Hiro Yanagimachi and his workshop in Tokyo took the opportunity to use this calm period as an opportunity to design something completely new for a post-pandemic world: the hand welted LS1 sneaker, which combined elements from handmade dress shoes with casual sneakers becoming an outstanding success since.
In December 2019, reports began coming in from Wuhan, China of an emerging virus disease called Covid-19 that had infected several residents in mainland China and had then spread throughout mainland Asia, Iran and Italy, ultimately gripping most people around the globe for two years and altering daily lives on an unimaginable scale.
Japan instituted a lockdown, including in Tokyo, on April 7. Here as in other parts of the world, people lived lives that differed drastically from normal: one did not go to work but stayed home instead, office employees wore different clothing and footwear than normal and sneaker sales continued their steady ascent before and during pandemic outbreak.
Lockdowns and pandemics were devastating blows for bespoke shoemakers who specialize in formal footwear. Without customers to meet, orders for most fell dramatically, some were fortunate enough to still have significant backlogs of orders but most makers soon saw little work, it is estimated that more samples were created during 2020-2021 than any two previous decades combined.
Hiro Yanagimachi Workshop understood they would have enough time to complete their projects despite any backlog they might face, especially as such a large workshop contained many employees (Konomi Morii (formerly Egawa), Nobuko Kuwahara, Yuko Ishihara and Tomoko Saegusa are some full timers or part timers in addition to Hiro). Before the pandemic hit they began developing a sneakers model, now was finally the time to take this project seriously.
Hiro Yanagimachi believes this product is designed for people accustomed to wearing classic shoes of impeccable quality and who wish for sneakers made to the same standards, and who seek sneakers of similar quality.
The first sample of their Luxury Sneaker 1 (LS1) model was shown on Instagram in November 2020, and following extensive testings on both men and women, was finally introduced as an MTO product in 2021. Made with identical materials used in dress shoes with leather heel stiffeners and arch support built into traditional hand welted construction, once these components are in place the design shifts further creating a wedge sole out of several layers of lightweight rubber before finally featuring a grippier Vibram outsole for optimal traction.
These sneakers will outlive any hand welted dress shoes you own, thanks to their hand welted construction which offers the same repair and resole options, Hiro Yanagimachi says. Additionally, uppers were designed so the padded top line section can be exchanged if necessary.
Shoe geeks like myself find the design of top line parts mesmerizing. At first glance, there may not be an obvious practical purpose behind their construction, yet upon closer examination you can clearly see their well-planned trough design and techniques used for easily interchangeable features simply breathtaking footwear design.
Hiro Yanagimachi excels at design and pattern, earning top three of the Shoegazing Bespoke Awards Pattern category. One unique aspect of the LS1 sneaker is its customization options: you have full control of what goes onto its upper, welt, rubber midsole and outsol, all produced Made to Order so they are tailor-made exactly to your taste ton-on-tone or bold contrast it’s up to you. Prices start from EUR850 excl VAT (132 000 yen), while delivery typically takes around three months.
House slippers were previously available, yet sneakers provided more versatility during and post pandemic outbreak.
Hiro Yanagimachi says of their latest offering LS1, that initially began as an ambitious challenge but has turned into one of their key offerings. Customers have responded incredibly positively and many love and use them frequently this was no fluke.
Not that they will stop producing classic shoes, but widening their scope to offer people who appreciate craft and quality something more suitable to how people dress today is certainly no bad thing.
