Japanese artisan redesigns rain boots for people with limited ankle mobility
Hirokazu Nagao, a shoemaker in Fukui, modifies ready-made rain boots to make them easier to put on for individuals who struggle with ankle movement or use orthotics.
After years working for a prosthetic device maker, Hirokazu Nagao left to start his own footwear workshop in an apartment building in Fukui Prefecture. Noticing that most off-the-shelf rain boots have narrow, rigid openings, he began cutting and reshaping them, then sewing in a special water-proof material to aid people with limited ankle flexibility or orthotic devices. He markets the modified boots as "Suppori Saurus," a name that blends a Japanese term for snug fit with a nod to Fukui's dinosaur fossils.
The service costs 13,200 yen for a pair or 10,780 yen for a single boot. Recent floods in northern Fukui and severe flooding in Thailand have highlighted the need for a fully waterproof version, which Nagao aims to develop and eventually donate to those in need.
Why it matters
The innovation offers a low-cost solution for people with mobility challenges to stay dry during floods and everyday rain.
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