NEW&LINGWOOD: Beautiful Skin Stitching, Truly Fine Shoes

These are quite old. They're "NEW&LINGWOOD," a pair I wore often around 1986, during my time at Beams. New & Lingwood was a store name for a shop on Jermyn Street in London.

These were made at the Edward Green factory. At the time, only Edward Green and "POULSEN SKONE," which New & Lingwood had acquired, used "skin stitch" construction, where the needle is inserted from one side and then, instead of passing through to the other side, stitches only through the internal leather layers.

Poulsen Skone also made British shoes and produced shoes for Alan Flusser. I own several pairs.

These New & Lingwood shoes are quite fine. They cost around 60,000 to 70,000 yen back then.

Tokyo Skytree

I have high expectations for Tokyo Skytree, which opens on May 22nd next year. What do I like about it? Its sheer, unadulterated scale is appealing.

When I was a child and saw Tokyo Tower, I was struck by its immense size, and I harbored a dream of building a commercial facility beneath it. I suppose I just feel Tokyo Tower could be a source of emotional support, but that's just my personal thought (laughs).

United Arrows Great East Japan Earthquake Charity Project

Next week (September 12th),Roller Coasterwill be the topic.