GETA craftsman: Masashi Mizutori 

 

GETA craftsman: Masashi Mizutori had an idea, a concept.

He looked again at traditional GETA  These do not distinguish between left and right, and it takes time for the GETA and the wearer's foot to become mutually attuned. mizutori reasoned that if the GETA were to fit the form of the foot, and if the straps were affixed so that they wrap around, enfold the instep of each foot, they would provide day-long comfort.

In 1988, mizutori began crafting “comfortable-to-wear GETA”.

 

- A mizutori GETA monogatari –

This is a story, or monogatari, about mizutori and the Hamamatsu May Festival, which celebrates that year's shincha, or nouveau green tea. A designer who lived in Hamamatsu-city, came to consult mizutori about complaints made by the tea ladies who served the tea at the festival, who were grumbling about aching feet. They could not find GETA of their own size, and the geta straps chafed their feet. mizutori crafted ten pairs of his special GETA  and in addition attached straps which matched the pattern of their kimono. After the festival, the designer told Mizutori “The ladies never took off their geta during the festival this year. I cannot thank you enough.” 

Hand Made


Each and every geta is painstakingly handcrafted, and combines the wisdom accumulated in mizutori's own long experience with that of generations of customers. mizutori has combined their Japanese geta know-how with the latest international footwear technologies, Western and Oriental foot care consciousness for healthy feet, and designer style, to create New GETA and Beyond GETA, for the lifestyles of today.

Original Footwear

The mizutori original footwear product range exists in five series:

Hand-sculptured geta, Shizuoka hinoki-wood geta, BLADE for men only, m2 (em-ni) mizutori material collaboration, m×d designer collaboration. 


Hand-sculptured GETA

Enjoy the warmth of hand-sculptured GETA:

Craftsmen hand-sculpt these GETA, one by one from the natural wood to fit the sole comfortably.

 

Gentle straps:

Straps are lined with soft materials and fixed on the base of each GETA, to gently enfold the foot instep.

 

Leading edge design:

These stylish GETA can be worn with dresses and are popular for their comfort. You are tempted to wear them every day. 

GETA Monogatari

げた物語

 

Standard/Dark brown/Craft

 

<Men's> <Ladies'>

<Big sizes>

The classic mizutori line for the family to enjoy. 

Size: Men's, Ladies', Big (Standard only)

Mature and Craft available only in Regular sizes.

Standard available also in Big sizes 28, 29, 30, 32cm, for those non-Japanese-sized feet! See Size Conversion Chart.

Heel: 3.5cm (1.38 inch approx)

 

Skip

 

Standard for Kids 

 

<Kids'>

Crafted specially to help children’s feet grow healthily.

Size: 16, 18, 20cm. See Size Conversion Chart.

Heel: 3.5cm (1.38 inch approx)

hitete

 

Standard

 

<Ladies'> 

Walk happily and beautifully with Standard.

Comfortable heel height.

Heel: 6.5cm (2.56 inch approx)

Standard

 

<Ladies'> 

Light and feminine silhouette.

Swing feels almost flat. 

Heel: 4.5cm (1.77 inch approx) 



Shizuoka hinoki-wood geta

Tradition and Innovation:

Innovatively styled geta modeled on Japanese traditional footwear to fit modern life style. 

 

Japanese chic and aesthetic sense:

Simple expression of Japanese sensibility and chic life style.

 

Live with nature:

Mizutori continue to use local Shizuoka hinoki Japanese cypress. The feel of this very special wood on the skin imparts a soothing feeling, as if one is in the middle of nature. 

SAJIN

茶人

 

<Men's> 

A man's geta, made from Shizuoka hinoki Japanese Cypress, and modelled on traditional men's Setta sandals.

SHIKIBU

式部

 

<Ladies'>

Geta with comfortable wedge shape heels, designed with the intelligent woman in mind. The shape of new tradition.

The size of the wooden base is the same for small, medium and large. The strap position can be adjusted for size. 

Heel: 6.5cm (2.56 inch approx)



BLADE: geta for men

<<SOLDOUT>>

BLADE 

 

<Men's> 

Geta for men, designed with the Japanese sword as motif.

