Hello.
I'm Noguchi from CASANOVA&CO.
Time flies, and it's already the end of May.
We've been having more days where we can feel the approach of summer in the temperatures.
Our CASANOVA&CO store has also taken on a summery feel, with a wide selection of short-sleeved items and shorts. Today, I'd like to introduce you to some summer footwear: sandals.
It's no exaggeration to say that these sandals are the ones that best combine both functionality as footwear and craftsmanship, not just this season, but among all the sandals I've encountered to date.
PETROSOLAUM
cage sandal
material _ Horse membrane
color _ black
size _ 39,40,41,42
*Size 40 is sold out
These sandals.
In the category of sandals, I generally consider the lightness desired in summer and the substantial and robust mood of footwear to be a trade-off.
If you seek one, you lose the other.
Or, "he who chases two rabbits catches neither."
But PETROSOLAUM caught both.
The inspiration that made this possible is the "Yatsume-ami" (octagonal weave) as mentioned in the title.
The mesh-like weave on the instep is commonly known as "Yatsume-ami" (octagonal weave).
This is one of the weaving techniques for bamboo crafts that has been passed down since ancient times in the Beppu region of Oita Prefecture.
As the name suggests, it refers to a weaving method where the holes created by intersecting vertical, horizontal, and diagonal threads form octagons.
"Beppu Bamboo Crafts," designated as a traditional craft by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, has developed from a culture of making daily life tools like bamboo baskets. PETROSOLAUM, however, has applied this technique to leather and incorporated it into shoemaking.
I was so impressed by the brilliance of this approach that I felt I could eat plain rice without any side dishes. Mr. Ogino's thought process, skill, and sense of balance in sublimating this into footwear and integrating it into the final product are truly remarkable.
When you look closely at the "Yatsume-ami" part, you can see that the leather is not punched out and embossed into an octagonal shape, but rather carefully woven using thin leather strips, just like "Beppu Bamboo Crafts."
Furthermore, these leather strips are not just thinly cut leather.
Sorry, the photo is really hard to see...
This was taken from the inside of the sandal, where it touches the foot.
You can see a line in the center of each leather strip's width; these narrow leather strips are folded in two places.
Furthermore, although it's not visible in the finished product, each leather strip contains a thinly cut core material inside.
This prevents the leather strips of the octagonal weave from stretching and losing their shape when worn.
They control the thickness of the leather and the use of core materials to achieve both the beauty of the mesh-like weave when braided and the robustness when used as footwear.
The cage sandals have a dignified appearance, and it's easy to imagine the various trials and tribulations that went into achieving this balance.
Please look at that very hard-to-see photo again.
Each individual leather tape is uniformly 5mm wide.
Even though it's triple-folded, the cut ends of the leather don't overlap on the back, but rather meet perfectly edge to edge, encasing the core material.
By avoiding overlaps, the thickness of the leather tape is kept down, which not only makes the octagonal weave look cleaner but also prevents any discomfort from the leather's edges pressing against the instep when worn.
However, creating straight leather tapes that encase the core material without any overlap on the back means that there is absolutely no margin for error, not even 1mm, during the cutting and core wrapping processes.
Just imagining the work of creating each of these leather tapes...
Aside from the "Yatsume-ami" (octagonal weave) section, the leather is meticulously and intricately woven with almost no gaps.
This octagonal woven section is sewn in a way that it is sandwiched between parts that wrap around the foot.
However, this task is also extremely difficult.
A sheet-like octagonal weave made from woven leather strips is created, but of course, a cutting process to match the size of the instep is then required.
However, if the woven leather is cut as is, due to the small area, the woven part will unravel, ruining the beautiful octagonal weave.
Therefore, before moving on to the cutting process, it's necessary to treat the ends of the weave to prevent unraveling, and then cut each piece individually.
However, there's no factory that would perform such an incredibly inefficient task, so naturally, PETROSOLAUM had to handle the cutting themselves at their atelier.
PETROSOLAUM often performs cutting and sewing processes themselves, as seen with the crocodile Tyroleans we introduced previously on Instagram. However, I'm not trying to emphasize the rarity of them doing it themselves. Instead, I believe it's truly wonderful for a "designer" like Mr. Ogino to have the option of personally undertaking these processes to ensure the desired quality when pursuing uncompromising quality for the PETROSOLAUM brand.
In other words, it means having the skill and experience to solve problems "with one's own hands" when pushed into a corner.
I feel like I need to straighten my back and strive to be like that myself.
...I wrote a lot about just the octagonal weave part, but it's really packed with trial and error to beautifully incorporate traditional Japanese techniques.
Now, let's talk about the construction as footwear.
Structurally, these are sandals with a back strap.
The back strap also has leather layered from underneath, considering its robustness during practical use.
Nevertheless, it is still leather and a load-bearing part, so it will stretch with wear.
Considering that, the strap has three holes.
The idea is that if it fits perfectly with the middle hole when you try it on, then when the strap stretches from wear, you can use the third hole for a good fit.
A large knot button.
It's annoying when it comes undone while walking, isn't it?
I think it offers a sense of security.
The back strap is also sewn in a sandwiched manner, so I don't think you'll feel any foreign objects on your foot.
Additionally, it's sewn with a half-round stitch, making it possible to replace the back strap if any issues arise.
The outsole is flat, with only the heel made of rubber.
From the side, you can see that there are three stacked layers leading up to the heel.
The heel part has cushioning, so I believe its walkability is very high, even among conventional PETROSOLAUM sandals.
The woven octagonal section also gracefully curves to conform to the instep of the foot.
This is the "face" of the shoe.
It's not just a matter of attaching woven leather to the upper; it truly feels like a carefully crafted part of the shoe's construction.
I personally really like items like these PETROSOLAUM sandals, and the Yamauchi Nagoya Kuromontsuki-zome shorts I introduced on Instagram the other day, which incorporate traditional Japanese craftsmanship and are finished with a precision and dignity that shows no trace of human imperfection.
Behind these techniques, there is certainly a history of human activity and the culture it fostered, but it's not overtly reflected in the outward appearance. Instead, I find it beautiful when these elements are subtly integrated as intrinsic components of the item itself.
Focusing on such claims, which are subtly embedded and not easily visible on the surface, creates an experience of encountering "culture" and "history" through craftsmanship, and brings a small sense of richness.
That's what I believe.
...Anyway, the point is that these are truly wonderful sandals.
If you're looking for summer footwear, please check them out.