SOFT PAD

PPACO has added a padded, water-repellent shoe to its line-up for winter. The SOFT PAD series, released through October, wraps a soft synthetic upper around a layer of wadding, aiming at a shoe that is warm and cushioned without losing the label's rounded, technical look.

PPACO is the footwear project of the designer Toshinosuke Takegahara, whose career runs through foot the coacher, his own Authentic Shoe & Co. and collaborations with George Cox, Paraboot and Tricker's. Launched more recently, PPACO is known for its High-PerFORM cushioning material and its LUX slides, developed with WTAPS, NEEDLES and HYKE.

The SOFT PAD is built on a water-repellent synthetic leather upper, with padding spread across the whole shoe for warmth and comfort. Three uppers are offered: a sandal defined by a centre seam running from the toe up the instep, a loafer that reworks the traditional shape with a puffed, gathered heel, and a belt shoe with a raised toe box. Each comes on two soles, the thick FAT SOLE and the more flexible, grippier TRI-PAD SOLE, for six models in total, in sizes 23 to 28 cm.

All share the BUMP INSOLE, which places High-PerFORM cushioning bumps at the high-pressure points, supports the push-off at the toe and vents air through channels cut into the heel. Prices run from 28,600 yen for the sandal on the TRI-PAD SOLE to 36,300 yen for the loafer and belt shoe on the FAT SOLE. The series reached PPACO's online store on 8 October and is rolling out to authorised stockists.