mapo tofu, and Yokohama's well-known green grocer, Mikotoya!
The sandal brand "Teva" had a booth at the festival. Among the many booths, Teva's booth was particularly crowded with customers.
Teva's booth was a great success. If the ball goes in, you win a Teva!
For Playground Earth.
With this tagline, Teva has embarked on a new journey. While Teva has always had a strong following among outdoor enthusiasts, the company has now decided to take the next step into the realm of the outdoors and promote sandals that allow people to enjoy the earth to the fullest. As part of this effort, Teva has decided to open its first store at Huzi and Sun.
When I arrived, there was a long line in front of the booth. The reason for standing in line was to play in the corn hole.
This game originated in the United States. The game is played by placing a board with holes in a wooden box at an angle and throwing a small cloth bag filled with corn (corn) into the holes.
For 500 yen, you could throw up to five times, and if you got all five in, you were given a pair of Teva sandals! The event was so popular that more than 200 people attended in one day, even though the music was supposed to be the main attraction! The centripetal force of this event is astonishing.
For those who didn't get in everything, we have a prize for you. With a set of tumblers, sporks, and cutlery, this alone is enough to make up for the 500 yen.
The workshop to make bags with Teva's tagline and the iconic mountains and tents was also a great success.
Incidentally, all proceeds from these sales will be donated to "Leave No Trace," which promotes environmentally friendly techniques in outdoor activities. The company plans to increase its efforts with this organization in the future.
Teva's ability shines through at festivals.
The Teva brand was founded in 1984 by a river guide on the Colorado River. For more than 40 years since its establishment, Teva has been working with sandals, and has never stopped updating them.
In Japan, it became a big movement around 2010. From there, the brand became established in Japan and became a sandal brand loved by many people.
However, sandals are seasonal. It is not often that we buy new sandals. Those who only know Teva from back in the day are sure to be surprised at the evolution of Teva's sandals when they put their feet through the shoes of today. Among them, these three models are representative of Teva's current lineup.
Grandview Max Sandal ¥19,800
First up is the Grandview Max Sandal, the most technical hiking sandal in the Teva lineup. It combines grip, stability, and cushioning with a durable Vibram MegaGrip outsole. The unique strap system is still in place.
Walking for long hours in sandals can be tiring, but with straps to hold your feet in place and a sole that can handle any surface, you don't have to worry about that. The vast venue of "Huziandasan" is nothing to worry about! Incidentally, this work combines specs that allow hiking, so any surface is all right.
Hurricane XLT2 ¥10,780
Next is Teva's long-selling and iconic "Hurricane XLT2. This model has many lovers not only in Japan but also around the world.
The unique universal strap system holds the foot at three points and can be adjusted to the desired size. It is also lightweight and has perfect cushioning.
Another feature is the design of the straps, which change every season, and many fans look forward to seeing the new straps each season. They are also easy to put on and take off, making them perfect for festivals where you are in and out of the tent repeatedly.
Women's Hurricane amp; sole Gaila ¥15,400
Last but not least is this pair. These sandals feature a unique sole design inspired by mountain tops.
The look is completely fashion-oriented, but the ability is real. The thick soles soften the impact and are great for long walks. At festivals, you will be walking all day long. Having this pair makes all the difference in how tired you will be the next day.
This work, which combines functionality and fashion at a high level, is available only for women.
A festival is not an extreme environment, but it is not a city either. It is precisely in such places that I would like you to try on Teva shoes.
In addition to being suitable for long walks and all kinds of surfaces, they can be maintained after returning home with a quick shower. I really think they are festival-specific sandals.
The festival season has just begun. This year, enjoy the music and camping in more comfort than usual with Teva.
Lastly, we would like to share with you the real voices of Teva users we found at the event! We hope you will find them useful in your sandal selection.
(Left) Chiaki Matsumura / Nutritionist
I usually wear shoes for trekking, but [Teva] shoes are more open and relaxing than those. I also like the playful colors. This model has purple in one spot, and it's really cute.
(Right) Sho Tanaka / Shop Staff
When I think of Teva, I think of Hurricane. There are many scenes during a day at festivals, such as walking or relaxing at a camp site, and I think they are perfect for such occasions. I also like the classic pattern of the straps.
(Left) Maki Tahara/Visual Coordinator
This model, with its thick sole, is so well cushioned that I really don't get tired even after walking for a long time. They are more stable than they look, and I can even fly and bounce around while listening to music. And of course, I love Teva's unique design."
(Middle) Yuto Tamaki / Press
I like the hold of the straps more than anything else. Even though my legs are exposed, they don't shake at all when I walk. It sometimes rains at camp festivals, but with Teva, I don't mind getting wet at all, and it's great.
(Right) Ms. Akiba / Shop Staff
I used to wear them before, but they have a thicker sole and are more comfortable. I like Teva because I can enjoy wearing them with socks. I think the easy care is one of the charms of this brand.
Shota Kojima / Owner of Kakan
I had bought Teva shoes before and wore them until they fell apart. The current model seems to have better cushioning. Also, you can't help but get dirty at festivals. I like Teva's sandals because they look good even when they are dirty.
(Left) Ms. MIO / Company employee
This time, it was raining all the time and the road surface was sloppy in many places, but with Teva, I could walk around without worrying about that. Also, it's nice to have thick soles so I can get a good look (laughs).
(Right) Mr. Takuma / Restaurant business
Many people wear waterproof shoes at festivals, but this time I thought that Teva sandals would be more suitable. And they are easy to walk in, so I really think they are ideal for festivals.
Benji / Working Holiday
I think Teva is a very comfortable sandal. They don't get damp and have good walking performance. My father is from New Zealand, and I often go there. My friends often go trekking wearing Teva sandals. I think that's how good they are.
