How Japanese shoemaker modifies ready-made boots for people with foot problems
A Japanese shoemaker is using his own techniques to modify ready-made rain boots to cater to people with foot problems, including those having difficulty in bending their ankles or using orthotic devices, Kyodo reports.
"I want to make rain boots that anyone can wear," said Hirokazu Nagao, 58, running a footwear workshop in Fukui Prefecture in central Japan. Inspired by a television drama about a shoemaker who supports an athlete running with a prosthetic leg, Nagao began working for a manufacturer of prosthetic and orthotic devices in Fukui in 1995.
He mainly produced orthotic devices that help children with cerebral palsy stand and walk. He also accepted orders for custom-made shoes, but much of the work was outsourced, making it difficult to meet customers' requests regarding size, color and other details.
Believing he could better meet those needs on his own, Nagao left the company and in 2000 opened a small shoe workshop in an apartment building.
Nagao found that most ready-made boots had narrow openings and rigid L-shaped structures around the foot and ankle. To solve the problem, he cuts open and widens the upper part of the boots before sewing in a special water-resistant fabric, making them easier to put on for people with limited mobility.
The boots were named "Suppori Saurus," a play on the Japanese word suppori, meaning "to fit snugly," and a reference to Fukui Prefecture, which is known for its dinosaur fossils.
The modification service starts at 13,200 yen ($83) for a pair of boots or 10,780 yen for a single boot.
Although he has never traveled abroad, news reports of flooding both in Japan and overseas have become a source of motivation for improving the boots.
Heavy rainfall caused significant damage in the northern part of Fukui in August, highlighting a key weakness of the current Suppori Saurus model. Water can seep into the boots when submerged for a long period of time.
When severe flooding struck Thailand in September, he closely followed the news coverage and thought his footwear could be useful in areas where roads are unpaved and difficult to navigate. "I would be delighted if I could successfully develop a fully waterproof version and donate the boots to people in need," he said.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Cavan Sullivan had debuted Adidas’ groundbreaking 3D-printed boots.