Recently, while thick-soled running shoes dominate the market, thin-soled running sandals are gaining attention.
A prime example is "
LUNA SANDALS." Founded in 2009 by Ted McDonald (hereafter, Ted), this brand promotes "barefoot running" that draws out the natural strength of human feet.
We spoke to Kiyoshi Nakatani and Yosuke Nishio from Lotus Corp, who handle the PR for the brand, about the appeal, features, design dedication, and future outlook of LUNA SANDALS.
PROFILE
Kiyoshi Nakatani
Lotus Corp LUNA SANDALS Chief Brand Officer
PROFILE
Yosuke Nishio
Lotus Corp LUNA SANDALS Brand Communication Manager
The Birth of the Brand: Meeting the "Running Tribe"
Could you tell us about the origins of LUNA SANDALS?
Kiyoshi Nakatani (hereafter "Nakatani")The founding of LUNA SANDALS began with Ted's long battle with running injuries. In 2006, he met the Tarahumara people in Mexico and was deeply impressed by their traditional footwear, "huarache" sandals, made from old tires.
The Tarahumara are known as the "running tribe" and are famous for running long distances in simple sandals. It was from Manuel Luna of the Tarahumara that Ted learned how to craft huaraches and the philosophy behind them, leading to the creation of LUNA SANDALS.