Good evening. I'm Matsushima from cantáte.

Western boots were icons from the movies, and I think I had even avoided opportunities to try them on.

But those words—“I know you'll love them, so please try them on”—ended my prejudice against them.

I realized it the moment I put my foot in. These weren't “western boots,” but genuine tools.

 

 

A fit that defies the convention of being “heavy and stiff”

 

When people hear “boots,” many probably imagine something “heavy and stiff.”

In fact, I have experienced that with other brands.

But Rios of Mercedes is different.

From the moment you put your foot in, there is a natural, enveloping fit, and once you start walking, it feels remarkably light.

The last passed down for over 100 years and the adjustments unique to handmade construction make it possible.

As six months and then a year passed, that surprise turned into certainty.

 

Tradition and “perverse” details

 

■The last and hand-lasting

The fit that clings to the arch can only come from a last finished by an artisan's hands and hand-lasting.

Machine-lasting produces fewer contours, resulting in a somewhat flat appearance.

A shoe stretched by hand and hung until the leather's character is revealed right up to the point of tearing transforms into something else. ──That is what hand-lasting is: the process of giving it sensual curves, like a dramatic hourglass figure.

 

■Outsole leather

The extremely thick outsole uses leather cut exclusively from the center of the hide (the bend), made from vegetable-tanned leather carefully tanned for approximately 90 days.

The finished leather is repeatedly compressed under pressure, transforming it into a material combining hardness and durability.

Its short, dense fiber structure does more than provide strength—it balances lightness and longevity.

The arch area is further secured with *lemonwood pegs (pegs made from lemonwood)*.

Wood is used instead of metal nails because, like leather, it breathes and repeatedly expands and contracts with changes in humidity, gradually becoming integrated with the leather.

This willingness to spare no effort even in unseen places is the kind of “perverse” attention to detail that is so Rios.

 

• An insole developed to a honey color after 10 years of wear

  Your foot shape sinks in, forming a one-of-a-kind footbed.

  As the leather darkens to a deeper brown in the sun, only the wooden pegs remain white.

 

• New insole

  In its pristine, taut condition.

  From here, the wearer's steps are imprinted, gradually developing into a one-of-a-kind footbed.

■Insole leather

The insole uses pieces cut from the shoulder and belly of the same leather as the outsole.

Its soft, resilient fiber structure makes it easy to retain the channel used to stitch the welt in place.

As soon as you start wearing it, it remembers the shape of your foot, creating a one-of-a-kind fit.

Above all,A good insole doesn't develop an odor。

This too is an important element in supporting everyday life as a “tool.”

And it is a one-of-a-kind footbed that has the shape of your foot imprinted directly into it.

 

■Distinctive welt construction

A distinctive Western welt attachment that resembles but is different from the Goodyear method.

Like hand-welting, it does not use rib tape, giving it excellent flexibility and a structure designed with repairs in mind.

Instead of cork, there is a single piece of fabric inside, like denim.

(My guess is that it's just a piece of fabric for checking whether water has ever seeped in during repairs, lol.)

Because it contains no cork, it doesn't get stuffy. Perfect for summer.

Every detail is made with a reason.

 

■Embroidery stitchwork

The embroidery applied to the shaft is not merely decorative; it is proof of meticulous craftsmanship.

The embroidery on the shaft,The level of attention to detail is such that, like screen printing, you can purchase it while changing the plate one by one.。

A pattern imbued with meaning and soul in every stitch.

Actually, this embroidery machine is made in Japan. I'm very proud of it.

They say it has to be a Japanese machine.

 

■Side seam and piping

Although vinyl is generally used for this part, Rios makes it by wrapping leather around kite string.

So even when it gets scuffed, it looks good,Comfortable against the skin without feeling sticky。

 

■Heel and box toe

In many boots, the reinforcement materials used are plastic or steel.

