Moonstar Boots - A High Top with a History
Summer means sneakers! So when better to shine a spotlight on the impressive Moonstar Boots - a canvas basketball shoe with a 150 year history.
With over a century of manufacturing experience under their belt, Moonstar are the masters of creating stylish and comfortable footwear that stands the test of time. Still produced in Kurume, Japan, the brand have positioned themselves perfectly at the intersection of modern durability and historical technique.
Kurume first prospered in the rubber industry manufacturing the split toe Tabi, a traditional Japanese indoor footwear that was supplied to the military by Moonstar as far back as 1870.
When an American sewing machine representative visited the factory with canvas shoes in tow, founder Unpei Kurata learned that the rubber and cloth elements of the footwear were joined together using rubber glue, a much inferior methodology than the Moonstar adopted vulcanization process. Inspired, research and development of the Jika-Tabi began and Moonstar pioneered the first outdoor split toe shoe with a rubber sole in the early 1920s.
As production began in earnest, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 struck, with the loss of the Tokyo factory and 300,000 pairs of shoes. However, the use of the Jika-Tabi during the earthquake recovery work became a catalyst for the shoe’s popularity and the rubberised Tabi became widespread across Japan.
With continued research and a desire to evolve, Moonstar started production of athletic shoes; first canvas shoes with laces, and later rubber boots in 1925.
Moonstar shoes are characterised by having a supple and soft sole that is equally strong and unbreakable, with a pleasing silhouette that maintains its shape. There are many intricate, manual processes to the assembly, as such each shoe is made by hand, with care and integrity.
Vulcanisation or, “Ka-Ryu”, is a process that is undertaken in very few factories around the world and has become a signifier of the highly skilled craftsmanship and history of fine quality of any Moonstar shoe.
To ‘vulcanise’ the shoe, the assembled pairs are placed in a large kiln where both heat and pressure are applied for 70 minutes. This initiates a thermo - chemical reaction between the raw rubber and sulphur in the soles attaching them to the canvas, resulting in shoes with excellent flexibility and durability.
In 1967, Moonstar adopted a direct injection process, wherein heated synthetic resin is poured directly into a shoe mould fusing the sole to the upper panels of the shoe.The shoe is shaped and attached simultaneously resulting in a flawless fit.
These unique manufacturing techniques contribute to the individuality and authenticity of the Moonstar brand, ensuring excellence in every step.
Kurume has become recognised internationally as the city that produces high quality shoes. Moonstar’s reputation of rigorous quality control and research precedes them as they continue to combine the historical manufacturing with modern day design, stamping each shoe with ‘Made In Kurume’ with pride.
