Interview with Fiona Adams

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, TSUBO has grown into an international footwear brand embraced by well-known Hollywood A-List celebrities such as Oscar winners Jack Nicholson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kate Winslet and world-famous rockers Van Halen and Chris Martin. Celebrities and Consumers alike turn to Tsubo for comfortable footwear that is stylish and unique.

Tsubo derives its name from the Japanese word meaning pressure point -- an especially appropriate moniker given the trademark bubbles which cushion the sole and absorb joint stress. As one might expect, Tsubo is a design-driven brand focusing on comfort without sacrificing style. The Tsubo UK-based design team is lead by footwear veteran Fiona Adams, formerly of Diesel Footwear. On a bright Spring morning I had an opportunity to speak with Fiona about her design vision.

Q. What is Tsubo’s design philosophy?

Our product thesis is about combining comfort with style without compromising either one. There are companies that focus only on comfort and fit which often compromises the looks of the shoe. Such companies may be able to claim that their shoes are very comfortable but you can’t call them stylish. Also too many brands are only concerned with delivering fashionable shoes without any regard and often at the expense of comfort and fit. Tsubo’s premise is to create a shoe that is stylish and comfortable in every aspect.

Tsubo shoes are intended to be as comfortable as a performance athletic shoe. The materials of the sock liner and the dimensions of the footbed are built around the anatomic shape of the foot and the health of the foot. Every shoe from the sport-inspired footwear to the dressier high heels is designed to fit the shape of the foot perfectly with the correct supports. The shape of the footbed and the shape of the last (the solid form that we build the shoe on) are absolutely critical in making the shoe comfortable. If a shoe fits your foot properly, then it should be comfortable. The materials we use also play a large role in the comfort as well as the style.

Q. What do you look for in a well-designed shoe?

The essential assets to good footwear design are; a correctly fitting last (the shape and fit); the aesthetics of the upper and the outsole ( lines and design of the shoe); the materials, chosen to look as good as they can, combined with the best comfort benefit properties; and also how the color is designed. We look to those four key elements which are essential to good footwear design and then engineer each element to the best of our ability. For example, we take color selection very seriously. Each season the colors are based on our own predictions combined with global research into the world of design. An example would be fashion, product design, furniture design, and concept auto design. We don’t go to trend agents and forecasting companies to find out what the latest colors and trends are. They come to us!

We produce a product that has a reason for being and is actually different, innovative yet commercial. We don’t look to other footwear companies for inspiration. In an industry full of copy brands we are proud to be producing unique original product, which has our unique point of view.

Q. Who is Tsubo designed for?

We are a casual lifestyle brand. We want our consumers to be able to look to us for all their different types of casual footwear needs– a business meeting, dinner, or shopping – We make shoes for the casual lifestyle: sport casual for everyday comfort, casual for weekend activities, and dress casual which you can wear to work or evening.

Tsubo is consistent in the concept of comfort married with the style. The Tsubo brand is not concerned with fashion fads and disposable trends. We acknowledge what happens in fashion, while still making a shoe that has good classic design value and longevity.

Our consumers are not limited to any certain age group. Our customer is simply someone looking for something different, special, has an eye for great design and attention to detail. They are trend-setters more than fashion followers. Our consumer buys Tsubo because they want something more than comfort – they want style too. They want comfort and style in all of their footwear from their sporty shoes to their dress casual shoes. They have high expectations from their footwear and are looking for shoe that fits well and looks fantastic.