Izumi, who lives in Osaka, thinks about the development of AFOUR shoes in Japan, and thoroughly researches and manages them.
In Japan, only ready-made sneakers are developed, but in Russia, the brand's home country, AFOUR is produced as "bespoke sneakers" using a special order system from customers all over the world. Brand.
In the field of shoes, "bespoke" means that leather shoes are the norm.
Still, the AFOUR brand creates unique "bespoke sneakers" within the framework of "sneakers."
in Russia.
In the first place, there are various definitions of the difference between "leather shoes" and "sneakers", but one of the most obvious is the difference in outsoles.
The birth background is also different, isn't it?
Leather shoes have a leather outsole.
Aren't sneakers rubber soles?
I think it's a big difference. Broadly classified.
At this stage, all AFOUR shoes have a "rubber sole".
That's why we call them sneakers, but sneakers were originally produced in large-scale production facilities.
But AFOUR has the same construction as leather shoes.
That's why the leather for the upper is cut by hand, and it's not like it's made with a machine, but it's all done by hand using old Russian tools.
It just so happens that what AFOUR is aiming for right now is a rubber outsole from Italy's SVIG, so it's classified as a "sneaker".
However, because it is not a mass production type production process, it is mainly developed in Europe as a "bespoke sneaker" that reflects the characteristics of the foot of the individual who makes the order. That's it.
Our store also has a special production model like this this time, but if it's an original sneaker brand other than AFOUR, it's impossible because the minimum lot of production is too large.
Well, that's how it's made, and rather than focusing on the delivery date, we're doing it to properly deliver amazing AFOUR quality shoes to people all over the world.
Furthermore, Mr. Izumi's ultra check will be sent out to the world from there, so it's good to have full trust in that quality.
It was crazy when I heard the story.
First, when AFOUR was developed as a brand, the prototype samples commissioned by Mr. Vladimir were placed in various environments and in any location, and it seems that they watched them intently for about two months. Mr. Izumi.
It seems that at the beginning of completion, whatever it was, it was carefully monitored to see if even the slightest negative change occurred due to the environment and the passage of time.
And AFOUR sneakers that have been sent out to the world so far.
Even with heavy use at the same level as when I was a student, the shoes do not sag, they do not collapse, and they "stand" all the time.
Those are AFOUR sneakers.
There is no other sneaker that can stand on its own like this.
Vladimir and his atelier team have done countless bespoke sneaker makings, and have worked on each pair with careful handwork.
And Mr. Izumi, who draws out Vladimir's skills in Russia and pursues an even higher level.
The AFOUR brand of shoes is produced by these people, literally, with their hands, time, and thorough face-to-face.
That's why, until now, our shop has only dealt with the all-black version of the Code model, which is only available in Japan.
It's a dull, matte-looking nubuck leather upper that's heavily oiled, but it felt like it hit the "one complete" position.
I clearly thought so, so I only dealt with Matt Black from Code.
However, this time, we wanted to add more of the essence of AFOUR, and create a sneaker with our store's concept.
I think so, more than a year from the concept.
It's finally time to take shape, and the time has come for everyone to see it.
That's it.
AFOUR
Code#1 for CASANOVA&Co.
upper material _ Cow leather (nubuck)
lining material _ cow leather with fabric
insole material _ Molded EVA dubbed with cow leather
outsole material_EVA,Rubber
size_40,41,42,43,44,45
this.
It's a completely different coloring than the previous all black.
These are our AFOUR sneakers.
As you can see, the two-color nubuck leather upper has a tanned sole.
But it's not in mint condition.
Not all parts are brand new, but we have set a goal of "beyond that" by wearing and using them.
Because the scenery you see will be completely different.
Well, in the first place, sneakers in the world today have a very similar atmosphere, don't they?
Seeing that kind of thing, I wanted to make something that wasn't like that, and in addition to that, most of the orders that AFOUR in Russia have received in their home country have a very colorful European way of thinking. .
Izumi-san from AFOUR showed me what I've been making so far, and it's a terrific parade of colors.
It's completely different from the Japanese way of thinking about sneakers.
So, in the first place, as a mother of Russia, we have a modern Western environment that can meet the needs of people around the world who make custom orders.
It was completely different from the sneakers overflowing in Japan, and everything looked very shiny.
The individuality of the person who ordered each of them shined brightly, and I felt very powerful.
That kind of thing looks incredibly flashy, but how do you make the best use of the only one pair that was made for you?
I felt that he had a high fashion mind, as if he could match himself with the things.
That's why I made it by throwing my spirit into the power of AFOUR.
The theme is "sneakers from 40 years ago".
One day 40 years ago.
There was a fat old man who ran an American store brand that developed in total fashion.
The uncle told the boy,
"Hey boy!
Are these shoes cool? Isn't it cool?
I made it "
Saying that, he proudly showed off his strange color scheme sneakers.
Furthermore, the boy was forced to buy it and take it home.
