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Watanabe (Japanese newspaper)I was originally in charge of producing music visuals, mainly CD jackets, for a record company until 10 years ago. I would propose multiple ideas to the client, and even if I thought that idea A was the best, if the client chose idea B, I would naturally construct the artwork using idea B. . I know this is natural, but why is it that the person making the artwork thinks that idea A is the best? I know that is the natural thing to do, but if the person who is making the artwork thinks that idea A is the best, why not? . Then I thought that if I could create a creation site where I could create only idea A with the people I want to work with, that would be a good start.

Watanabe (Japanese newspaper)I have planned two models for this collaboration. The "TACOMA JAZZ" was based on a model that I used to like to wear, so I had a clear concept in my mind, and I had an image in my head of what I wanted to do. The other, "HOPS & BARLEY," was based on a model for trekking, which I had never worn before, so I talked to people around me who were trekking. But in the end, I was told, "Since Mr. Nabé asked you to do it, you should definitely do it the way you want! (laugh), and in the end, I settled on what kind of model I wanted.

Watanabe (Japanese newspaper)When I was studying in the U.S., vintage sneakers were all the rage in Japan, while they were not at all popular there. I was also a dealer, so when I went to the warehouse to buy, I found a lot of "Succaneers," but at that time, I was all about "Nike" and didn't see the value in them. But when I became an old man, I became inflected, and I didn't find value in the same things as other people. . That's when I found a collaboration model between "Succaneers" and "White Mountaineering," and I liked it and wore them. That's when a friend of mine told me, "The guy in charge at "Succany" wants to meet with you. I thought he was going to get mad at me for something, but it was about the collaboration (laughs).

Watanabe (Japanese newspaper)First of all, the reason why we have not made sneakers at Tacoma Fuji Records is simple. I don't mean to sound cocky, but I am confident that Tacoma can make better T-shirts, and we can also make interesting caps using our current production background. However, with pants, for example, I thought, "Levi's 501® and Dickies are good enough without me," and when it came to sneakers, I had no background in production and could not imagine being involved in their manufacture. . In short, I thought that it was not that I did not make sneakers, but that I could not make sneakers. But this time, I was offered the opportunity to do whatever I wanted while using the name and production background of a manufacturer with a long history among American running shoe brands, so it was like a godsend.

Watanabe (Japanese newspaper)As in designing T-shirts, one of my design inspirations is extras in movies who don't even have names for their roles, or audience members or roadies in live footage. What these ordinary people are wearing is more realistic than the performers or the people on stage, isn't it? First of all, for the "TACOMA JAZZ" collection, I was inspired by the sneakers worn by passersby in the movies I used to watch as a kid, such as "Back to the Future". While being conscious of not becoming merely nostalgic, I was inspired by the atmosphere and image of products from that era, and used long-legged suede and mesh with a rough weave for the uppers. Furthermore, the number of stitches was increased by one stitch each, using four stitches, and the cuff was reinforced with suede as well. This gave them a heavy-duty look. Also, when I asked them to be heavier like the sneakers of the time, they surprised me by saying, "I've been asked to make them lighter, but I've never heard a request to make them heavier" (laugh).

Watanabe (Japanese newspaper)I am not a fashion person, or rather, even if I wanted to be one, I am proud to say that my background in fashion is not strong enough. On the other hand, if I had been a professional designer, I would have boldly passed over the parts that I would have checked (laugh).　I wondered if I was really allowed to do it, and because I didn't know, I was allowed to be a little bit selfish.

Watanabe (Japanese newspaper)It is based on the XODUS ISO GTX model, a line for athletes, and I decided on it because it had the same name as my favorite thrash metal band, XODUS. . I'm sorry, but I'm not kidding, it's true. I'm not an active exerciser, and I only walk my dog for about an hour and a half every morning, so I wanted something that would be easy for me to wear. I also wanted to make it possible for a person like me who is not interested in exercise to become interested in "Succaneers," which I thought was one of the major missions I was given this time, so I started with a concept based on that. Even if you are a heavy drinker who doesn't exercise, you can wear these to go to a brewery to drink beer, and the logo HOP on the right foot and BARLEY on the left foot means that you are getting closer to beer step by step. The name of the model is "HOPS & BARLEY" . We hope that people who are serious about exercising, as well as those who are not, will wear these shoes with a casual stance that says, "These are comfortable. I'm not always joking around, but I'm pretty serious about it (laughs).

Watanabe (Japanese newspaper)Ah , I see. Please pretend that I said that (laughs). I decided on the color scheme for the XODUS ISO GTX after consulting with Jerry Ukai. I was a little weary of vivid colors, so I decided on a military olive color scheme to match our outdoor gear. This color was difficult to achieve, and we had to rework the sample many times because we couldn't get a color that we were satisfied with. However, this part of the process was personally the most instructive part of the project. Both "Jazz Original" and "XODUS ISO GTX" were requested as "sneakers that can be worn to festivals," so they can be worn casually, washed when they get dirty, and another pair can be purchased when they are worn out. We made them with this kind of usage in mind.

Watanabe (Japanese newspaper)I wanted to do this project at least this time because it was for "Succany," and I accepted the project on the condition that it would be a good fit. In my mind, "Succany" was an alternative (alternative choice, alternative, different). . While it had a rich history, there was still room for color, and I was confident that it would have a strong affinity with Tacoma. In the U.S., "Succaneer" running shoes have a large share of the market, but with all due respect, not so much in Japan. . I think it is my role to be a catalyst for changing that situation, even if only a little. I think both "TACOMA JAZZ" and "HOPS & BARLEY" are interesting sneakers. I hope you will take them in your hands.