Here are the top 8 Japanese shoes brands for fashion-forward footwear

When Uma Thurman rocked a pair of Onitsuka Tiger shoes in the Quentin Tarantino flick Kill Bill, she cast a spotlight on one of the oldest shoe companies in Japan. The brand started off humbly enough in 1949 in Kobe, the hometown of founder Kihachiro Onitsuka, who wanted to create the ultimate shoe for athletes.

Onitsuka would find his answer in an octopus salad, which inspired the suction mechanism in his first basketball shoes. He would go on to create more shoes that took centre stage at the 1972 Olympics. While his company rebranded as ASICS in 1977, the Onitsuka Tiger label has continued to endure, reviving its hit styles from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

The brand effortlessly blends sportswear with contemporary flair, crafting its identity with a fusion of timeless designs and iconic stripes. Onitsuka Tiger’s striped Mexico 66 shoes, famously worn by Bruce Lee in the film Game of Death in 1978, is its most enduring design.

ASICS is the acronym of the Latin phrase Amina sana in corpore sano, which translates to ‘a healthy soul in a healthy body’. In short, it’s what the Japanese sportswear brand hopes to offer through its array of running trainers and performance shoes, which are often boosted by its signature GEL™ technology. This cushioning in the shoes absorbs shocks and provides better stability. It also spreads out the impact from running, reduces shaking and lessens the strain on your feet.

In the past decade, the brand has also expanded into the world of lifestyle Japanese sneakers, especially through coveted collaborations with edgy fashion labels like Kiko Kostadinov and Vivienne Westwood. As a result, ASICS offers an extensive catalogue of shoes that can appeal to all, regardless of whether you’re looking for form or function.

Although Mizuno was established in 1906, the Osaka-based sportswear company only began making waves with its running shoes in the ’80s, which were sought after by American athletes. In 1997, it introduced the Wave Ride shoes, featuring the distinctive wave plate system that can now be found across many of its models.

The brand has been propelled out of obscurity thanks to collaborations with global fashion brands like GCDS and Margaret Howell. Currently, Sergio Ramos, the Spanish professional footballer, is the brand ambassador. He not only wears Mizuno’s football boots but also the brand’s most significant lifestyle footwear and apparel products. If you’re in need of a sporty shoe for your weekly badminton sessions or daily jogs, Mizuno shoes are definitely worth considering.

Founded in 1975, Tokyo-based streetwear label LOSERS is one of the coolest brands in Japan, priding itself in curating designs that are rooted in Japanese culture. The brand’s sneakers incorporate the Japanese concept of iki, an expression of simplicity, sophistication and originality. Hence the LOSERS slogan, ‘Stick to your guns’.

And indeed the company has notably created shoes using colours borrowed from the ‘48 browns and 100 greys; that common Japanese folk were allowed to wear in the Edo period. The brand has since made waves in the fashion scene with its clean and subdued footwear. Trademark LOSERS shoes are symbolised by a V-shaped design at the tip, reminiscent of the traditional Japanese footwear styles like geta, zori and waraji.

Japanese menswear brand Visvim was founded by Hiroki Nakamura in Ura-Harajuku in 2001. Since then, it has become a staple in some of the most coveted wardrobes. John Mayer’s love for the brand, for instance, has been well-documented since he was introduced to it by legendary rock musician Eric Clapton.

The brand is best known for amping up tried-and-true silhouettes (think Adidas Stan Smiths, Nike Air Force 1s and Converse Chuck Taylors) with luxurious fabrics and putting them back on the market as something entirely new. It also takes an innovative approach to creating its shoes, whether by treating all-natural textiles with modern technologies like Gore-Tex or incorporating durable Vibram outsoles to its moccasin-inspired FBT shoes.

Although SUICOKE first launched in 2006 offering accessories, it later carved its niche in Japanese fashion with its performance sandals. These utilitarian footwear styles were often crafted with multiple straps, technical fabrics and durable Vibram outsoles.

In the last few years, SUICOKE’s cult following has expanded beyond Japan thanks to two things: the rise of dad sandals like Birkenstocks, as well as its much-hyped collaborations with brands like BAPE, Dr. Martens and Moncler.

Founded in 2010 in Tokyo, Hender Scheme is the brainchild of Ryo Kashiwazaki, a leather artisan who sought to juxtapose classic Japanese shokunin craftsmanship with some of his favourite sneaker silhouettes. His material of choice was raw leather: the untreated material is able to pick up the natural wear and tear of its environment, making each shoe unique to its owner.

Hender Scheme is most notable for reproducing popular sneaker models such as Nike’s Air Force 1 and Air Jordan IV completely by hand in premium leather as part of its Manual Industrial Products (MIP) line. Recently, Hender Scheme has been crafting original, enduring designs that have garnered widespread acclaim. The brand’s creations have a captivating blend of elegance and distinctive flair.

Rei Kawakubo’s avant-garde fashion label Comme des Garçons hardly needs an introduction. Its sub label, Comme Des Garçons Play, has its own merits as one of the pioneers of the Japanese cult sneaker scene.

The brand conquered the streets with its CDG Play x Converse Chucks, featuring hearts and eyes. While a streetwear staple in the 2010s, the shoes might be seeing a comeback in the new decade after being spotted on sneaker influencer Travis Scott.

Comme des Garçons itself also has a longstanding collaboration with Nike, for which it frequently revives forgotten silhouettes such as the ’90s Air Carnivores.