Tetsuya Uenobe is a Japanese designer who creates shoes as ‘wearable art’. He graduated BTEC Professional Development Certificate in Design (Footwear/ Accessories) at Cordwainers at London College of Fashion in June/ 2001. Before then, he was employed as a Merchandiser for men’s footwear and leather accessories of a mail order company in Japan.
When he worked in Japan, Tetsuya was invited to play football with his ex-colleagues. So he bought a pair of new Adidas football shoes and wore it. Then he realized that the shape of this footwear is same as orthopedic shoes.
He was impressed by that fact which that kind of shape was not only for older people also athletes. He has been interested in the shape that is comfortable but cool and had decided to leave his job and went to London.
Tetsuya says, “I expected that I was able to learn comfortable shoe-shape from “bespoke shoe-last” (wooden shoe-form) in the beginning. A great shoemaker accepted my request and I learnt about shoes at the bespoke shoe shop for 2 years and obtained valuable knowledge. I left London and began to produce footwear as an art in Japan. I want to make people smile.”
Tetsuya Uenobe steps beyond traditional fashion, he designed shoes as ‘wearable art’, putting art pieces together with a theme which are all made by hand. He designs and makes his shoes in Japan under his namesake label Uenobe. His interest in creating his own shoes came from meeting several craftsman while working in the fashion industry and he soon found himself becoming immersed in their world.
