Appeal of Men's Shoes

Appeal of Men's Shoes
Japanese manufacturers are proud of meeting challenging requests

Shoe manufacturing in Japan was started in the late 19th century with making military boots. Therefore, the shoe industry in Japan has developed based on making sturdy and durable shoes.

Along with economic growth in the 70's, people in Japan became more conscious about fashion. Shoes needed to change as well because people started to ask for shoes which made Japanese people's feet look beautiful.

Japanese people in their 50's and over now tend to have a wide foot and high instep because the influence of the conventional lifestyle remains. But, feet of people in their 40's and under are more westernized shape because of the lifestyle change.

To adapt to this rapid and diverse change of a foot shape and a lifestyle, shoe manufacturers in Japan had kept developing the "response capability". The history of Japanese shoe industry is, in a sense, a history of responding to changes and providing the best products.

REGAL Corporation, one of the major shoe companies in Japan, researches the bone structure of a foot and produces better-fitting shoes.

To enhance a fitting feeling, the company adopts to some shoes a design that the center line of a foot pattern is set inward. Although this design is usually avoided in mass production systems because it is apt to cause wrinkles inside of a shoe, REGAL Corporation dares to adopt it for a comfortable fit.

Japanese people are perhaps the most demanding customers in the world. Shoe manufacturers in Japan have improved their skills to meet customers' severe requests sincerely. As a result, many highly-skilled professionals have developed. Shoemaking factories in other Asian countries sometimes avoid undertaking Japanese shoe production due to too strict quality criteria. Therefore, most of business shoes and dress shoes are made in Japan in spite of higher labor cost.

Some shops run by REGAL Corporation offer a service of fully custom-made shoes, which includes wooden lasts and trial shoes. Fully custom-made shoes need a longer time and higher cost; still, the numbers of orders are increasing by customers who have been generously spending money for their high-quality outfits since they were young. Those customers' requests about materials, colors and shapes are reflected to new products, and that helps ready-made products to evolve.

The biggest aspect that determines the quality of shoes is materials. A long-time relationship with leather-manufacturers allows REGAL Corporation to receive the best quality materials suited for the company's products. The company has its own inspection standard for material on flexibility, abrasion and dyeing, and maintains a strict quality-control for safety.

And of course, the techniques of pattern making and cutting to make it possible to use the most suitable part for each part of the shoe are important to take advantage of material's characteristics.

Under the premise that shoes will be used for many years, REGAL Corporation is introducing "Goodyear Welt Process" in the shoe production. Leather is also used for insoles so that shoes fit feet comfortably.

One of its characteristics of shoes is that shoes become more comfortable with a better fit the longer you wear them. Human beings have been using leather materials since ancient times for protecting body. Newest technologies keep developing new materials, yet there is no alternative material having the same durability and comfort as leather.

The company hopes that customers will use shoes for a long time, which are made of such a great gift from animals. They promote a long use of shoes and offer a shoe repair actively. Using one pair of shoes for a long time reduces waste and helps the environment. Daring to adopt a time-consuming method and making repairable shoes are also the company's policy.

Trained by demanding Japanese customers, shoe manufacturers in Japan are already equipped with capabilities to respond to other Asian and European customers; Japanese manufacturers are proud of meeting challenging requests.

On this year's participation in the exhibition, REGAL Corporation looks forward to seeing responses from customers and buyers especially in Hong Kong where many tourists and shoppers gather from all over the world.

Mr. Motokazu AONO
General Manager Men's shoes Dept. of REGAL CORPORATION
JAPAN SHOE MANUFACTURERES ASSOCIATION

Appeal of Women's Shoes
Japanese shoes from the world's most exciting market

Not a few world-famous designers are regularly visiting Japan to see a Street trend. They say Japan's street fashion is the most stimulating in the world, and Japanese youngsters wear the most distinctive and unique fashion in the world.

Designers in Western countries are often surprised at the wide variety of products when they see women's shoes departments in Japan. Women's shoe manufacturers in Japan have been increasing design variations to respond to diversity of coordinates.

