FOOLS
Tokyo, JP · 2 known investors
FOOLS Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells original footwear such as sculptural sneakers under concepts like "LEAP GRAVITY," selling directly to consumers through its own e-commerce site and social media. It pursues a D2C model aimed at both domestic and overseas customers, positioning itself as a sustainability-minded fashion brand.
Also known as Fools Inc · FOOLS Inc. · 株式会社FOOLS
Founders & leadership
Board
Investors · 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026株式会社FOOLS (FOOLS Inc.) is a Tokyo-based footwear company that plans, designs, manufactures, sells, and imports/exports footwear, and also plans, produces, and operates online sites. It was established on 2019-03-25 and is headquartered at 9-23 Kamiyamacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0047, with capital stock of 48,780 thousand yen. Takuya Kanamaru serves as Representative Director and Mikio Sakabe as Director.
The company's product line consists of sculptural sneaker models built around unusual sole geometries and materials. JEWELRY uses a thick, transparent clear sole formed from gem-like spheres that flex with the movement of the foot; INTERSTELLAR embodies the brand concept "LEAP GRAVITY" by treating the outsole as the contact point between gravity and the earth, using a streamlined outsole with a pronounced curve toward the toe; VORTEX / CUT THE MOON uses a rounded sole resembling a moon cut in half, minimizing the visible contact patch and using very soft sole material; and MOOPIE presents a fluid, gel-like outsole with external rubber parts, paired with a slim upper with a narrowed arch and a gradual slope from toe to heel.
The company frames its positioning against changes in the fashion industry following the United Nations' announcement of the SDGs — luxury brands banning real fur, large domestic apparel companies creating internal SDG promotion offices, and D2C brands foregrounding sustainability in their branding — stating that it respects these changes but pursues what it regards as essential value rather than following trends. A Bloomberg company profile describes the company as designing, manufacturing, and selling fashion footwear and jewelry using direct-to-consumer marketing via its own e-commerce platforms and social media, serving fashion-conscious consumers in Japan and the Asia Pacific region.
Business model
FOOLS operates a direct-to-consumer model: it plans, designs, manufactures, sells, and imports/exports footwear, selling through its own e-commerce store and social media rather than relying on wholesale intermediaries. A second stated business line is the planning, production, and operation of online sites.
Revenue comes from sales of original footwear to end consumers through the company's own e-commerce channel, alongside stated activities in footwear import/export and agency services for those activities, and online-site planning, production, and operation.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography
Market position
A small independent Japanese footwear brand competing on distinctive sculptural design and a direct-to-consumer channel, positioning itself relative to both overseas luxury brands and large domestic apparel companies that have adopted sustainability initiatives.
The products are distinguished by sole design rather than conventional performance features: soles built from transparent spheres, extreme curvature toward the toe, minimized ground contact so the contact surface is not visible from eye level, and deliberately soft or fluid-looking outsoles intended to create a sensation of floating. The brand also positions itself on direct dialogue with customers and building the brand together with them.
Technology
Design-led footwear construction: clear thick soles made of transparent spheres engineered to flex with foot movement, streamlined outsoles with extreme toe curvature, rounded soles engineered so the ground-contact area is not visible from any viewing angle, and use of extremely soft sole materials to produce a floating sensation.
Go-to-market
Sales are made through the company's own online store and social media channels, with D2C marketing explicitly directed at overseas as well as domestic customers. The company states that direct communication with customers and co-creating the brand with them are central, with self-operated e-commerce and social media treated as methods to that end.
Fashion-conscious consumers seeking distinctive and sustainable products, in Japan and, per a Bloomberg profile, the Asia Pacific region; the company states its D2C marketing also addresses overseas customers.
Geography
Headquartered in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Its D2C marketing is stated to target overseas customers as well as domestic ones, and a Bloomberg profile describes it as serving consumers in Japan and the Asia Pacific region.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- FOOLSfools-inc.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does FOOLS do?
- Tokyo footwear company designing and selling sculptural sneakers direct-to-consumer through its own online store and social media.
- Who are FOOLS's investors?
- FOOLS's investors include NOW Japan, Relic.
- Where is FOOLS headquartered?
- FOOLS is headquartered in Tokyo, JP.