mizutori creates modern Japanese wooden sandals (geta) designed for comfort and everyday wear.
What Is mizutori?
Episode 67
The President Got It Wrong...
Right now at mizutori,
we’re choosing
new hanao designs
to be unveiled
next January.
Every year
around this time,
our planning team
takes the lead
in gathering
all kinds of fabrics.
Different colors,
patterns,
and materials—
we try to explore
as many possibilities
as we can,
so there will be something
for all kinds of people
to choose from.
Whenever I come across
a fabric that catches my eye,
I order a sample
and add it
to the mix.
I’ve always loved
traditional Japanese
woven and dyed textiles,
so naturally,
that’s where
I tend to start looking.
Even after
all these years
of searching for fabrics,
I still sometimes
come across something
that makes me think,
“I had no idea
this even existed.”
There are still
so many fascinating fabrics
being made in Japan,
born from
remarkable techniques
and creative ideas.
But no matter
how beautiful
a fabric may be,
only a very small part
of it can be used
for a hanao.
A large pattern,
for example,
might look wonderful
across a piece of fabric,
but lose its charm
when reduced
to the narrow space
of a hanao.
Even so,
when I find a fabric
that makes me think,
“This is interesting!”
I still get excited.
Then,
from all the possibilities
we’ve gathered,
we begin narrowing them down
to the ones
that might actually
become products.
And of course,
just because
I’m the president
doesn’t mean
the fabrics I choose
will make the final cut.
I think enough time
has passed now,
so I can finally
confess something.
One of mizutori’s
signature designs today is
hitete6.5
KC-26 / Tatami-beri Turquoise.
But when we were preparing
to release it
as a new design,
I wasn’t convinced
by the color combination—
right up until
the very end.
A bright,
shimmering turquoise blue
paired with
a vivid wine red.
I tend to choose
fairly simple colors
that are easy to wear,
so my reaction was,
“I would never
choose this.”
Still,
after listening
to our planning team
and other staff,
I thought,
“Well,
there must be people
who will love it.”
And so
we decided
to release it.
Then it went on sale.
And my prediction
was completely wrong.
More than ten years later,
KC-26 is still
one of our most popular designs,
ranking first or second
year after year.
I’m happy.
Very happy.
...But at the same time,
I have to admit
it did make me wonder,
“Maybe I shouldn’t trust
my own taste
quite so much...”
But when I actually see
customers wearing them,
the turquoise blue
and wine red together
bring a wonderful brightness
to the feet,
and even seem
to make the skin
look more beautiful.
Even among
rows and rows of geta,
there is something
about this pair
that naturally
makes you want
to reach for it.
This design
taught me something.
I shouldn’t decide
what a product
might become
based only
on my own preferences.
Even among
the fabrics
we’re considering now
for next year’s
new designs,
there are some
I probably wouldn’t choose
myself.
But that’s exactly
what makes it interesting.
When someone else’s
sense of style
enters the picture—
a sensibility
I would never have reached
on my own—
sometimes,
quite unexpectedly,
a pair is born
that finds its way
into the hearts
of many people.
That’s what makes
creating things
so interesting.
And sometimes,
the fact that things
don’t turn out as expected
is part of
what makes it interesting too.
So,
what kind of new pair
will join mizutori
in 2027?
And among them,
will there actually be one
made from a fabric
I chose...?
I’m looking forward
to finding out
just as much as anyone.