There are plenty of designs from elegant style, which is influenced by Europe, to functional sporty style. Cute designs are especially popular among Asian customers.

Since trends get old quickly in the Japanese market, new items need to be input to the market one after another within a short span of time.

To survive in such a high competitive market, shoe manufacturers in Japan have been outputting plenty of variations in a short period of time by focusing on customers' expectations; such as careful delicate work; practicality in the humid climate; and good understanding of characteristic of Asian people's feet.

Mass-production of inexpensive shoes does not work in Japan any more. Sophisticated skills and detailed work that meets customers' needs, however, are superior. To cope with various demands, shoe manufacturers continue to try to innovate and adopt new techniques as being free from the existing thinking.

In this world, there are various "food culture" affected by each area's climate and tradition. For example, Italy has pasta, Cotoletta alla Milanese, and Bistecca alla Fiorebtina; China has a diversity of foods from Beijing Cuisine to Shanghai Cuisine to spicy Sichuan Cuisine. In Japan too, there is a rich food culture from "Hare (feast)" such as Sashimi and Tempura to "everyday food" such as Nattou and Miso soup.

When you look at "Fashion culture", shoes are taking an important role in it. Like the food cultures keep their originality through interaction and coexist in the world, Fashion culture needs to work together and compete together as respecting originality for mutual harmony and benefit.

Mr. Shigemi OSAWA
Chairman of SHAMIOR Co., LTD.
ALL JAPAN LEATHER SHOE INDUSTRIAL FEDERATION

List of participants in Hong Kong APLF: Shoes

We combine traditional skills and technology under the theme of "What is comfort for shoes?" to pursue a fashionable and comfortable shoe manufacturing
AKIO SHOES CO., LTD. (Men's shoes, Women's shoes)

We are a leather shoes manufacturer established in 1945. Our manufacturing adopts various methods such as "Plat-cup method", "Mud Guard method", "Stitch Down method".

"Plat-cup method" is the one the founder evolved from numerous trial and error for making shoes that are comfortable and heal feet fatigue, and now it is a representative method of the company. The shoes made by this method are called "AKIO GOLF" and have a lot of fans.

We have own factories in Tokyo and Akita, and we are proud to make Japanese-made products.

In addition to products made of delicate and functional Japanese-made materials, we import sophisticated materials from Europe to create more fashionable products. Aiming to be a shoe production having traditional skills and newest technology is the company policy since our establishment.

Aside from major department stores in Japan, our products are sold at department stores in Hong Kong and Taiwan where we started to export our products under the brand of "AKIO GOLF" over 20 years ago, and receive a high reputation.

In 2007, we started sales in South Korea as "GLOBAL GOLF" under a major chain shoe store. "Plat-cup method" is well-received there too.

"AKIO GOLF" and "GLOBAL GOLF" succeeded in fitting to Asian people's foot. Now we continue to study for more comfortable and better-fitting shoes, and spread the comfort of our shoes to people as many as possible.

Company name: AKIO SHOES Co.,ltd.
Address: 3-1-17 Senjumidori, Adachi, Tokyo, 120-0044
President: Akio SHINOHARA (Mr.)
Person in charge: Kunio NAGAMURA (Mr.)
Tel: +81-3-3882-5001
Fax: +81-3-3879-2170
Email: nagamura@akioshoes.co.jp
URL: http://www.akioshoes.co.jp

Manufacturing of 100% Japanese-made women's shoes. With ISO9001, we handle high-quality, high-mix, small-lot, quick-delivery production
MEED CO., Ltd. (Women's shoes, Bovine leather walking shoes)

MEED Co., LTD. is a women's shoe company founded in 1972 in Kobe, one of the major fashion city in Japan. We are a domestic production company and our main factory is equipped with a whole system of a continuous production from cutting and assembly to quality inspection and shipment. Our company obtained ISO9001 in 2004, and boosted up its capability to handle high-mix, small-lot production with quick-delivery to meet customer's need more than ever.

We adopted "Cemented Process" and have a capacity to produce 700 shoes per day. About 20% of the production is capable to provide to overseas markets.

