Over the past year or so we have noticed that a number of premium footwear brands, that are either made, or popularised in Japan, have been gaining more and more attention here in Blighty. The buzz surrounding the likes of Fracap – whose classic hikers are hand-made in Italy and have been a mainstay of Japanese fashion for a few years – spread from the streets of Harajuku over to English shores, where the Scarpocini et al have been met with a similarly feverish response.

The High Bridge International Company is a name that doesn’t perhaps ring as many bells as Visvim, or Fracap, but this independent footwear manufacturer, started by Hiroshi Takahashi are producing some of the most sought after styles around. Under the Weaver Moccasin and Verginia Footwear banners, this small Japanese company have been causing a huge stir, with incredible, hand-finished shoes based on seminal English designs from Clarks.

Based on the silhouettes that came while Clarks were still hand-made by Padmore & Barnes, Verginia Footwear offer their own take on favourites such as the Desert Trek, adding a fold over ankle fringe, and square cut leather laces. The Weaver Moccasin styles are based on the Wallabee, with the famous stitched toe detail. The Water Bird and Duckling styles add a central stitched seam – similar to the Desert Trek – as well as the traditional moccasin toe stitching, these shoe and boot styles are made from premium leathers and suede’s that sit atop crepe soles.

In a year where we have added some of our favourite brands to the End roster, it is testament to this fantastic footwear brand that the arrival of High Bridge International shoes has been one the most anticipated here on High Bridge Street. Numbers and availability is extremely limited and demand is already very high, this is definitely not one to ‘sleep’ on.