In Praise of Idleness
Sisyphus was punished for challenging the gods by forever pushing a boulder up a mountain, and every time the boulder reached the top, it would roll down the mountain again, and he would have to start all over again ...... The story has always been told this way. It is not until Camus, who points us to another part of the story, that part of Sisyphus' descent from the mountain, though brief, that Sisyphus, who is not responsible for the boulder, has the opportunity to reflect on his destiny, to find some kind of meaning and dignity in his “self”.
This moment of leisure and reflection gives Sisyphus an inner freedom and the power to transcend the absurd. Camus said, “We must imagine Sisyphus happy.” Although life may be full of meaningless and repetitive labor, one can still find oneself in this relative 'leisure' and find an inner happiness and meaning.
Hamada-san and Wakabayashi-san, the two founders of the shoe brand TOANDCO. have lived in Paris for a long time and have been influenced by the French New Wave culture. From Serge Gainsbourg to The Stanglers, from mime artist Marcel Marceau to the Cirque d'hiver Winter Circus in the Marais, jazz, ballet ...... different cultures, diverse and strong. However, in the midst of the hustle and bustle, people living in Paris can always find a corner of leisure outside of the city.
This time, TOANDCO. takes the intersection of different cultures as the main theme and jazz and ballet shoes as the blueprint, designing a small series of dance shoes for FRAW that are suitable for daily wear, to praise this kind of “leisure”.
It is worth mentioning that the shoes are made in a family-owned shoe factory in Marche, Italy. Since 1962, the factory has been making dance shoes using the traditional Fodera Sacchetto method. “Sacchetto” means ‘little bag’ in Italian, and this special method allows the soft leather to wrap around the foot like a sock, maximizing the flexibility and lightness of the shoe.
At the same time, we also expressed to TOANDCO. the frustration of girls with wide feet or high insteps when wearing shoes in the ballerina category: although ballet shoes are beautiful, they are often too slender and put a lot of pressure on the toes and instep; the upper is stretched out to a great extent, losing the elegance of a ballerina shoe; and the “barefoot” sole design is not friendly enough to the arch support. The “barefoot” sole design is not friendly enough for arch support.
Wakabayashi-san has therefore developed a new last with a higher degree of tolerance, which adapts well to wide feet and high insteps. More ergonomic considerations have also been added to the arch area, providing enough support for a better walking and standing experience.
Fitting demonstration by Wani, who has chubby feet.
TOANDCO. for FRAW Jazz Oxford Dance Shoes
Creative French musician Serge Gainsbourg had sensitive feet and couldn't wear traditional leather shoes for long, until Jane Birkin found him the soft, comfortable oxfords worn by Parisian jazz musicians with style. Since then, Serge seems to have worn white jazz oxfords forever.
Inspired by Serge Gainsbourg, these jazz oxfords are made in Italy in a traditional dance shoe workshop, which not only reproduces the design of the shoe, but also the construction of the shoe using the same Fodera Sacchetto method as at the time. The upper is made from ultra-soft Nappa goat leather, while the shaped toe and heel linings have been removed to maximize flexibility and lightness.
TOANDCO. for FRAW Ballet Stirrup Dancing Shoes
French pantomime artist Marcel Marceau is best known for his 1947 portrayal of Mr. Bip. A white face, a red flower in an old bowler hat, a striped top, white pants and ballet slippers. Mr. Bip is at times “awkward” and at other times witty, naïve and quirky, similar to Dickens' orphan.
Inspired by Marcel Marceau, these ballet slippers have a slightly unisex and quirky vibe. Made in Italy in a traditional dance shoe workshop using the traditional Fodera Sacchetto method, the upper is made from supremely soft Nappa goat leather, while the shaped toe and heel linings have been removed to maximize flexibility and lightness.
Little Egg 1.
The inside of the heel is shaved off at one corner, to prevent hooking into the pant leg, very wide-legged pant friendly.
Little Egg 2.
The heel is made of recycled leather and makes a “TO-CO-TO-CO” sound when you walk.
"TO-CO-TO-CO"
The sound of light footsteps is a moment of leisure to yourself.
The music is already playing in your heart, start your dance.
ABOUT TOANDCO.
TOANDCO. was founded in Paris in 1999 by two Japanese founders, Hitoshi Hamada and Masahiro Wakabayashi, who returned to Japan in 2007. Working with factories in Italy and Spain, they adhere to traditional shoe-making methods and use their designs to express their understanding of the collision and fusion of different cultures. The main designer, Mr. Wakabayashi, has worked for countless famous brands over the years, and has a wealth of experience in shoe design, with his own unique control over the shaping of shoes.