Why Stylish Men Are Ditching Their Sneakers for Suicoke Sport Sandals
Jennie Bell
Deputy Managing Editor
At Suicoke, multiple minds are better than one.
The Tokyo-based footwear brand has an unorthodox approach to design. It operates as a collective, gathering input from individuals whose identities are shrouded in mystery. Together, they craft its line of fashion-focused, tech-obsessed sport sandals and shearling boots, constantly tweaking and improving the styles in the pursuit of perfection.
“It’s basically continuous loops,” said Jinichi Leung, international sales manager. “We always update specs and colors every season to refine products, and sometimes we shave down detailed parts which people don’t even recognize. Some say it’s too obsessed, but this is our attitude and DNA.”
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Since its launch in 2006, Suicoke has steadily gained a global cult following. Its collection, which retails for $180 to $250, is stocked in roughly 200 retail accounts, including Kith and Ssense.com. And it has become a go-to partner for collaborations.
This year, Suicoke has debuted at least eight collabs with names such as Stüssy, Nepenthes and Highsnobiety. Its joint series of slide sandals with Palm Angels designer Francesco Ragazzi, which debuted on the runway in June, will prerelease soon on the Palm Angels website. Its wide drop is set for January.
Leung said Suicoke takes on these collaborations “to bring a fresh vibe to consumers and also for our creative team.” He added, “Sandals are a unique category compared to sneakers. Collaborations help to create new demand for customers and give a chance to reach customers who haven’t met Suicoke yet.”
Leung noted that the brand’s primary goal is to reset the consumer’s perception of sport sandals. “People easily select wearing sneakers because the item won their citizenship,” he said. “However, we are standing at Chapter 1 — or even the prologue — so we would like to contribute to making things progress.”
Suicoke’s collection is noteworthy for its high-performance materials, including Vibram outsoles. The spring ’18 collection will continue this push, according to Leung.
“Antibacterial function is one of the key features in this season,” he said. “The technology is built into the footbed during the manufacturing process. It will not wash off or wear away, for antibacterial protection that lasts the lifetime of the shoes.”
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