From Himeji to Northampton: Sunflower, Indigo, Amber, Moss

For as long as Crown has been making shoes, Japan has been part of the story. Our makers have travelled to Tokyo to show what Northampton hands can do. Chris has measured feet in the country's oldest importer of British shoes. A little Japanese influence has always been present in our footwear. Two of our recent D drops have already been made in Shinki Cordovan. Now it gets a whole collection to itself, and their craftwork comes to join ours here in Northampton, the home of shoes.   Our best-selling sneaker and our newest style, both in Shinki Cordovan The Shinki Cordovan Collection brings together our best-selling Harlestone Hand Stitch sneaker, alongside our most recent product development, the Yardley GAT. Both are available in four Shinki Shell Cordovan colours. A collaboration between two craft businesses, a tannery in Japan and a factory in Northampton, who share the same starting point: the best that is possible, by staff who know their craft.   What makes Japanese Shell Cordovan rare The tannery There are very few Shell Cordovan tanneries left in the world. Japan has one. Shinki Hikaku, based in Himeji, is that one. It is a privilege to be one of their customers, and one that came out of our long-standing Japanese relationship and a shared belief in the work coming first.   Chris Woodford with the Shinki Hikaku team during our visit to the Shinki Hikaku tannery in Himeji, Japan.   The material Shell Cordovan comes from a limited number of horsehides, sourced from the meat industry. Each hide has two dense connective tissue membranes (shells), that vary in size from one to three square feet. That is all. Two small shells per horse, and only from a limited supply. It makes Shell Cordovan one of the rarest leathers in the world. The tanning time At least six months of pit tanning is required to bring a shell to life, done by makers who have been doing it for decades. The first job is to work the raw leather to find the shell inside. From there, it takes patience and knowledge to move each shell at the right moment, through the pits, the drying, and the finishing stages.   Shells being worked on in the tanning pits at the Shinki factory in Japan.   The colour Because the colours are all made in small runs, sometimes a shade will be temporarily out of stock. If yours is not available when you visit the website, join the waiting list and we will make sure you are the first to know when it returns.   A Palette Drawn from Japan Working with a leather this rare is a joy. Colours vary in shade from one delivery to the next, as is the nature of hand tanning with traditional methods on natural material. Which is one of the many small things that makes your own pair of sneakers unique. We chose four colours that suit the Shinki tannage, which shows best in the more vibrant tones. The natural tannins soften the colour and let it patina to your flex over time. Chosen too because they complement our existing Horween Shell Cordovan range. Between the two Cordovan tanneries, we think there is something for everyone. We gave the four colours our own names. We wanted them to carry something of the country the leather comes from, and each is drawn from Japanese culture and traditional aesthetics.   Sunflower (向日葵, pronounced Himawari) The Japanese word for sunflower. In Japan, sunflowers mean summer, and they carry real emotional weight because after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, they were planted across the site, both as a symbol of recovery and to absorb toxins from the soil. The flower has become tied to hope and healing in a way that feels quite specific to Japan.     Indigo (藍, pronounced Ai) Known worldwide as Japan Blue. The traditional aizome dyeing craft is one of the oldest in Japan and takes a full year to produce. Only a handful of makers still do it the old way, all in one prefecture. Historically worn by samurai, and the same indigo tradition sits at the heart of Japan's world-famous denim craft.     Amber (琥珀, pronounced Kohaku) The Japanese word for amber, the fossilised tree resin. Used for centuries in traditional beadwork and Buddhist prayer beads. Warm and glowing. Kohaku is also a well-known Japanese name.     Moss (苔, pronounced Koke) Moss is mentioned in Japan's national anthem, as a symbol of time passing. Kyoto has a famous temple called Kokedera, the