YouTube video of Josef Selway reporting his time in Japan
Notes
- purpose: How did Japan become the center of bespoke shoemaking, and how does it maintain that position?
The Shoemakers’ Class
- make a couple pair of shoes
- mainly young students
- very dedicated
- very knowledgeable
- often become teachers themselves
- Advice:
- If you’re new, do the course.
- If you’re further along, go and focus on a specific aspect of shoemaking. Make one pair.
-
Shoemaking … the more you learn, the smaller the gains are. But each tiny little thing makes a big difference overall.
- e.g. perfect fudge marks, overall balance
- takeaway: introduce shoemaking much earlier, e.g. high school age
- any heritage craft, not just shoemaking
- spent a month at the class
- had made one pair
Kiyonori Udagawa
- northwest of Tokyo
- outworker
- paid by the pair
- works very fast
- can stitch on an outsole in 45 minutes
- “a very quiet man”
- “always watching”
- would feel a deathly silence when he stopped working, looking at Josef’s work before he did something wrong
- made a pair of loafers
- sense of balance
- importance of good process
- avoid going over time, which costs you money
- set order of operations
- sometimes pays not to do something
- e.g. allowing things to dry out over a few days better than taking shortcuts while damp
- “speed, patience, and process”
T. Shirakashi
- made contacts over social media
- introduced by another shoemaking friend
- one of his idols
- advised to leave a few weeks spare at end of trip
- took a day off to go to Yokohama
- “got on like a house on fire”
- parallel biographies
- also previously a graphic designer
- started shoemaking at the same age [late thirties]
- Josef’s previous career in geology
- offered a place in his workshop without Josef asking
- make shoes for his customers
- spent a month there
- “ecstatic”
- goals
- improve lastmaking
- improve blocking e.g. for Chelseas, Jodhpurs
- made trial shoes for him
- scrap leather
- parts from off parts of hides
- same colors and tannages
- lunchtimes
- daily coffee brake a chance to talk about things
- “have to stop during the day…do something different”
- gateway to the elite
- his master was Yohei Fukuda
- went to meet Yohei
- brought a sample, Yohei analyzed and gave advice
- takeaway: balance
- patterns
- last
- in relationship with the customer, e.g. design freedom versus brand identity
- importance of community
- easy access to almost all supplies
- versus imported in Australia
- lifelong friends
- went back to work with him
- asked to be mentor
- always calling or DM’ing him
Key Learnings
- no secret to be found
- “they’re just hardworking”
- really long hours
- dedication
- lifelong learning
- many masters were taught in Europe
- 10-15 years experience abroad brought back
- “shokunin”, translated as “craftsperson”, but much deeper meaning
- life dedicated to one thing
- respected for dedication
- learn everything about it
- respect for materials
- may never master it, in their own minds
- “the next pair will always be slightly better”
Conversation and Analysis
- “everything has changed”
- before Japan, main work was leatherwork, shoes a sideline
- accepted as a shoemaker among people in Japan
- learn so much more in person
- learning from watching people work
- even if you don’t make anything in their workshop
- Fukuda laughing about baked beans all the time, all he could afford
-
3D scanning will become really important
- e.g. don’t have to physically send lasts to a treemaker
- greener, easier, cheaper
- but have to feel the curves when lastmaking
- lasts are beautiful on their own
- “bespoke is all about fit”
- not accessible to everyone
- minimum wage, if that
- “we have to make it okay for people to want to do this”
- “make it accessible for them”
- some kids just drawn to it
- Josef would like to teach at some point
- “I need to be a shoemaker right now”
- ten years or so
- “I love the fact that I found a focus”
- “it’s not possible for everyone…but a few more…”