FOOTWORKS
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About FOOTWORKS
FOOTWORKS is a Japanese footwear brand founded by Takeshi Mori, whose approach grew from a family tradition of custom insole making. Mori began learning the craft from his father, Koichi Mori, while still in junior high school, before studying footwear in Germany and establishing FOOTWORKS as a custom insole atelier in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, in 2011.
Rather than beginning with footwear design, FOOTWORKS developed from Mori’s extensive study of foot structure, weight distribution, posture, and natural walking. His bespoke insoles are individually shaped to support the foot and encourage a more balanced way of standing and walking, treating the foot as the foundation of the entire body. After more than a decade of making custom insoles, Mori began translating this knowledge into footwear, eventually developing the brand’s own sandals and shoes around the same principles.
The first original sandals emerged from requests by existing customers and were refined through extensive testing before being formally released. Their deliberately simple appearance conceals a highly considered construction, designed to distribute weight naturally across the sole while providing stability and comfort. This combination of functional expertise and restrained aesthetics has made FOOTWORKS particularly appealing within Japan’s fashion community, with the brand appearing in collaborations and special projects with retailers and labels including BIOTOP and, more recently, Margaret Howell.
Today, FOOTWORKS continues to operate from its Tokyo atelier, where Mori’s original focus on custom insoles remains at the heart of the brand. Its footwear represents an extension of that philosophy: rather than designing around appearance first, each shoe begins with the anatomy of the foot and the mechanics of movement, resulting in understated products that combine Japanese craftsmanship, ergonomic thinking, and everyday practicality.