Original, innovative shoes produced in Japan
TOKYO BOPPER is such an established part of the Harajuku street fashion scene that the brand, and their beautiful white washed shop on Harajuku’s Cat Street, is impossible to ignore.
When it first opened here in 1994, the street didn’t have all the shops it has now. It was a quiet backstreet with family homes.
“There was a sand box and swing in a little park, and Shibuya river was running down the street,” the company recalls on its website. “Our day used to start by cleaning up doggy or catty droppings every morning. We rarely saw people walking in this weary backstreet. But we were happy as we believed we could see everyone here in our lovely and favorite spot HARAJUKU.”
A lot has changed since then. Cat Street has become one of the main shopping streets of Harajuku, and is crowded with shoppers these days.
TOKYO BOPPER, or just BOPPA or BOPPU as it is know on the streets, carries two lines: BELLY BUTTON, founded in 1991 before the shop opened, and UNBILICAL, started in 1999. BELLY BUTTON’s creed is to be original, innovative, domestically produced and independent, all goals that the brand has certainly achieved.
Made in Japan, TOKYO BOPPER’s uniquely designed shoes are extremely well-made. Their high craftsmanship naturally makes them expensive—prices usually start around JPY 25,000—but in spite of this, they are incredibly popular, as you can see from the many photos of people wearing TOKYO BOPPER below this article.
Review TOKYO BOPPER