Product Development Leveraging the Voices of Pro Athletes: The Appeal of the Recovery Sandal Brand "Rig" from Japan

In recent years, with the boom in activities like yoga and jogging, recovery items have become widespread. A variety of wearables and shoes designed to rapidly alleviate post-exercise fatigue have been released.
 
"rig" is one such brand. Emerged in 2019 as Japan's first recovery sandal brand, rig has since released an array of sandals and footwear. Each model incorporates footbeds designed based on the characteristics of Japanese feet, boasting high shock absorption to relieve foot and leg stress and promote quicker recovery.
 
We spoke with Takumi Kurihara, the director of rig at mesutta inc., to uncover the brand's inception story, the features of their products, their initiatives with athletes, and their future vision as a brand.

You launched Japan's first recovery sandal brand in 2019. Could you tell us how that came about?

After establishing the company, I used to visit the U.S. a few times a year in search of new products. On one such visit in 2015, I was introduced to a recovery sandal from a certain brand. The sample didn't fit my foot shape well and felt uncomfortable. That experience led me to start investigating the differences between Japanese and Western foot shapes.
 
At that time, the concept of recovery was not yet prevalent in Japan, but recovery wear was starting to make its way into the sports industry. After a few years of development, we launched the brand in 2019.