The Local Brand Pioneering 'Floating Shoes' for Expo 2025

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, is less than six months away. While the much-anticipated flying cars won't be commercially available in Japan, they will still be part of demonstration flights. I had secretly hoped to see the small aircraft designed by media artist Kazuhiko Hachiya inspired by the Möwe from Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. But something equally thrilling will be showcased at the Expo: floating shoes!

The Future of Fashion?

These futuristic shoes will be part of the future fashion exhibition at the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion, a joint display by small and medium-sized companies from Osaka Prefecture. They are being developed by Re:getA, a shoe manufacturer based in Osaka's Ikuno Ward. "Ever since the Expo was announced, I've been itching to get involved," says Yasuo Takamoto, president of Re:getA.

The "floating shoes" will use superconducting technology, similar to what powers maglev trains. Initially, Takamoto was skeptical of the concept, since his brand is known for creating comfortable shoes designed to "communicate" with hard asphalt pavements.

"If the shoes float, how can anyone walk?" he wondered. But his excitement was reignited when his teenage sons said, "That sounds awesome — I want to try them!"

Takamoto recalls, "That's when I realized — when did I become such a boring adult?"

Construction of Osaka Expo pavilions and other structures is underway on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay, Konohana Ward, Osaka City, on October 1 (©Sankei by Nagumo Miyako from a company helicopter)

A Legacy of Industry

Re:getA shoes are known for their comfort, featuring rounded toes and heels. Launched in 2005, its shoes are now sold in around 500 stores in Japan and about 30 abroad, with total sales expected to surpass 10 million pairs by 2025.

Notably, Re:getA's manufacturing process involves roughly 150 local businesses and 400 craftspeople. "It sounds fancy when you call it outsourcing, but it's not really that modern," Takamoto says with a laugh.

Takamoto grew up in Ikuno Ward, a district known for its nearly 1,900 factories — the most of any area in Osaka. The town's narrow streets are lined with small homes that double as workshops. Products are still passed from one craftsperson to another, just like in his father's day. In a way, the entire town is one big factory.

Takamoto's father was a cutter, producing locally-made sandals as a subcontractor for shoe manufacturers. After high school, Takamoto attended a shoe design school in Tokyo and trained for three years in Kobe's Nagata ward.

At 23, he joined his father's business, only for the company to face a crisis when a major client ended their contract, leaving them with zero profit. Determined to revive the business, Takamoto threw himself into design and sales.

Made in Ikuno

However, whenever Takamoto presented the designs at trade shows, they were quickly copied by competitors, leading to financial losses. Frustrated, Takamoto considered moving production overseas to make original shoes at prices that wouldn't be undercut by knock-offs.

But when he consulted his father, he received a different perspective. "I'd rather keep the workshops here in Ikuno busy," his father said.

In Ikuno, many craftspeople's workshops are located behind the sliding doors of their home entrances, with their livelihoods deeply intertwined with their craft.

"Having close relationships with the craftspeople can be difficult," Takamoto reflects. "It's not as simple as saying, 'Sorry, there's no work for you.'"

Resolving to keep production in Ikuno, Takamoto decided to bet on branding. He launched Re:getA, inspired by traditional Japanese geta sandals, with shoes that emphasize a natural landing and kick-off movement that aligns with the toes. The name Re:getA means "geta once again."

Priced at ¥4,980 JPY (around $30 USD), the shoes weren't cheap, but they garnered a major order of 7,000 pairs from a retailer after a trade show. The brand's popularity soared, eventually reaching international markets.

The Measure of Success

In 2011, Takamoto officially took over his father's company. What started as a small family business has since grown into a corporation with 115 employees. To address the aging workforce and ensure the future of craftsmanship, the company began hiring new graduates and built its own factory. Re:getA is now entering a new phase of growth.

It's been ten years since Takamoto's father passed away, and over fifty years since his father experienced the 1970 Osaka Expo.

"The Expo was amazing. I was just a poor kid with no diploma, but back then, all I felt was hope," his father would say, his eyes lighting up at the memory.

Now, Takamoto is thrilled to be a part of creating something new for the Expo. His goal with the floating shoes is the same as his company's mission: to make walking fun for more people.

For Takamoto, the true test of success is whether kids will say, "This is awesome!" With the pride of a true manufacturing town, he and his team are working on a design that will give wearers a spring-like "boing" with each step.

(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: Sayaka Kimura, The Sankei Shimbun