WAKOUWA

ANATOMICA's classic sneakers "WAKOUWA"

This time, I'd like to tell you the story of how WAKOUWA was born.

Around the 1970s, before ANATOMICA began.

"GLOBE", a legendary shop that was the predecessor of ANATOMICA and is said to have laid the foundation for select shops.
Pierre sold a certain pair of sneakers there.

Those sneakers were the 'SPERRY TOP-SIDER', which Pierre admired.

The product shown in the opening photo is what was sold at the time.

At that time, 'SPERRY TOP-SIDER' was sold all over the United States and offered various widths, from wide to narrow, for people of all races, so everyone could enjoy comfortable wear.

This is one of the reasons Pierre admired it.

According to those who knew it at the time, old Top-Siders had a shape that curved sharply inward, and were called "banana decks" or "fava bean decks." They apparently had a last with an outcurve and straight inside, characteristic of orthopedic shoes.

 

In 1944, a military-spec deck sneaker supplied by 'SPERRY TOP-SIDER' to the US NAVY existed.

This was the very pair that Mr. Teramoto, representative of ANATOMICA TOKYO, and Mr. Pierre focused on.

Focusing on these military sneakers led to the birth of the current "WAKOUWA."

They attempted to incorporate the straight-inside, out-curved shape characteristic of orthopedic shoes into a sneaker, and after 12 samples and 30 months, it was finally completed.

This pair, made with the vulcanized method said to be the origin of all sneakers, is filled with the unwavering commitment and spirit of these two individuals in their craftsmanship.

Currently, we are releasing updated versions, with production having moved from the original country to a new one.

Please give them a try.

ANATOMICA KYOTO
TAKUMI