Suntory Wellness and Mizuno have collaborated to create a new pair of walking shoes!

Suntory Wellness Ltd., in collaboration with Mizuno Corporation and under the supervision of Professor Takeshi Omori of Niigata University of Health and Welfare, has begun limited mail-order sales of its "Good Moving Walking Shoes" starting October 1st. We spoke with Mr. Akaike (Suntory Wellness), Mr. Yawata (Mizuno), and Professor Omori, who were involved in the development and appeared at the press conference.

Hidemi Sakuma | 2018/10/01

sports / Others

Many people suffer from knee problems, and that number only increases with age. The skeletal structure of Japanese people is inherently prone to putting stress on the inside of the knee. As a result, walking for many years causes fatigue to accumulate in the knees, leading to pain.

Suntory and Mizuno have been working together for five years.

We have completed the "Good Moving Walking Shoes," which reduce the strain on the knees and allow for comfortable walking.

Features of "Good Moving Walking Shoes"

① A hybrid midsole and cushioning holes are combined to reduce stress on the inside of the knee.

② The antibacterial mesh material maintains cleanliness.

③ Equipped with a zipper for easy on and off.

④ Lighter weight makes walking more comfortable.

⑤ Wide last design

⑥ Design that is easy to use in any situation

Suntory Wellness Ltd.

Product Planning Department Manager

Tomoo Akaike

――—How did Suntory get started with its wellness business?

AkaikeSuntory has been handling health foods for over 30 years. While eating fills you up, we have conducted various studies to find out if there are other benefits as well. Through these studies, we have discovered various beneficial components of oils and sesame seeds, and we started by selling supplements to bring these benefits to our customers as products. Our goal is for our customers to become healthier and more energetic.

—Why did you get involved in making shoes this time?

AkaikeWe wanted to help our customers become healthier, so in addition to supplements, we collaborated with Mizuno to plan the creation of these shoes. We hope that people who have knee problems but want to be healthier can choose supplements and shoes according to their preferences.

Mizuno Corporation

Global Footwear Product Headquarters

Design and Development Department
Technology Development Division Physical therapist

Kentaro Yawata

—So it took five years from planning to completion?

Yawata: I think this is the longest product line we've ever produced. Up until now, Mizuno has focused on developing products for active people. This time, however, it's our first shoe product, and we hope it will help people with physical ailments to become a little healthier.

We conducted thorough research and development by having 70 people act as monitors to see if wearing the shoes caused any problems.

I feel that the fact that these shoes were created as something that can be used on an everyday basis is very meaningful.

Niigata University of Health and Welfare

Department of Health and Sports Science, Faculty of Health Sciences MD

Professor Go Omori

—Have you been involved in shoemaking for a long time?

OmoriThis is the first time that I and my research group have been involved in shoe manufacturing.

—How do you feel about it taking five years to complete?

OmoriIt took five years, but I'm glad we finally completed something I'm satisfied with. We went through a lot of experiments, so it wasn't an easy road.

—Did you make a lot of samples?

OmoriDuring discussions with Mizuno, we had monitors try on many samples each time we created them. We repeatedly compared the feedback from the questionnaires with the research results.

From a researcher's perspective, it's very gratifying to know that the shoes incorporate sufficient scientifically proven evidence.

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