At Rios, both the heels and toes are carved from leather. That gives them excellent breathability, and the subtle differences between individual pairs are endearing.

What’s more, the stacked leather heels feel wonderful when they land on the ground. Above all, they’re beautiful.

Rather than using something like Nampou or synthetic resin, the heels are still carefully built up one layer at a time, even aligning your posture.

They don’t cut corners even in parts you wouldn’t notice or understand without an explanation.

Or rather, I don’t think it’s about choosing whether to cut corners; I think this is simply all they know.

 

An unassuming purity that does the obvious things properly, no matter which part you look at.

I even love the parts that haven’t been worn down like that.

At this point, I suppose it’s fair to say an effect has been applied, lol.

 

The meaning of hidden decoration

 

 

Embroidery on the shaft of a western boot.

At a glance, it may look flashy.

In reality, it is hidden beneath the trouser hem and only comes into view when you take the boots off or cross your legs.

In everyday life, it is hardly ever seen by anyone.

So why is it there?

In fact, without the embroidery, the shaft couldn’t stand on its own.

It serves a structural purpose, and from there, I think the idea arose that “if we’re going to do it, it may as well look good,” leading to patterns being sewn like family crests.

That’s why this embroidery isn’t merely decoration.

They are necessities dictated by function, yet they are also an aesthetic.

With that background, western boots are sometimes considered more formal than dress shoes in their native America.

Not excessive embellishment, but beauty born from structure.

That, I believe, is the essence of Rios of Mercedes boots.

 

 

⸻

 

Craftsmanship as a tool

 

To me, clothing is a tool: something that protects the body, adapts to the climate, and supports us every day.

In that sense, Rios of Mercedes, too, is made thoroughly as a “tool.”

Their durability, comfort, and repairability—their level of craftsmanship built on the premise of long-term use—are unmatched by other boots.

 

I’m starting to feel like ruining everyone’s desire for new things, so let me introduce one-year-old and two-year-old pairs.

 

 

• Back: New

• Front: My personal pair after two years of wear

  The toes naturally curl upward, and deep wrinkles are etched into the vamps.

  As the shafts begin to lean forward, the boots finally become “your own feet.”

  You can enjoy an exceptional level of comfort, completely different from that of a new pair.

  The black leather uses exactly the same leather, despite the different designs.

 

Yet simply letting one or two years pass can make the sheen and depth of the black change this much.

Even though they use the same leather, they look like completely different things—this is the fascination of leather that “grows” with use.

 

• Back: New

• Front: My personal pair after one year of wear

  The longer you wear them, the more the boots become one with their owner’s feet.

  The shafts lean forward, and the toes naturally curl upward.

  The outsoles darken to an amber tone, the EVA soles wear down, and they take on a contrast that new boots can never achieve.

  That change itself speaks to their essence as tools.

  
  

Meanwhile, the natural-colored leather gradually darkens, slowly changing to a honey-amber color.

They begin with an unblemished character, then gain depth over time, taking on a color unique to the person who uses them.

 

 

• Right: New

• Left: My personal pair after one year of wear

  　The leather’s character changes, and wrinkles and a rich sheen begin to emerge. They develop a depth of comfort and fit that new boots simply don’t have.

 

This isn’t mere wear and tear; it is the evolution of a tool responding to its user.

Reflecting the lifestyle and habits of the person wearing them, they reveal a one-of-a-kind character.

New isn’t best; if anything, “the way they look after time has passed is what makes them truly cool.”。

Rios of Mercedes boots are what prove it.

⸻

There’s just one thing I want to convey.

I really want you to experience the surprise of realizing, “Can boots really be this different?”

And—please,

Please don’t lump Rios of Mercedes in with “just western boots.”

I think Rios of Mercedes is a genre of its own: a western boot with the face of a Rios of Mercedes.

 

I keep saying it, but you’ll understand once you wear them—and if you never wear them, you’ll never understand.

cantáte 松島 紳