Whe reads my column, knows that I am an Adidas fan, that I like to wear Vans skate shoes and that I am always looking for sustainable alternatives. But in my shoe cabinet I also have pieces of jewelry from brands that are less well known. I would like to introduce one to you at the beginning of the year: Mizuno.
Inspired by his love for baseball after a trip to the United States, Rihachi Mizuno founded the brand in Osaka in 1906. He wanted to increase interest in American sport in Japan. Since then, in addition to baseball equipment, Mizuno has also created clothing for tennis, golf, skiing, athletics, boxing, soccer and handball. Because of the international running boom in the 1970s, the brand researched shoes scientifically. The aim was to optimize for more athletic performance. In Japan today, many people associate the brand with sport, quality and history. She works environmentally conscious with the Mizuno Environment Label.
A tribute to the nineties
The Silhouette Mondo Control saw the light of day in the world of sneakers in 1995. Back then, the technologically advanced running shoe helped open up the high-performance running market. Today Mondo Control has become a style icon. The Parisian designer Michael Dupouy is behind the cooperation partner La MJC. The cooperation with Mizuno is not his first: By working with the former Parisian concept store Colette and with Asics, La MJC has made a name for itself in the sneaker world. In 2015 he co-founded the streetwear brand Club 75.
The new Mizuno x La MJC Mondo Control is called “Matière Grise”, which means something like “gray matter”. The upper is made of a mix of mesh, suede and leather. The basic tones are kept light. The pink and purple Runbird logos from Mizuno on the inside and outside of the shoe are eye-catchers. The MJC insignia appear on the tongues and the back heels, along with the label’s motto: “Vivre sans temps mort”, freely translated: “Always enjoy life.”
The limited edition Mizuno x La MJC Mondo Control pays homage to the nineties. The model was originally supposed to come out in summer 2020 on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Club 75 flagship store. The event had to be canceled due to Corona. The designer didn’t let this get him down and decided to take a different approach: with Club 75, he donated a large part of the income to the Institut Pasteur research center, which deals with the fight against Covid-19. A nice gesture in these crazy times.
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