Because a good sense of design is the core of a women's shoe-making, MEED Co., LTD. launched a design company so as to confidently offer shoes of "Japan Fashion".

We are interested in expanding business of our original brand to China and other Asian countries, and now looking for distributing agents who build up connections with each country. We are also accepting new deals of OEM manufacturing.

Company name: MEED Co.,ltd.
Address: 2-1-20 Hosoda, Nagata-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan 653-0835
President & CEO: Yoshisuke JINNO (Mr.)
Tel: +81-78-612-5001
Fax: +81-78-612-5384
Email: jinno@meed.co.jp
URL: http://www.meed.co.jp

As an evolving veteran shoe manufacturer, we present a new "KUTSU" culture
REGAL CORPORATION (Shoes)

REGAL CORPORATION is a shoe company with a history of more than 100 years founded in 1902.

Our company is aiming for a customer-oriented and market-oriented company with a customer value creation strategy. We carry out thorough quality control to give safety, security and satisfaction to customers, also ensure compliance to become a reliable company.

Since these attitudes are supported by our customers, REGAL CORPORATION today runs 139 of our own retail outlet under the name of Regal Shoe Store across the nation, and also sells at major department stores and famous shoe specialty stores in Japan. We won the bestseller award in the shoe category seven consecutive years at "Department store, men's buyer's award" hosted by "Senken Shinbun", fashion newspaper company.

Our company was started off as a military shoe manufacturer, and in the 60's we integrated our manufacturing skill with a fashion field. Now, we have grown to establish "REGAL", a famous shoe brand which more than 80% of Japanese adults recognize.
Today, REGAL CORPORATION is reputed to be skilled and reliable manufacture with skillful methods of "Goodyear Welt", "Mckay" and "Stitchdown" and produces sturdy and repairable shoes that will be loved long.

By considering sustainability and making longwearing products, we will keep offering such environment-friendly "KUTSU (shoes)" to not only Japan but to the world.

Company name: REGAL CORPORATION
Address: 2-1-8 Hinode, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan 279-8553
CEO: Kojiro IWASAKI (Mr.)
Department in Charge: Business Operation Dept.
Person in charge: Kazuo YOSHIDA (Mr.)
Tel: +81-47-304-7110
Fax: +81-47-304-7132
Email: regal-kokusai@e-regal.co.jp
URL: http://www.regal.co.jp

With keywords of "Creation, Business, Quality assurance", SHAMIOR Co., LTD. aims for the global market by product differentiation and international division of labor
SHAMIOR CO., LTD. (Women's shoes)

Free thinking is a starting point of creation; curiosity and positive attitude are sources of energy for product development; and rich sense of beauty and ability to read trends add value to products: we set these ideas as a base and have been doing our best to become a world-class company of women's shoe manufacturing.

Along with progress of globalization, companies are required to have diverseness, capabilities of new materials and technology development, global vision to meet demands from wider range of customers. To fit promptly and flexibly to this social trend, SHAMIOR Co., LTD. develops a well-balanced business activity and hopes to make a contribution for improvement of cultural level.

As a manufacturing company, we aim to establish competitiveness both domestically and internationally with high value-added products with keywords of "creation by our own", "business by our own" and "assurance quality by our own".

A countermeasure to this accelerating globalization is not the only thing in our mind; we consider it as a chance to build up cooperation with EU countries, Mexico, China, Malaysia and other Asian countries about every field of planning, manufacturing and distributing. We derive a benefit of international division of labor in advance by providing the world's unique products in Japan. At the same time, we work on differentiation of Japanese brand "SHAMIOR" in a domestic market, and try to dynamically progress to gain international competitiveness of Japanese style products by producing them in both Japan and overseas.

Company name: SHAMIOR Co.,ltd.
Address: 1-19-6 Higashi-Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo, Japan 111-0025
President: Shigemi OSAWA (Mr.)
Department in charge: Trading Div.
Person in charge: Hirofumi SEKIKAWA (Mr.)
Tel: +81-3-3874-9602
Fax: +81-3-3876-0066
Email: shamior1@mva biglobe.ne.jp
URL: http://www.shamior.co.jp

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