WHAT IS "HEIWA SLIPPER" ?
In the beginning, Japanese slippers.
Thank you for visiting our website. We are an online slipper store located in Japan and very excited to introduce you our various collections of the slippers.
But first, let me explain what we call “slipper” in Japan.
Most of the time, in Western countries, “slipper” means “a semi-closed type of shoe, consisting of a sole held to the wearer’s foot by a strap running over (or between) the toes or instep (Reference: Wikipedia)”. They are wearable shoes for outside, most of the time, and sometimes inside as well for comfort. On the other hand, in Japan, when we say “slipper”, we think flat, in-house footwear item, and that is the kind we would like to spread to the world.
As you may know, it is our common practice to take our shoes off when we go in the house to keep the floor clean. Then why do we wear slippers in the house?
How did the slipper become so common in Japan?
It is said that the origin of slipper firstly appeared in Japan in the beginning of Meiji era (1968-1912), which was the time Japan was opening its country to the world and having more people visited from outside, especially from Western countries. However, those visitors of course walked straight into the houses or hotel rooms without taking their shoes off. Japanese people worried that the floor would eventually get dirty and the tatami would be damaged. Slipper was devised to deal with those problems and to welcome people who came from different cultural background.
Our theme is “Return of Japanese Slippers”.
Ever since then, slipper has become common/daily use item all over Japan. However, unfortunately, we barely find slippers made in Japan these days. A lot of them are industrially mass-produced in other countries at lower wages, and sold at a cheap price here.
Our theme is “Return of Japanese Slippers”.
We believe slipper can be a bridge to the peace (= “Heiwa”).
Here, we will introduce slippers made with the spirits of Japanese hospitality. We would like to also introduce some slippers made in other countries, in which we try our best to achieve the fair-trade upon importing them.
“Benefits for all three sides, for the customer, society, and the vendor” is what we are aiming for.
We believe slipper can be a bridge to the peace (= “Heiwa”).
- Heiwa Slipper
Products
Denim from HIROSHIMA
Mix Slippers
Heiwa Slippers bring new charm to the classic design of Japanese style slippers.
These slippers are made by skilled Japanese craftsmen. Each pair is carefully constructed by hand using traditional instruments.
Made with high-quality denim from Hiroshima, they feature an attractive combination of deep hue and colorful print.The cushioned sole has just the right amount of thickness and molds to your foot. The authentic wool felt bottom is soft and light to ensure quiet footsteps.
Recommended for guests, as well.
These simply designed Japanese style slippers offer everyday functionality that you will not get tired of.
These traditional slippers are carefully woven by elderly women living in Japan's rural mountain villages. In the winter, when there is little farming to be done, they carefully weave one slipper at a time. They wrap sedge grass and rice plants in cloth and old clothing for extra durability and #comfort . The result is a slipper that gently massages the sole.
However, fewer and fewer people know how to weave these slippers, so they are becoming less common in daily life. What's more, those who can weave them are growing quite old. This is why we want to spread the word about these wonderful slippers.
These are leather slippers made using vegetable tanning, a process that uses no toxic substances. The vegetable tanned leather uses skins sourced from a pig farm on the outskirts on Tokyo, with care for the environment in mind. As this leather ages, it will take on a good color.
These sandals are crafted by people with sight and hearing disabilities. Despite their handicaps, they are able to use their spectacular sense of touch to create beautiful products.
The cloth of these sandal straps sometimes stretches after being worn. If so, adjust the length by unraveling the strap at the back so that it can be retied. The back is designed to be easily unraveled for simple readjustment when the strap stretches.
Japan ZOURI
These slippers are made in farm villages in northern Japan. They are made from naturally dried, woven corn husk. Inedible corn husks have been disposed of in very large quantities, but these slippers recycle and make use of them. In the autumn when corn is harvested, the corn husks are carefully peeled away and dried, and then in the winter when farmwork comes to an end the husks are meticulously woven together. It is a process that requires an extremely difficult and time-consuming technique.
These are leather slippers made using vegetable tanning, a process that uses no toxic substances. The vegetable tanned leather uses skins sourced from a pig farm on the outskirts on Tokyo, with care for the environment in mind.
These slippers made using local leather from Tokyo also incorporate recycled materials. The insoles of these slippers are made by "upcycling" scraps discarded during the weaving of denim. It is said that Japan's denim industry discards around 200,000 meters of denim each day, so we have put some of this denim to use in the cushioned insoles of our slippers. The texture of these insoles feels good, and is comfortable upon the soles of your feet.
And more！
