Blue Over is a sneaker brand born in Osaka. While I (Hitoshi Watari) was undertaking product design work as a freelancer, I began to have doubts about the cycle of product development and consumption. Furthermore, after witnessing the decline of domestic manufacturing factories, in 2011 I decided to bring about change by investing myself in this cycle, so I launched Blue Over.

Shoes are made up of many materials such as uppers, soles, laces, and insoles, all manufactured through a division of labor at small-scale manufacturers. Due to various reasons such as succession issues, the aging population, and cost competition overseas, it has become difficult to produce sneakers entirely in Japan, but Blue Over procures as much material as possible domestically. It's not a large-scale operation, but we want to make use of the connections between factories and the local community to keep domestic manufacturing alive. Why?

I was born and raised from the late 1980s to 2000, when Japan was known as a manufacturing powerhouse, and worked in product design myself, visiting many factories. This is because I want to give back to the manufacturing industry that has supported us.

In my work as a product designer, I've been influenced by one movement: the Mingei (folk craft) movement advocated by Soetsu Yanagi. The early 1900s was a time when industrialization brought mass production, and crafts became ornate, decorative objects. Yanagi believed that true beauty lies in the lifestyle rooted in each region's climate and environment, and that objects born from the hands of anonymous craftsmen are a pure, unpretentious "beauty suited to use."

Beauty that exists in everyday life — I was strongly influenced by this idea, and I try to design based on the local climate and cultivated techniques, avoiding unnecessary design wherever possible. Keeping alive the craftsmen and production areas that can create this kind of wholesome beauty is also part of what Blue Over does.

So what does Blue Over's design actually mean? It means designing the obvious — in other words, making shoes that are simply "comfortable to wear."

For example: carving a last that fits the Japanese foot. Choosing materials that mold to your feet the more you wear them. Designing patterns so there's no stress when the foot bends. Setting the optimal sole hardness for walking, not running. A timeless look you can keep wearing without being swayed by trends.

The next most important element is durability — being able to wear the shoes for a long time. We choose sturdy materials and make sure the toe and heel reinforcements are solid. Depending on the model, we use soles that resist wear, or construction methods that allow parts to be replaced. These may sound obvious, but they aren't easy to achieve. Blue Over's design is about making shoes that are comfortable and can be worn for a long, long time.

Be comfortable

I sometimes think shoes are a strange kind of product. They're a tool that connects the wearer's body to the outside world — a unique thing that straddles the line between the body and the ground. Good times, hard times, they're always there sharing that time with you, accepting you as you are. I've always felt a particular pull toward shoes like that.

Sometimes I look at the shoes I cherished as a student and memories from that time come back — not just nostalgia, but something closer to affection. Maybe it's because well-worn shoes truly feel like a friend who's shared the ups and downs with you. Blue Over is designed to be comfortable enough that you'll always want to wear it, so the person wearing it can build up memories over time.

Made to last

Worn-in shoes carry the character of natural oils and the wear that comes from being used — a richness that builds up over time. A shoe made to be worn for years is cared for that whole time, and gathers more character the longer it's worn. When I see a well cared-for pair of shoes, I sense a kind of richness in them. It may be intuitive, but I believe that taking care of something brings comfort, peace, and warmth not only to the object itself, but to the person who cares for it. For Blue Over to be a shoe that lasts means that the more it's worn, the more expressive it becomes — and the richer it makes the life of the person wearing it.

Blue Over aims to make shoes with a wholesome kind of beauty. By wearing them, the relationship between a person and their shoes can become something ordinary, yet a little special. We hope to play a part in protecting and nurturing the shoemaking industry and culture passed down in local communities — and the people who carry it forward — and to be part of that healthy cycle ourselves.

Not material richness, but a spiritual one — that's what we hope to share, day by day. Through repeated care and repair, worn with affection over time, we believe Blue Over will eventually grow into its "true form." As time passes with the wearer, the character shaped by nature will deepen, and it will become something ordinary yet special — like a friend.

I hope that wearing these shoes brings a sense of wellbeing, and moments of calm, warm time in your day.

To the accumulated craft of shoemaking, and the people who carry it forward. To the people who wear the shoes born from their hands. Blue Over wants to be a wholesome, beautiful sneaker made in Japan — one that takes shape alongside your time wearing it, and becomes a beautiful, memorable pair of shoes for you.