The Truth Behind Shoes That "Break in Less Than a Year"
Have you ever experienced the sole of a new pair of shoes or sandals peeling off, or a strap breaking, in less than a year?
In most cases, the cause is not the material itself, but rather the degradation of the "adhesive" that connects the various parts.
Synthetic adhesives harden and become brittle over time, affected by humidity, heat, UV light, and other factors.
Even if the main material is still usable, the shoe breaks at the bonded sections. This is what happens with many shoes and sandals.
What is Mechanical Joining?
AOTOMORI sandals are assembled primarily through mechanical joining, relying as little as possible on synthetic adhesives.
Specifically, we combine the following methods:
None of these are structures that simply rely on adhesive bonding.
Advantage 1 — A Structure That Lasts
Mechanical joining, compared to structures that rely solely on adhesives, is less prone to degradation over time.
Because sandals are worn daily, we believe that not only their appearance but also "how they are assembled" is crucial.
Advantage 2 — Maximizing Material Characteristics
AOTOMORI uses over 90% recycled natural rubber for its soles.
To leverage the softness and texture of the material itself, we wanted the structure to be as simple as possible.
Visible seams and the structure of the parts are also elements that convey "how it's made."
Advantage 3 — Transparency in Construction
In mass-produced products, the structure is often completely hidden.
In contrast, a structure centered around mechanical joining makes it relatively easy to see where and how things are fastened.
This also means that wearers can see "what it's made of" and "how it's made."
There are also disadvantages
Of course, mechanical joining also has its challenges.
Therefore, if only efficiency is considered, adhesive-centric manufacturing is easier.
Nevertheless, we want to value "the ability to wear something for a long time."
Finally
Sandals are worn almost every day.
That's why, instead of being consumed quickly, we aim for products that can be enjoyed for as long as possible.
When we considered "why they break," we realized that we needed to review not only the materials but also the structure itself.
That is why AOTOMORI has chosen mechanical joining as its method.