 



m2 (em-ni): Material collaboration

Mizutori has created new geta using materials developed in collaboration with prominent Japanese designers and artists.

m2 represents the combination of the “m” of Mizutori with the “m” of materials.

URUSHI SAKAMOTO

URUSHI by Aizu-wakamatsu

http://www.eyes-japan.co.jp 


KAGURAYA

bag with tatami-mat hem

http://www.kaguraya.com

SHIMA-SHIMA

Kokura textiles from the island of Kyushu

http://shima-shima.jp

koha*

designer textiles

http://koha.shop-pro.jp


Keiichi Muramatsu

designer fashion

http://www.everlasting-sprout.com

Yuri Inagaki

artistic textile-dyeing

http://www.yutori.info



m × d Designer collaboration

Mizutori has collaborated with prominent Japanese designers and artists to create their unique New Geta and Beyond Geta footwear.

HIBINOKODUE × MIZUTORI

Hinoki (Japanese  cypress) footwear. 

 

Straight line style

Curved line style

 

<Men's> <Ladies'>

<for indoors>

 

Kodue Hibino Costume artist 

Born in Shizuoka. Kodue Hibino studied visual communication design at Tokyo Art University. She has worked as a costume designer in a wide range of fields: theatre, dance, ballet, films, TV, etc. Ms Hibino has held many exhibitions, and is a winner of many awards, including the Mainichi Fashion Award and the Shiseido Award. She designs the costumes for two current NHK series.

http://haction.co.jp/kodue


New technology:

Natural fashioned hinoki treats your feet

Shizuoka hinoki is fashioned with a special compressor and curved to treat your foot firmly yet gently. Breathe the forest with all your senses.


DRILL DESING × MIZUTORI

two piece 

 

<Men's> <Ladies'>

<for indoors>

 

DRILL DESIGN

The design studio of Yusuke Hayashi and Yoko Anzai. Their main activity is product design. They also do graphic design, package design and space design. Winners of many awards including the 2008 Good Design Award Special Award.

http://www.drill-design.com


 Realize comfort never before achieved!

The DRILL DESIGN mizutori geta have a structure in which the sole bends, respecting the movement of the foot. This is achieved by having a sole consisting of two pieces of hinoki, joined with a flexible material. The hinoki sole allows the foot to enjoy the woody feel of real hinoki. Allow your feet to savor this wooden footwear that feels warm in winter and cool in summer.

Comfortable


Mizutori carried out a joint study with Shizuoka University to investigate the relationship between mizutori geta and health.

Geta-monogatari footwear was used in these experiments. The findings were as follows.

Click image to enlarge.

●Improved blood circulation of the sole of the foot.

Before and after a 30 minute walk.

 

●Unhealthy, 'floating toe' problem reduced, shows improved 'centering' of the body.

Before and after a 30 minute walk. Subjects: Students in teens and 20s who do not usually wear geta.

 

 

● Relaxed, calm feeling.

Subjects who do not usually wear geta felt relaxed, and found the Mizutori geta easy to wear and easy to walk in.

 

● More balanced, closer to ideal posture .

The knee angle and slope of the shoulder was measured before and after a 10-minute walk.

Subjects: Women in 60 – 70s.

● Larger stride, closer to ideal posture.

Stimulated the muscles of the lower trunk, as when exercising or training.

It is thought that Mizutori geta may be useful for muscle training.

Electrical discharge of the rectus femoris and calf muscles were measured during a 10-minute treadmill walk.

● Sense of cheerfulness, happiness.

Mizutori geta reduce muscular stress, and allow smoother walking that appears easier.

 

*There were individual differences in the results.

Studies carried out in 2003 and 2011, at Shizuoka University Faculty of Education, Continuing Education, Department of Sport, by Professor Yoshiaki Yokoyama

and Professor Mieko Nakano.

Future


What can we do to secure a better tomorrow?

Why does Mizutori use more costly, local Shizuoka hinoki Japanese Cypress? 

Local forests in Shizuoka had been abandoned and uncared for, due to reliance on cheaper imports. Planned, sustainable forestry care, with planting of young trees, is now helping our local forests recover, and play their part in absorbing CO2. We are blessed by our forests, and Mizutori thinks that we should do something for them in return.

Our product lines: Hinoki no hakimono, Sajin, SHIKIBU and two piece use local Shizuoka hinoki.