With product development dating as far back as 2011, our history is an often-overlooked aspect of the SUICOKE label. But as we all know; you can't move forward without occasionally looking back too. So read on to discover our heritage, brand beginnings, and early product output...
matryoshka era
Today, SUICOKE is recognised as a leading innovator of modern footwear, producing a range of styles and being considered a label synonymous with the functional sandal and slides movement.
But the brand beginnings lie in homewares-production, with a modest range of products focused on matryoshka dolls - a far cry from what our product has grown into in the several years since.
Graphically focused, with a diverse range of functionality from key-rings to lamps, SUICOKE entered the Japan market producing footwear alongside originally-designed, Russian-made matryoshka dolls.
These handmade dolls and their subversive designs introduced audiences in Japan to the SUICOKE brand.
finding our feet
Lightweight. Comfortable. Functional.
Our footwear ten years ago retained the same approach and end goal as our footwear today. Developed using a less textured form of our now-synonymous EVA footbed and outsole, the sandals were bold, playful and versatile.
Canvas cotton straps and metal buckles were used in place of the nylon and plastic we use today, whilst the brand logotype was still in its prototype phase.
Whilst high-quality sandals and slides are a widespread part of the footwear industry today, ten years ago they were far less represented and experimented with. These early developments into the Summer styles helped form the basis of what a premium sandal can and should look like and offer its wearers.
Vibram partnership begins
Throughout our history, technical innovation and exploration has remained a constant in our design ethos.
Vibram too, share this passion for technical innovation and producing long-lasting, highly-wearable and functional footwear solutions. It was through these practices that the Vibram x SUICOKE relationship first came about.
After a year of research and development, we set an industry first in 2014, when we released our exclusive footbed and outsole with Vibram - the Italy-based technological and footwear innovators that are now recognised as a driving force in the modern industry.
Textured, hard-wearing and - most of all - comfortable, the outsole became the new standard for sandals and Summer footwear across the board - and redefining the expectations of warm-weather footwear.
Since 2014, we have continued to work with Vibram, expanding the output of our partnership to include exclusive styles alongside a range of Vibram-dedicated items. To learn more about our shared technology, please visit our 'Vibram Technology' page.
Collaboration elevation
Developing relationships and product via collaborative projects with likeminded partners enabled us to expand the SUICOKE brand and product to a wide range of audiences worldwide.
As early as 2013, we worked on projects with partners ranging from Japanese stores and labels such as BEAMS and Rehacer.
As time went on, we developed our collaborative scope to work with US-based labels such as Stüssy & Aime Leon Dore, alongside other international labels including Norse Projects, Palm Angels, and Marsell - amongst many, many more high profile and innovative collaborative projects.
In recent years, partnerships with luxury brands such as Moncler, Lanvin and Blumarine have elevated our sandal and slide styles into new territories and perceptions - proving that even after ten years of collaboration, boundaries and perceptions of our product range continue to be pushed with each project.
SUICOKE ECO LINE
The SUICOKE ECO Line is a culmination of various re-used fabrics and materials. Whether it’s leftover fabric during manufacturing or recycled nylon, there are a number of different sources that make up this environmentally-friendly product range.
Continuing our ongoing partnership with Vibram, we utilise their innovative ECOSTEP EVO technology. Generated by eco-compounds compiled from materials not used during other production processes, the ECOSTEP EVO sole consists of a minimum of 30% recycled Vibram rubber.
Invented in 1994, it is the first globally pioneering eco-compound that maximizes recycled rubber materials for sole application.
