Changes in the textile industry from its founding to the risk of bankruptcy
Higuchi Meriyasu Kogyo, founded in 1933 (Showa 8), was once a factory that manufactured military boots.
After the war, the company changed its style to mass-produce socks wholesale to clothing stores.
At the end of the year, we held a sale to sell inventory at discounted prices to local customers.
Later, mass production factories moved to China due to price competition.
One after another, domestic sock factories were forced into bankruptcy.
Higuchi Hosiery was no exception, and despite being burdened with debt, President Nakae continued to manufacture socks on a small scale using the few remaining machines.
Discovering new materials through customer feedback
At that time, customers would say, "These socks are the only ones that have never been thrown away and remain in the dresser."
There were some socks that said this.
All of these socks had one thing in common: they were made with strong, stretchy yarn.
The elastic yarn was thick and highly stretchable, making it difficult to knit, and also expensive, so it was no longer used for socks at that time.
However, she believed that this was the only yarn that could fulfill her customers' wishes, and decided to knit socks with this stretchy yarn.
Because the fabric is highly stretchable, it does not work well with machines, and although it was a struggle, I managed to knit the socks.
The socks are now complete and do not use elastic thread.
From "socks" to "tutushita"
We were successful in making socks using stretchy yarn, but we continued to hear more from our customers.
"There's too much room in the heel" "My feet are small (large) and there's no size available"
"My socks get stuffy inside," "My skin is sensitive and rough," etc.
Nakae noticed that socks knitted with strong elastic yarn fit the feet perfectly, and it occurred to him that the same thing might happen to the heel.
And so "Tsutsshita," socks that do not require heels, were born.
As expected, the strong elasticity of the thread allowed the Tsutsushita to fit my foot and heel perfectly, with the shape of my heel clearly visible.
Another material: Because we want you to spend the day in comfort
Regular socks use rubber or elastic threads on the surface that comes into contact with the skin.
That's why even cotton socks often have synthetic yarns that come into contact with your skin.
Tsutsushita wants as many people as possible to experience the comfort of socks that truly fit your feet, so we use a knitting method that is the opposite of the usual method.
This means that the surface that comes into contact with the skin is made from 100% natural materials such as cotton and wool.
Also, because it uses very fine threads, it feels very nice against the skin.
Although natural yarn is delicate, it has a strong ability to absorb human sweat and odor, allowing you to feel as comfortable as if you had worn it in the morning all day.
What's next for Tutushita?
Tutushita has been increasingly featured in media such as television and magazines, and many customers are now purchasing our products.
This allows us to hear from new customers.
"They're comfortable to wear, but the elastic thread is too strong and puts a strain on your feet."
The comfort required for socks certainly varies depending on lifestyle and age.
So we developed a looser version of Tsutsuta.
We have created a range of comfortable shoes to suit a variety of foot shapes and occasions.
We have also started offering custom-sized socks for those who just can't find the right size for their socks on the market.
Tutushita has always strived to evolve in response to customer feedback.
We would love to hear your thoughts.
