The Bloggomist: The Local Boy
Fashion Opinion

Yuki Matsuda has a look about him.  He has a disarmingly gentle smile that only disappears when engrossed in particularly passionate topics.  His long black hair bears wisps of grey, neatly tied back in a short pony tail.  His arms are crossed across a crisp button down that looks comfortable and well-worn.  But it’s his eyes that bear the unmistakable mark–a look of genuine satisfaction that can be neither feigned nor manufactured.  That’s because every morning Matsuda wakes up and does what he loves best: he makes beautiful shoes, clothes, and luggage that are handcrafted with century old techniques and inspiration from the American Northeast.  And he’s damn good at what he loves.  Introducing Yuketen.

It was the familiar tied hair and calm look that caught my attention that Saturday afternoon.  I was offering a coworker advice when I saw an unassuming frame lope into the Pendleton room.

“Yuki!” I called out, surprised.  His face broke into a smile of recognition as I made my way over.

“How are you?” he asked warmly.  It had been three months since his last visit and things were going well.  he was just back from a trip to Paris where he was giving some of his European accounts a preview of the new collections.  The trip was good, he said, but it was good to be back home stateside.

Yuki’s soft spoken demeanor belies the success of his brand.  He sells to a choice selection of some of the best stores in the world but keeps his distribution tight, only offering his goods in stores that he feels makes sense, where customers can understand the product and appreciate its true value.  Yuki is “old school,” if you will.  That is, he comes from a school of thought that harks back to a time when the shoes you bought were lovingly made by artisans who had devoted their life to perfecting their craft.  His focus has always been, and always will be, on creating a product that speaks to the vision of the designer and the hearts of the consumer, choosing to sell a few good shoes to an educated customer who will be proud of their purchase rather than a clueless multitude.

In a myriad of resurgent companies providing boots and moccasins for Americana fashionistas and true outdoorsmen alike, what sets Yuketen apart?  Everything.

For those of you who haven’t heard of Yuketen, there is a reason Matsuda’s pieces display a quality in construction and design that is unmatched by his peers.  You can see it in the carefully stitched seams and feel it as you handle the gracefully contoured leather uppers.  That’s because each and every Yuketen piece is the work of artisans who lovingly craft the product by hand, some with over 50 years of experience.  It’s this mastery that originally drew Matsuda to immigrate to the US twenty-four years ago.  After years of studying the process and living, eating, and learning with the people who lived out its heritage everyday in the American Northeast, Matsuda’s adoration of the handmade American process gave birth to Yuketen.

Pull back the astonishingly soft tongue of the 6″ Lace Up and you’ll find the cuff lined with a subtle floral fabric you won’t find anywhere else–the last of the deadstock material was used by Matsuda on that boot.  Little details like that add to the story that goes along with each piece Yuketen makes.  The high attention to small things coupled with a commitment to excellence in the basics are what set Yuketen apart from the competition.  They use what they call an American “naked” leather, selected for its unique heavy, thick, and soft characteristics, which they tumble and heavily oil for comfort and fit.  The luggage pieces are all vegetable tanned and their signature crepe soles are 100% natural rubber which is earth-friendly and will decompose over time.  This is no cause for alarm for those who own a pair of Yuketens with crepe soles, because the breakdown takes a considerable amount of time (according to Yuki, he wore a pair for three years straight without any problems) and the shoes are designed to be easily re-soled to preserve the upper which will have comfortably molded to the shape of your foot.  That’s something you won’t want to leave behind.

Matsuda’s neverending search for the very best materials and techniques have also brought in work from some of the best names in the industry.  Sweet-scented money holders feature cordovan sourced from America’s favorite tannery, the Horween Leather Co.  Their most recent Maine Guide Boot displays the ultimate combination of durability and workmanship, taking Yuketen’s genuine full-moccasin design and securing it to a Vibram Christy outersole with a hand-stitched Goodyear Welt.  Matsuda’s Maine Guide Boots hit the stores for only a couple months before every pair was sold out worldwide.  But there’s good news for those of you who missed the first go-around.  Yuki showed me something before his visit ended.

“These are the new Maine Guide Boots,” he said proudly, sticking a foot out for me to study.  The silhouette and Goodyear welted Vibram sole was unmistakeable.  But this boot featured a lighter, almost honey-gold, leather upper and across the midfoot a buckled strap like the Ranger Chukka for lateral stability and a more stable fit.  It was hard not to stare.  Looking at someone’s feet when they’re talking to you makes for strange conversation, trust me.

Some might be put off by the pricetag but don’t let conventional shopping practices govern your judgement.  Yuketens are made for the long haul, designed to be with you for a very long time.  ”Each Yuketen piece,” Yuki always says, “is meant to take on the character of the wearer.  The longer you use them, the more you personify them.”  The leather footbed develops the contours of your print, the crepe sole “learns” your natural tread pattern, the leather holds impressions from hands and color shed from skin.  It sounds odd, but over time a Yuketen piece  carries small stories of your life.  In a commercialized era, finding a product made with such pride, care, and quality isn’t just special–it’s downright rare.  Don’t just take it from me; the history behind Yuketen can’t be fully appreciated until you hold a piece in your hand or actually put it on your foot.  If you’re lucky enough to see one in person, don’t be bashful–try it on.  What sets Yuketen apart?

Everything.

***

Yuketen Official Site

To see more from Caleb Lin, visit http://evilmonito.com/author/caleb/

Published on 25 January 2010 | |