Footwear

Our footwear collection comes from PRAS, a Japanese brand which stands for Paradise Rubber Athletic Shoes. The collection is based around the process of vulcanisation, a process which only two factories in Japan and none in the USA are still able to do. The process of vulcanisation, which involves treating rubber with sulphur to improve its elasticity, durability, and resistance to heat, was discovered by Charles Goodyear in 1839. The process quickly became integral to the production of rubber-soled footwear, providing a more resilient and comfortable option for consumers. Read more

In the early 20th century, footwear brand like Converse and Keds adopted vulcanisation for their canvas sneakers, contributing to the widespread adoption of this technology in athletic footwear. Whilst western brands have moved on to cheaper, lower quality manufacturing methods, a handful of Japanese brands still make canvas shoes with vulcanised rubber soles, with PRAS being one of them.

The first thing you notice when picking up a pair of PRAS is how solid and well-made they fell. The combination of rubber soles with high quality materials like Hanpu Cotton, Italian leather and the brand’s own vegan suede, result in a durable shoe that is comfortable from the first wear and can be worn all day every day.