visvim 创始人中村世纪谈论 Moccasin 与 FBT 的重要性

要数日本 Hi-End 时尚品牌 visvim 旗下最具人气的单品，那么非 FBT莫属了，这种从传统莫卡辛鞋款汲取灵感改造而成的鞋型，不仅造型出众并且穿著起来的交感十分舒适，一直是各种明星和时尚先锋的心头好。最近品牌创始人中村世纪（Hiroki Nakamura）便接受访问，向读者讲述了莫卡辛和 FBT 之于 visvim 的重要性，美式复古文化对于品牌的影响，以及可拆卸流苏的设计灵感等众多话题。下面便带来这次访谈的摘要内容，感兴趣的朋友不妨点击这里完整阅读。

Despite the seemingly primitive construction, these shoes are highly utilitarian, and helped Native Americans keep their feet from freezing during the harsh North American winters. The ankle flaps seen on some moccasins that at first glance seem superfluous can actually be flipped up and wrapped around the ankle for additional warmth. For tribes living in the coldest regions, rabbit fur or sheep skin was added as an insular lining. Although moccasins do not possess typical outsoles, tribes that lived in desert areas often used thick pieces of hardened leather on the bottom of their moccasins to protect from rocks or cacti, while tribes located near forested areas were able to wear soft-soled moccasins for use on the primarily grassy terrain.

At the age of 17, I was discovering the same functional benefits and beauty in the shoes that Native Americans had worn for centuries before me. They were unlike any shoes I had ever worn before: an upper that covered the foot and wrapped around the whole outsole area, made from natural tanned elk leather that was incredibly soft and well-aged from years of wear. This particular pair that I was wearing were already modified for city life with an add-on rubber outsole; like the plains and desert dwelling Native Americans who had added an extra layer of hard leather to the bottom of their moccasins, I had learned that a rubber sole is an absolute necessity for someone living in an urban environment.

There was a great deal of excitement when the FBT was released over ten years ago, but my team and I have never stopped trying to improve upon the original design. While the outward appearance of the shoe – a leather moccasin-inspired upper with a removable fringe, combined with a sneaker outsole – has not changed, many of the materials have been upgraded. The midsole is now made from polyurethane and the outsoles for certain models are custom made by Vibram. Pigment-free, natural tanned leather uppers are used to make sure that the material does not irritate one’s feet, while a natural cork insole molds to the wearer’s foot over time. Feet, and by extension, shoes, bear more of a daily burden than any other part of the body, so it is crucial that anything that touches the feet should be made of extremely breathable, natural materials.