We take a close look at shoes and repair them as we make them [Hudson Shoe Store]

manufacturing
Making things
Takumi's landscape

The scene of this issue
[Occupation] Shoemaker
[Takumi name] Hudson Shoe Store Rui Murakami
[Location] Yokohama/Kanagawa Ward

Carefully, carefully, and thoughtfully.
A corner that introduces manufacturing sites that make use of handicrafts.
This time, we received orders from people all over the world that could not be repaired at other stores.
“Rejected” shoes are gathering,
It can truly be said to be the savior of the shoe world.
Go to the shoe repair workshop "Hudson Shoe Store".

Mr. Murakami, who was said to be the last handmade shoemaker in Yokohama, inherited the spirit of his predecessor and became the second-generation owner of Hudson Shoe Store seven years ago. Shoes waiting to be repaired are lined up on the shelves in the workshop, and surrounding them are leather knives, alligators, and other shoe tools waiting to be used. Mr. Murakami learned most of the detailed repairs on his own, while observing the movements of his predecessors and stealing techniques. ``I sharpen my own leather knives, and I also adjust the needles and threads to match my shoes,'' he says. ``We place great importance on listening closely to our customers' thoughts and requests regarding their shoes, so we hold preliminary meetings until the customer is satisfied,'' Hudson says, and spends as much time there as possible. “A shoe repair shop with many meetings”…The love we pour into shoes is deep.

Hudson Shoe Store, which Murakami describes as ``located in a niche location in Yokohama,'' is located in a corner of the Matsumoto 3-chome shopping district, a 5-minute walk from Sorimachi Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line. This year marks the 56th anniversary of the establishment of the shop here in 1961 by the predecessor, Mr. Masatoshi Sato, who made shoes for many celebrities including former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida. ``It seems that even the people in Shutter Shopping Street didn't know that there was such a great shoemaker in this place.They never imagined that the person who makes the shoes worn by Japan's prime minister was here.'' After the previous owner passed away, Hudson Shoe Store was closed for about a year, but Murakami took over seven years ago.

As I mentioned at the beginning, shoes that have been rejected all over the country are collected here. Shoes that are said to be difficult to repair and cannot be repaired are brought in to franchise shoe repair shops, which are increasing in number in the city, through word of mouth or the Internet. Murakami's reputation as a shoe craftsman seems to be spreading overseas as well, and the other day shoes were sent across the ocean from Belgium.

Shoe repair at Hudson Shoe Store begins with a long reception. Especially for first-time customers, it can take two to three hours to make one pair of shoes. ``Of course we have technical skills, but since the customer went to the trouble of researching on the Internet and came to our shop, we believe that it is natural for us to provide repairs with compassion for the customer.At first, people around us thought that we were wasting their time. There were some people who were worried that we were doing things differently, or that they would be making less money (lol).We decided to spend as much time as possible at reception until the customer was satisfied.That way, we could gain their trust once. Well, the time will gradually decrease from next time onwards.''

Murakami's repair work is self-taught. Of course, the foundation is based on what he has gained from his predecessors and through his experience as a junior, but from there he faces the shoes of the day and from that point on, a once-in-a-lifetime relationship between the craftsman and the shoes is born.

``My passion is to repair shoes as if I were making them.I think of it as ``remaking,'' not ``repair.'' Now, with the shoes to be remade in front of me, my "dialogue with the shoes" begins. What you see in front of you are shoes that were brought in after being discarded at other stores. What's the best way to remake this? What materials to use, what tools to use, what process to proceed with the work...Anyway, he says, ``I spend a lot of time looking at shoes.''

For example, here. The leather sandals I was about to work on at the time of the interview.

He looks at the sandals for a while, picks them up, places them on the workbench, looks at them again, stares at the tools, and silence continues... Finally, I decided on a repair method.

``The outside of these sandals is leather, but the inside is made of rubber.So even if you punch holes in them using normal perforation, the rubber will close right away.I was worried about how to solve this problem.'' Even though they have an idea of how to proceed, they will continue to try it out while checking the condition of the shoes.

Mr. Murakami is like that. Apparently they don't respond to just any order. ``I don't want to repair a shoe at the cost of ruining its look.My main job is manufacturing, so I know how many craftsmen and what kind of thoughts went into making the shoe, so I don't want to repair it like a tack. I am sorry, but I may decline your request if I am really unable to accept it.'' I think this attitude is due to the fact that he takes his shoes seriously.

If you have ever visited Hudson Shoe Shop, you will have noticed the beauty of the tools Murakami uses. For example, this leather knife.

``Tools are life for a craftsman.I actually visited a sharpener in Asakusa, learned how to sharpen using a whetstone, and sharpened the blade myself.I sharpen this leather knife properly by myself. It is said that a shoemaker begins when he or she is able to do this. That kind of foundation is important for shoe repair."

Murakami also uses needles and thread that he has modified himself to match the shoes he is repairing.

A tool case used by the previous generation.

The machines used by the previous generation are still working hard.

When I asked Mr. Murakami about his future plans, he said, ``Next year, I will open a made-to-order shoe store in an apartment building 200 to 300 meters away from this store.About 72 pairs will be made by pattern order.'' We are planning to prepare it,” was the happy answer for Hudson fans. The shoe brand logo has already been decided.

“When I became a shoemaker and inherited this shop, I realized that Japanese craftsmen in the past truly risked their lives in their work. I want to work carefully so that customers can evaluate me as a true professional,'' says Murakami. The well-maintained tools, the large machines waiting to be used, and most of all, Murakami's hands covered in pine tar, all testify to his love for shoes.