The boy didn't like it at first, but he went to the trouble of buying it, and when he wore it, he somehow liked it, so he wore it with care.
That was 40 years ago.
The setting.
Originally, it had a suede upper and a clean white sole, but over time the fuzz of the suede fell off, it became shorter, the entire body got sunburnt, and the sole turned yellow.
After 40 years, it is now found.
The image. smile
Well, that's why it's kind of like wearing vintage sneakers. smile
Since talking about this story would be too long, I would like to introduce the shoes.
As mentioned above, the upper is cow leather.
Proportionally, nubuck leather with strong vegetable tannins.
This nubuck is very important to show that the fuzz of the suede has been removed over time, and I absolutely couldn't take it off.
However, this was a very difficult production.
The sole is mainly EVA, but as I said earlier, the essence of this color was necessary to express the time of 40 years.
The base of the shoes uses something called Code, which we have been developing in our store.
After all, this is extremely accurate.
AFOUR shoes sold in Russia have the AFOUR logo on the heel, but shoes in Japan do not have any logo on the heel or back.
In addition, in addition, rather than adding details, the surface appearance is stripped away and the quality of the shoe is highlighted as much as possible.
There are no stitches in the opening, but fine double stitching is used in areas where strength is required in the construction of the upper.
Nubuck leather surface.
Can you tell by the photo?
As you can see, it's a very fine, well-formed leather nubuck.
This colored nubuck leather is extremely rare in the world.
I asked Vladimir to search the world endlessly, endlessly, in order to create such a mysterious shade. smile
It seems that such a color cannot be made with nubuck,
Mr. Izumi also informed me that "Vladimir is having a difficult time."
Honestly, I might throw a spoon at it. There was a time when I thought about it, but it seems that Mr. Izumi strongly encouraged Mr. Vladimir, and managed to find one type of nubuck leather in such a color in Europe.
I also drew pictures of the shoes, and exchanged many patterns and color arrangements with Mr. Izumi over and over again, so I really wanted to make it happen.
After all, it's nubuck with such fine texture.
I think we were able to achieve a nuance that cannot be achieved with smooth leather or suede.
Looking at the pictures, the leather looks really nice.
And this sole.
I had a heated discussion with Mr. Izumi about the color of the sole, but I begged him to use this color.
I thought that a beautiful color sole would not match my mysterious concept.
But thanks to this sole, I was able to become a sneaker that doesn't belong in any genre. Maybe. I think
As for the material of the sole, as I said earlier, the midsole is EVA.
You may have seen EVA soles, but they are not only used for sneaker soles, but are also used in many other things in daily life. They are resins that can be manipulated freely by heat and harden when cooled. is not it.
And the outsole is Italian SVIG rubber sole.
AFOUR's shoes do not lose their soles at all, but this time it's the same.
Not only the upper, which defies gravity, but also the outsole, which supports everything from below, has outstanding durability.
The shoe tongue has a leather patch with the AFOUR embossed logo in the same color, but the insole also has a embossed logo.
When I put on AFOUR sneakers for the first time, I felt a high resilience that I had never experienced before in my life, and it has a very unique resilience.
When you wear it for the first time, some people may feel that it is rather stiff.
However, it is very suitable for walking.
And sometimes you can dash.
The lining is also vegetable tanned cowhide.
The leather is also very fine.
It's strong, and when you put it on and take it off, it's super comfortable and smooth.
Two types of shoelaces are included, but the first one is No.1.
When it comes to shoes of this quality class, the theory is that cotton laces should be attached.
But not this time.
100% polyester%.
I couldn't do without these laces.
It wasn't about luxury or cheapness, but the laces Mr. Izumi had were the best match.
Well, it happened to be 100 polyester, but I have never experienced Russian shoe laces that I have never experienced before.
What's more, the woven fabric of the string stands out clearly, and the thread is thick.
I was so impressed that I thought there was such a shoelace.
Strong, easy to tie and hard to untie.
Until now, I thought that cotton shoelaces had the best function, but it seems that was not the case.
Well, I think we've created a pair of sneakers with a very unique appearance.
But, as I said at the beginning, this new state is not what I'm aiming for yet.
Anyway, I wore it, rubbed it, got a little dirty, and got sunburned.
Because the whole thing is ultra-matching.
It's been about half a year for me too.
I wore them almost every day to work, in stores, on business trips, even for short periods of time, so much that I thought I was in elementary school.
After that, we were very close to the goal.
Best to wear anyway.
I wear these to play with my children in the park, and the whole thing is ultra-matching because of the sun.
However, please combine this with pants that are made of good material and made as much as possible.
The ideal combination is the quality of the fabric, the construction, and the pants that are made with the best possible materials.
Well, it's the freedom of the person who got it.
The color was the color from the beginning, so it may not be the kind that I would recommend to everyone, but AFOUR's wonderful quality is still alive and well.
The release is scheduled for February 11 (holiday, Friday).
I'll introduce you again.
