The Vibe :
⊹ grounds introduces MANUS, a new shoe sole shaped like an oversized human hand, complete with fingernails.
⊹ The 4.5 cm soles leave handprints on the ground, because ordinary footprints are apparently boring.
⊹ Classic lace-ups, combat-inspired boots and plaid winter styles get the delightfully bizarre treatment.
⊹ A ring on the sole’s left thumb gives the MANUS GENTLEMAN some unexpected jewelry game.
grounds has never been interested in making ordinary shoes, but MANUS takes things somewhere gloriously unhinged. The Japanese footwear label has decided that shoes need hands. Actual hand-shaped soles, complete with oversized fingers, TPU fingernails and the ability to leave handprints on the ground. Yes, handprints. Standing 4.5 cm high, the new design takes inspiration from the Japanese gesture of offering both hands in hospitality, although the finished shoes land somewhere between an art-school experiment and a fashion fever dream. Strange? Absolutely. Kind of genius? Also yes.
The MANUS GENTLEMAN pairs a classic lace-up upper with an enormous hand underneath, complete with a ring on the left thumb. Apparently even shoes need accessories now. The GENTLEMAN INK comes in a white-marble colorway, while MANUS MONUM borrows from weathered French combat boots for something a little more aggressive. The lightweight Phylon midsoles keep the construction practical, even when the designs look like they belong in a surrealist gallery. It’s the sort of footwear that could make a plain pair of jeans look wildly more interesting.
For the colder months, MANUS CRADL RIBBON takes things further with plaid felt outer layers wrapped around zippered inner shoes. Available in brown and black variations, the winter boot looks just as unconventional as its lace-up counterparts. All four models arrive October 31, with CRADL RIBBON releasing exclusively at grounds STORE 001 in Harajuku. A pair of shoes with its own manicure, jewelry and fingerprints? grounds really committed to the bit.
Brand DNA
Led by designer Mikio Sakabe, Tokyo-based grounds is known for futuristic footwear built around translucent, gravity-defying soles, exaggerated proportions, and experimental shapes that turn the sneaker into a surreal fashion object.
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