fishoe, Inc

　"VEGE," a sustainable shoe brand debuting in 2020, was established by fishoe, a company whose headquarters located in Taito Ward, Tokyo. fishoe’s goal is to "create shoes that genuinely delight customers and usher in a fresh era in the shoe industry through sustainable initiatives," says President Yoshie Uehara, who founded the company in 2014 at the age of 31, and has been involved in shoe manufacturing through OEM and ODM until 2019.
　"In recent years, the fashion industry has tended to compete on mass production and low prices. This approach has led to a proliferation of similar designs and a significant amount of waste. That is why we aimed to establish a shoe brand that produces unique designs in small-lot production, minimizing waste. Additionally, we had the advantage of being able to create well-designed and affordable shoes since we had no need to go through a middleman.”
　However, immediately after its debut, the company suffered such a blow that "no one came to the exhibition" due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was during this challenging time that an acquaintance informed her about the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program.
　"Small companies like ours have the advantage of prioritizing craftsmanship and embracing new challenges over profit. However, it costs significantly to raise awareness of our brand and to keep it going. We found that ’the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program would help us with this problem!’ So we applied for the program on a wing and a prayer."

Expanding pop-up shops with the expense subsidy.
Deciding on a long-term presence in a department store in addition to raising awareness!!

　After sustainable shoe brand "VEGE" was selected for the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program in 2022, the company focused on expanding its pop-up shops. While there were requests from department stores to "hold pop-up shops at their stores", the financial burden posed a significant concern for her: "It costs 500,000 yen for two weeks for labor and product transportation, which required significant courage to make the investment." "By taking advantage of the expense subsidy, we successfully hosted approximately 10 pop-ups in various locations in 2022, which resulted in invitations from Yokohama Sogo and certain major department stores to establish long-term shops."
　The growth of the brand was significantly boosted by the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program, leading to an increase in the number of magazine features and celebrity wearers. "Buy TOKYO also hosts public relations events. The process of placing our products in renowned press rooms involves a rigorous screening, and even if we manage to pass the screening, the substantial expenses involved make it challenging, so we deeply appreciate the Buy TOKYO's support."
　Since the launch of the brand, Uehara says, "We have been crafting shoes with a dedication of 120%, believing that there will always be someone who recognizes their value as long as we keep going.” Since being selected for the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program, there has been a dramatic increase in the speed at which they connect with people who resonate with their works.

Achieved 150% sales from the previous month,
thanks to the hands-on support in visual merchandising!

　Upon establishing a new shop, they took advantage of hands-on support to seek advice from visual merchandising (VMD) experts. VMD refers to sales promotion through visual methods, such as creating and displaying shops that convey the brand's characteristics. The experts who visited their sales floor provided prominent recommendations featuring sustainability, guiding customer flow, and arranging layouts for popular and standard products. "We created pop-ups and placed magazines featuring our products in order to convey the worldview and wearing an image of the sustainable shoe brand "VEGE" to customers who do not receive our direct assistance. We also rearranged the chairs for trying on products and displayed the products with the neighboring shops in mind.
　After the implementation of VMD, the number of customers trying on products increased immediately after the layout change at Yokohama Sogo, resulting in a 150% increase in sales from the previous month!
　"I display products based on my level of concern for them, but a third-party's point of view is a completely different impression, you know. All of our sales staff listened attentively, and I realized that having an outside perspective can be incredibly beneficial."
　Another advantage of the hands-on support is the opportunity to establish connections with excellent experts. "We hope to continue benefiting from VMD for a long time since we can contract directly with the experts after the support ends," says Uehara.
　"We are currently renovating the first floor of the old house serving as our office into the flagship "VEGE" shop. After its completion, we plan to ask for VMD services there as well. As we aim to establish up to 10 shops in department stores, we also intend to consult with them on coordinating with their sales staff.

Sustainable, genderless, TOKYO brand:
Advancing a "new era of craftsmanship”!!

　With "VEGE," the successful achievement of zero waste through small-lot production until November 2023, the company also takes a multifaceted approach to sustainable initiatives, such as giving away eco bags instead of disposable shoppers and selling special editions made from discarded leather. It aims to continue to convey its message in accordance with the emerging era by developing gender-neutral shoes and other products. Additionally, the company has also begun preparations for its long-standing ambition of expanding into global markets.
　"Hands-on support is available approximately once a month. With VMD completed, we have asked experts familiar with overseas affairs to start working with us next month. We aim to make effective use of the experts' advice while cherishing our own ideas."
　"There are too many things to do," laughs Uehara. "Tokyo's shoe industry boasts a long history and tradition. But I want to try something unconventional without any constraints." Asakusa is renowned for its shoemaking industry, while fishoe is located in Asakusabashi, a little far from Asakusa. It seems that Uehara's thoughts are also reflected here.
　"Asakusabashi is located in the area between Okachimachi and Kuramae, commonly known as 'Kachikura.' Kachikura is a historic town of craftsmen, and it also serves as a hub for young people seeking to do something intriguing. In this atmosphere, we aim to establish a 'new form of Tokyo craftsmanship.' You know, Shohei Ohtani said at the WBC, 'If you admire them, you can't surpass them.' Therefore, instead of simply dreaming, we aim to push forward and promote sustainable shoe 'VEGE' as an unprecedented brand, with a focus on expanding to global markets."

URL : https://www.vege-official.com/
fishoe Co., Ltd. / Yoshie Uehara
〒111-0053 　2-12-8　 Asakusabashi, Taito Ward, Tokyo
Phone : 03‐5829‐6249 FAX : 03‐5829‐6259