88% matchBeams Plus
Same Japanese made-in-Japan heritage casual sensibility
Brand profile
Shoes Like Pottery
Japanese canvas plimsoll label from Moonstar, kiln-vulcanized and hand-sewn in Kurume since 2008.
KurumeOrigin
Workwear / HeritageStyle
$$Price
Similar to Beams Plus, Gitman Vintage, Universal Works →
What to know about Shoes Like Pottery
Each sole is kiln-fired
The name refers to ka-ryu vulcanizing: hand-sewn shoes go into a kiln so sulfur in the raw rubber reacts, yielding a soft, flexible, durable sole.
A 150-year factory, not a startup
The label launched in 2008, but maker Moonstar has produced footwear in Kurume since 1873, starting with rubber-soled tabi.
Plimsolls at $130-190, made in Japan
The range stays narrow — high- and low-top canvas sneakers, all Japanese-made, priced well above mass-market plimsolls and sold via heritage and workwear shops.
Looks from Shoes Like Pottery
Shop all Shoes Like Pottery ↗If you like Shoes Like Pottery
88% match
80% matchGitman Vintage
Single-category heritage specialist, same 2008 revival wave
74% matchUniversal Works
Stocked alongside it in workwear-leaning shops
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Brand facts
Shoes Like Pottery is a Japanese canvas sneaker label launched in 2008 by Moonstar, a Kurume footwear manufacturer operating since 1873 that began by making rubber-soled tabi. The name comes from ka-ryu, a vulcanizing process in which each hand-sewn shoe is fired in a kiln so the sulfur in the raw rubber reacts, producing a soft, flexible, durable sole. The range centers on high- and low-top plimsolls made in Japan, typically retailing around $130-190, sold through heritage and workwear stockists worldwide.
- Founded
- 2008
- Origin
- Kurume, Japan
- Price
- $$
- Facts checked
- August 2026
- Styles
- Workwear / Heritage, Minimalist / Contemporary
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