plimsoll is trending
people love our shoe walls at kapok, they drool over the best selling brands such as Common Projects, Veja, Obra, to name a few… the insatiable demand has urged our buyers to search for more offerings for our shoppers.
in the spring-summer collection, we have surprises for our sneaker-heads because we love bringing alternative into our selections. PLIMSOLLS ! heard of them? they are basically the casual shoes with rubber soles and canvas uppers. let’s dive in and talk more about it…
like many english words, “plimsoll” is chiefly used in the U.K. for their specification, whereas sneakers tended to loosely generalise all types of sport-related shoes (e.g. the legendary Converse and Vans) in the U.S. we have no bias but just to clarify. when we think of plimsolls, it brings back the nostalgia to the dread of PE classes on freezing winter days, wearing sweatshirt and shorts with an old pair of plimsolls, and gone are the days... this season, we make sure these happy shoes are comfortable and stylish, and a good selection for both men and women can be found at kapok.
moonstar
moonstar has been producing shoes in Kurume (a city located in Kyusyu, Japan). Kurume first prospered in the rubber industry manufacturing Jika-Tabi*shoes. they apply the technology and experience they have gained through their long history to every shoe we make. since 1873, they devoted to making comfortable shoes for everyone and will keep producing “made in Kurume” shoes with pride and confidence.
stepney workers club
stepney workers club (SWC) is an east london brand inspired by the inclusive culture of traditional workers sports clubs. the brand message “freedom of sport, freedom of thought” and the handshake symbol represent the values, liberal thinking and unity that we associate with these groups. the unisex footwear is a rethink of timeless, genre less vulcanized classics that have been adapted by varying sub-cultures over the decades. SWC is a free-thinking approach and spirit that feels relevant again today.
good news
a new brands from london with strong sustainability DNA and a conscious mind on social progressive. they use recycle rubber soles, organic cotton and weave uppers, recycled eco-lite footbed. what’s more? they donate deadstock and faulty shoes to the homeless and refugees in need.
spalwart
founded by Christoffer Brattin and Fredrik Johansson, and proud to showcase the history and heritage of shoemaking, spalwart was born after a visit to an old slovakian factory, where the treasure of long forgotten machinery and moulds were stumbled upon. manufactured in the same plant with the same moulds and machinery since the 1950s, the shoes have a non-perfect but characteristic beauty.
a little history on plimsoll shoes
in the 1890s, Dr. Samuel Plimsoll, a victorian engineer, invented 'the plimsoll line'. this was a system devised to control and limit the volume of goods onto ships. many unscrupulous ship owners at the time were overloading their vessels, resulting in numerous sinking with the inevitable loss of cargo and lives.
his system was a series of lines on the outside of the ship to indicate how loaded the ship was. it was extremely unpopular at the time as it meant ships were carrying less goods and therefore making less money. however the system still survives today on many vessels! whilst Dr. Samuel Plimsoll's reforms led many to view him in his lifetime with disdain, he is now commemorated with a bronze statue on the embankment of the Thames for his services to furthering the safety of shipping across the globe.
in the 1920's when footwear companies first started making rubber soled footwear with canvas uppers, people started calling this type of footwear a 'Plimsoll' because of the resemblance of the upper edge of the rubber on the canvas to the plimsoll line on a ship. the name has been used across the world ever since.
finds your plimsolls at kapok
spring-summer new arrivals across all
kapok stores and on ka-pok.com
