Craftsmanship
Materials not Usually used in Sneakers
At SPINGLE, we use leather which is not usually used in sneakers, and a variety of processes using a wide variety of leather to challenge ourselves to create shoes with a wide range of appearances and expressive character which is born through the various textures of each leather and during processing. The natural leather we handle includes kangaroo, cow, horse, pig, camel, goat, sheep, crocodile, python (snake), lizard, eel and as a rarity, shark. In processing, we handle print and pleat processing, crocodile processing, product dying which dyes the whole shoe, and washing processes which wash the produced shoes with water, and we also handle materials in collaboration with each brand.
Shoes With Unique Character Made Possible by Hand Work
SPINGLE shoes are made in a high temperature kiln using the vulcanization process which involves high heat and carbonization, so we only use quality products which have passed strict checks on factors such as shrinkage and discoloration etc. Our commitment to these materials, which bring out the unique “character” of unevenness and wrinkles unlike any other pair as they are worn, and hand work, allows the creation of a one-in-the world pair of shoes with unique character. In the future we will continue to challenge ourselves to all possibilities in order to deliver to our customers shoes they have never seen before.
The Basic Manufacturing Process for Sneakers Began in the USA in 1839
The characteristic of SPINGLE MOVE is the unique design of the wave/makiage sole which envelops the upper. Of course, aesthetically this looks pleasing, but this form which is created using the “Vulcanization Process” also has the functionality of strong bonding of the sole and the upper, a sole which does not peel off easily and a shoe which does not lose shape easily.
The “Vulcanization Process” is a manufacturing process by which a rubber sole with sulfur added is glued to the shoe body and put in a kiln where heat and pressure are applied. It was invented by the American inventor Charles Goodyear more than 170 years ago in 1839 and is the true “basic sneaker manufacturing process.”
Craftsmen manually glue the upper (shoe body) to the sole and set the sneakers in the hanging shelves. Here, at first glance, the sneakers look close to their finished form, but actually the rubber part is still soft. By putting these in the vulcanizer, the upper and the sole are firmly bonded.
Hand Work Taking a Great Amount of Time and Labor
The sneakers are pressurized and heated in the kiln for about one hour at over 100 degrees Celsius. When the heating is finished, the kiln door opens upward with a roaring sound and smoke billows out. Amid the hot air, white smoke and rubber smell, craftsmen remove the hanging shelves and deftly cut the temporary threads and cloth which were used to prevent loss of shape. Next, a large fan is used to cool and stabilize the shape of the hot sneakers.
Due to the “vulcanization process” being basically hand work, a great amount of time and labor is taken, and production efficiency is poor. The number of companies in Japan using the vulcanization process has decreased sharply, and it is said that now, including our company, only very few remain. Our factory, which has over 80 years of history, will continue to protect the “vulcanization process” and continue to share this good quality with the world.
PARTS OF THE SHOE
