The Hawaiian Sandal Brand 'ISLAND SLIPPER' Traces its Roots to Japanese Zori

During the summer, when you want to step out with a light, relaxed attire, the brand to watch out for is 'ISLAND SLIPPER', a Hawaiian sandal brand. Using high-quality leather, the brand, which is casual yet exudes an adult vibe, is popular even in Japan. This time, we had a chance to talk with Yuki Miura and Kensuke Kariya from the public relations team at GMT inc.

ISLAND SLIPPER was founded by a Japanese immigrant who traveled to Hawaii

We would like to start by delving into the history of the brand. If you trace its roots, it leads back to a single Japanese immigrant. Let's hear more from Miura about the founding of ISLAND SLIPPER.

"Takizou Motonaga, a Japanese immigrant who moved to Hawaii, founded ISLAND SLIPPER in 1946 on Oahu Island. At that time, Hawaii wasn't a tourist destination as it is now, but an island with an image of sugar cane and pineapple fields. It was in such a place that Motonaga made his livelihood by making sandals, which is said to be the start of the brand."