KOTOKA Single-piece leather side gore Tatsuno waxed leather [KTO-5002]

These side-gore shoes do not use shoelaces, but are fitted with elastic fabric on both sides, making them easy to put on and take off. The shoes are made with a single piece of leather with no seams on the sides that wraps around the foot. The leather is tanned in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, and is soaked in wax and kneaded to give it a finished look. It is stiff, but will soften and become more comfortable as you wear it, giving it a more refined look. A slightly wide oblique wooden last is used. It has a loose fit.

The shape of a shoe is determined by the wooden last. At KOTOKA, we use two types of wooden lasts for both men's and women's shoes. The "oblique type" has a wider area around the toes and more room in the instep, and the "round type" has a moderately rounded toe and a sleek shape.
These shoes are made on a slightly wider "oblique" last. There is no set width, but you can think of it as being about the same width as a regular EE shoe.