Back to the Footsteps

Before NiiNu, I spent many years designing shoes.

Of all the work I have done, footwear was probably where I poured the most passion and energy. It was a field I loved deeply, but also one that felt difficult to return to. Making shoes requires specialised machinery, countless components, and an entire world of techniques that are hard to recreate on a small scale.

For a long time, I thought that chapter might simply remain a memory.

Then one day, a small idea appeared.

What if I made room slippers instead?

They could be sewn by hand, piece by piece. They could be made using my original fabrics. Most importantly, they could allow me to reconnect with something I had missed for many years.

What followed was a long period of trial and error.

Even a simple slipper is made from many layers. The upper, the lining, the insole, the sole itself. Different materials had to be tested, combined, adjusted and rebuilt. The order of construction changed countless times as sample after sample filled my workspace.

Slowly, the shape began to emerge.

Having worked with footwear for many years, I was also aware of how different feet can be. Japanese and European feet often have different proportions, particularly around the width and height of the instep. Finding a comfortable balance became an important part of the process.

Rather than creating something loose and oversized, I wanted a slipper that gently follows the shape of the foot.

The result is simple, but carries a long story behind it.

For this first collection, I combined NiiNu's original prints in unexpected ways. Different patterns meeting each other, creating new conversations through fabric.

In some ways, these slippers feel like something entirely new.

In other ways, they feel like a small return to where I started.

Sometimes a story does not begin from the beginning.

Sometimes it quietly finds its way back.