Portaille

Portaille is the artisanal japanese shoe label by designer Ryosuke Ohbuchi. After graduating from Bunka Fashion College’s shoe design department, he started working as a tanner. After that, he became involved in manufacturing comfort shoes and started Portaille in September 2010, announcing the brand to the public in February 2011.

The label stands for the fusion of leather shoe tradition and modern technology. Beautiful and easy to wear. Portaille is a shoe brand from Kobe that specializes in leather shoes, with the theme of fusion of the ‘tradition of leather shoes’ that has been passed down through generations and ‘making shoes that are gentle on the feet’ by making use of modern technology.

By making shoes that take advantage of the natural qualities of leather, the designer wants those who wear them to enjoy the comfort they feel when they put their feet in them, as well as the surprise they feel when they touch them.

Deep commitment to leather making: Portaille’s designer Ryosuke Ofuchi is a tanner. He has a deep knowledge of leather and is very particular about the selection of materials. He also suggests processing methods to tanners in order to give shape to the leather he envisions, and has produced shoes with a unique texture not found in other brands.

Making shoes that take advantage of the unique characteristics of leather: Portaille uses leather with scratches and blood lines to make shoes, which some manufacturers do not use. This is because the label wants to minimize the waste of leather, which is a living thing, and because leather is unique, including scratches and blood lines, and Portaille wants their customers to enjoy Portaille shoes, including those parts. At Portaille, each pair of shoes is created with all their heart, making the most of the uniqueness of each piece of leather.

Portaille values “ease of wearing”. The theme of Portaille’s shoes is “Easy to wear, easy to use, and functional.”
The manufacturing method of choice quickly adapts to the shape of the foot, add a back zip to shoes with laces, and make sure that they are easy to repair. Because these shoes are used every day, we want them to be as comfortable as possible to wear.

Portaille, what does it mean – the origin of the brand name: Portaille is a combination of the French words “Portail” and “Taille”, which means “gate” and “sculpture”. The name was inspired by the sculptor Rodin’s work “The Gates of Hell”, which the designer most admires.