As one of the newest additions to footwear at Pickings and Parry, it seemed appropriate to give some background and more detail to the Yuketen brand. Yuketen was the first brand created by Yuki Matsuda of Meg Company. Originally from Japan, Yuki began designing and producing footwear from his California base in 1989 and has since formed creative partnerships with the finest leather footwear and luggage craftsmen in the world.
Yuketen are now able to combine the most refined shoe making traditions and techniques with progressive, adventurous designs. The result is something truly unique - shoes that reflect a global perspective, relentless pursuit of quality, and fearless attitude towards bold, forward-looking design. Yuketen’s boundary-crossing products serve the new adventurers - global nomads who seek new perspectives yet have a profound respect for the past.
Now for a little more about the superior construction of Yuketen Goodyear Welted footwear....
Yuketen's meticulously crafted Goodyear-welt construction footwear is hand-lasted and bench-made in Mexico. The shoe is built upon a sturdy foundation of leather, rubber, steel and thread and places a remarkable four layers of leather underfoot. The leather midsole allows the shoe to take to the distinct shape of the wearer's foot over time and the leather welt is firmly attached to the midsole with a vintage German-made welt stitcher and then notched by hand for added security.
The construction of the interior of the shoe begins with the channeled vegetable-tanned leather insole. Many shoemakers no longer use a channeled insole for Goodyear-welt construction, instead opting for faster and cheaper production methods. At Yuketen they believe, however, that a true channeled insole is still the best way to construct Goodyear-welted shoes due to the inherent structural qualities of the leather used for the insoles. The channeled insole cavity is filled with cork for additional absorption and moldability once the insoles have been sewn to the shoes' upper.
A steel shank, foam heel pad and vegetable-tanned leather heel pad surround the insole on the interior of the shoe. The heel pad and steel shank provide a measure of structure in the rear portion of the shoe, while still allowing the shoe to flex where necessary at the ball of the foot. The pad and shank also work to provide a stable bridge along the arch of the foot, allowing pressure to be spread and diffused more evenly across the bottom of the foot, resulting in a more comfortable shoe. The foam heel pad provides a final layer of shock absorption and the leather heel pad, in conjunction with the leather insole, provides a full vegetable-tanned leather footbed from heel to toe.
This uncompromising approach to Goodyear-welt footwear construction yields shoes of the utmost quality. Visually striking and thoroughly considered, Yuketen's bench-made Goodyear-welt shoes are sure to bring comfort and satisfaction to the wearer.
