Hello everyone! This is staff member Hashimoto.
It's been hot lately. We need to be careful not to get heatstroke.
Recently, we had the honor of welcoming Matteo, the next president of Vibram's Italian headquarters, Robert, creative director of the LA branch, and President Sanada, Mr. Hirano, and Mr. Kevin from Vibram Japan.
First, we invited them to our sister store KL. , where we displayed our sneaker soles in the style of a pop-up we hold once a month. 
The 980C KAKKOII was placed at the very front, and the sole was actually designed by Robert!
It makes me happy to see the love for Japan being conveyed. I even got an American joke: "Maybe the next time I design something, I'll name it 'KAWAII'."
(Maybe one day I'll actually be born...)
When asked what soles are popular in the US for sole swaps and sneaker customizations, the 186C SPHIKE and 514C FUGA are apparently the hottest trends. They've been used by various brands for a long time, so they may be popular among sneaker lovers. 
↑ 186C SPHIKE ↑ 514C FUGA
He also showed us a card case made with 7373 TEQUIL GEMMA . It's basically a sheet that's often used for half-rubber leather soles, so he commented that it's an interesting idea unique to KAWAMURA, which supports leather crafters!
→ The pattern is here
↑A photo of Issoku owners Kawamura and Matteo 📸
We moved to Issoku's base, Higashi Sumida Warehouse.
After having them look at our Vibram sole inventory and check out the shipping process for the KAWAMURA LEATHER online store...
We were guided to the second floor. The thumbnail was also taken on this floor. It looks like a prison, but it's not.
We are currently renovating for an exciting new project. We have been able to explain the project to the Vibram team and have received some creative feedback. We will introduce this another time!
Afterwards, we all enjoyed a casual chat on the banks of the Arakawa River, enjoying the cool summer evening breeze.
We also had dinner together, and it was a day where we were overwhelmed by the passion for Vibram from Matteo and everyone else. We can't let ourselves be outdone, and it made me realize once again that we want to spread the sole swap culture even further. It reminded me of the passion I felt from the staff at the Italian headquarters last year, and I'm fired up. 🔥lol
If you have any questions about sneaker soles or sole swaps, please feel free to contact us by email or Instagram DM. We will respond with the support of Vibram.
Thank you for reading to the end!
