Leather Sneakers Handmade by Craftspeople in JAPAN

[Handmade in Osaka]
The brand "brightway" is made by craftsmen in Osaka, one pair by one.
The key concepts of the brand are;
(1) To create a society where both the maker and the user can enrich their hearts and minds
(2) Aiming at manufacturing with zero stock clearance.
(3) To be a company that is needed by the local community through local manufacturing.

[Combining Simplicity and Functionality]
The design of brightway's leather shoes is simple, with the hope that they will be loved for a long time without being influenced by trends. However, we also believe that in order for you to love them for a long time, it is necessary to pursue quality in order for you to continue wearing them comfortably.
Based on feedback from users of the initial brightway product, we have developed this new model. The new model of the sneaker has been improved on the following points.
- Original sole with durability and cushioning.
- Wrinkle-resistant leather
- Wooden shoe lasts that are both relaxed and well-fitted.

[Original sole]
Feedback from users of the early models of brightway was that they wore out easily and that they wanted more durability.
However, in order to improve these points, it is necessary to fine-tune the 'mould' that reflects the design of the sole. One of the major hurdles in tackling sole improvements in-house was the initial cost of developing the moulds.
Many Japanese brands have given up on developing their own soles because of the large initial investment required to develop the moulds. Nevertheless, we have worked on developing soles in-house that can be fine-tuned, with the hope that they will be used for a long time, and we have finally achieved a sole for this new model.

[Wrinkle-resistant leather]
Leather is a key feature of brightway shoes. However, when worn as sneakers in active situations, it was inevitably prone to wrinkling.
Therefore, the leather has been improved and updated to a leather that is wrinkle resistant and yet maintains its softness.

[Wooden shoe last for a relaxed, yet comfortable fit.]
We aim for both beauty and comfort. That is why we developed even the wooden last for our shoes, which many manufacturers outsource, by ourselves, paying attention to even the smallest adjustments and checking the comfort of the shoes ourselves.
This is how we arrived at both the comfort of the width of the foot and the fit of the heel.
We believe we have achieved a level of comfort that will last for 10 years.

[Pursuing sustainability]
In the apparel industry, it is commonplace to mass-produce, send unsold clothes to outlets and finally dispose of them. However, as someone who has seen how craftsmen carefully make each pair of shoes in-house, I have my doubts about such an industry structure.
Therefore, we do not make trendy products, do not increase the number of models without thought, and do not mass-produce... We also offer a repair service, such as replacing soles that inevitably wear out. We have already started to support the Japanese customers, and are currently preparing for the overseas custmors as well.

[Sincerity down to the invisible; Japanese craftsmanship.]
At brightway, we make shoes with attention to details that cannot be seen. A typical example is the heel counter material. We use a genuine leather called a leather counter.
This leather counter is used for only a few items, even by luxury brands, and is both time-consuming and costly to produce.
Only a few shoe factories in Japan are able to produce shoes using this method. While most low-priced shoes are made from plastic or resin materials, we make leather sneakers using this traditional, expensive and time-consuming method.
The biggest advantage of leather counters is that they conform to the foot and are less prone to soreness and the more you wear them, the more comfortable they become, as they absorb into the foot.

With the words of the factory's founder in mind: 'The essence of shoemaking is in the details you can't see'.
All for the sake of those who love them.
At brightway, this traditional manufacturing method, which is now rare in Japan, is generously implemented to support a comfortable fit.

In addition, as far as possible, brightway uses carefully selected materials and parts from visible producers in Japan.
Each of the many parts that make up a shoe is filled with the skills of Japanese craftsmen.

There is a saying: 'Good shoes will take you to good places'.
We hope that you will have wonderful encounters and experiences in your future life wearing shoes made by us, Japanese craftspeople. And may we always be there to support your feet.