For someone as punch drunk on a sneaker habit as I am, my rotation is actually pretty tight—maybe five pairs deep in the winter.* Every once in a while, a pair gets replaced on the team by an upstart, but it’s rare. Anyways, I’m not saying that this vulcanized Moonstar x Studio Nicholson mashup sneaker would crack that rotation, but I’m also very much into what’s going on here.
(*Summer opens up all kinds of footwear avenues that are otherwise closed due to inclement weather and the presence of salt, but the sneaker sentiment still mostly holds.)
Made in the Japanese city of Kurume by Moonstar—whose work portfolio includes Shoes Like Pottery and literal century-old tabbi boots—these classically styled, deftly built sneakers feature a hand-sewn canvas upper, a rubber toe cap, and a kiln-fired vulcanized rubber sole because quality but also because it allegedly provides a more flexible, durable ride.
Plus, these are navy, which is a chronically underrated sneaker color.
Available for $175 at Namu Shop.
