Visvim. two latin words put together. created by Hiroki Nakamura for his company F.I.L. (Free International Laboratories). Among others (jackets, scarfs etc) they create shoes. beaUtiful shoes. Especially their moccasins. I read an interview with Nakamura on 032c and was caught by his passion for handcraft and the quality he puts in his products. Unfortunately these shoes are for men (although a size 7 could fit.. hm..) and they cost around 700-900 € (..!!!!!..?!). Still the story is fascinating and the concept so delicate and respectable. So they hereby go into the “What-I’ll-buy-if-I-ever-win-the-lottery” -box.
One of your iconic products is the FBT shoe. What’s the history behind this product?
I created the FBT shoe in 2001, during Visvim’s second season. The inspiration came from a Fun Boy Three record cover, which Hiroshi Fujiwara showed me. He pointed out lead singer Terry Hall’s moccasins, and suggested I do something like that. I did some research on it, and decided to combine the traditional moccasin with an EVA Phylon midsole used for trainers. I also used primitive Elk leather, which was commonly used for American Indian moccasins.
/ida
