Japan is home to countless technologies worthy of global recognition. Yet not every innovation has become a widely known brand. buntA is one such story.

Born in Nagata, Kobe, buntA was established by Fuji Koatsu, a company founded in 1948 that has spent decades developing foamed rubber materials. Drawing on its expertise as a material manufacturer, the brand creates footwear that combines advanced functionality with refined design, proposing a new way of thinking about what footwear can be.

Courtesy of buntA
From August 5, buntA will present a POP-UP STORE at the Women's Shoes Main Promotion space on the 2nd floor of Isetan Shinjuku's Main Building. Alongside its signature footwear collection, the event will debut new colors of the room sandal ahead of their general release.

A Brand Built on Materials, Born in Kobe's Nagata District

What distinguishes buntA is that it is not simply a sandal brand—it is a material brand.

Its parent company, Fuji Koatsu, has spent more than 75 years developing and manufacturing rubber materials in Kobe's Nagata district. After World War II, closed-cell foamed rubber invented in Kobe became the technological foundation for what would evolve into the beach sandals worn around the world today.

Yet despite this remarkable history, Japan never had a brand that represented the material itself.

That gap inspired the creation of buntA.

waraji sandal | Courtesy of buntA
Developing everything from material formulation to manufacturing in-house, buntA combines closed-cell foamed rubber with EVA to create proprietary compounds that balance seemingly contradictory qualities—lightness and durability, softness and resilience, water resistance and weather resistance.

Designing the Way We Walk

buntA is not simply creating comfortable sandals.

At the heart of the brand is the concept of SOKUIKU, or "foot education."

Its proprietary Marshmallow® Rubber, originally developed for medical applications and used in more than 40,000 custom orthotic insoles, encourages the body's natural walking motion by supporting the three essential phases of gait: stopping, supporting, and moving forward.

waraji sandal | Courtesy of buntA
Rather than focusing solely on post-exercise recovery, buntA rethinks walking itself, designing footwear that promotes healthier movement today while supporting the well-being of the feet for years to come.

Reinterpreting Japan's Footwear Heritage

buntA's designs are deeply rooted in Japan's traditional footwear culture.

Its signature waraji sandal reimagines the structure of the traditional Japanese straw sandal for contemporary life. The sandal features braided cords crafted by artisans at a Japanese workshop with more than a century of history, connecting generations of craftsmanship with modern lifestyles.

waraji sandal | Courtesy of buntA
Meanwhile, the b-zouri updates the silhouette of the classic zori with vibrant colors and soft cushioning. Other models, including the buntA Slide and room sandal, employ different proprietary rubber materials to suit a variety of lifestyles and everyday needs.

b-zouri JPY 6,600 (tax included) | Courtesy of buntA

Rather than preserving tradition unchanged, buntA reinterprets it for the present—a philosophy reflected throughout the brand.

When Material Becomes Design

Another defining characteristic of buntA is the expressive potential of its rubber itself.

Thanks to proprietary formulations, the material can be produced not only in solid colors but also in intricate multi-colored marble patterns. Each piece is finished by skilled craftspeople, highlighting the material as a creative medium in its own right.

waraji sandal From JPY 15,400 (tax included) | Courtesy of buntA

Instead of simply improving functionality, buntA transforms the material itself into design. That ability to create value from the material—rather than merely producing finished products—has become one of the brand's defining strengths.

Discover Japanese Rubber Craftsmanship at Isetan Shinjuku

The POP-UP STORE will showcase buntA's signature footwear while introducing five new colors of the room sandal, available first at Isetan Shinjuku. One of these colors will be offered exclusively for Isetan ART WEEK.

The event will also feature a collaboration model with Disney-approved illustrator Kaz Oomori, along with new colors of b-Pac, a storage pouch inspired by the traditional Japanese furoshiki.

room sandal New Colors JPY 6,600 each (tax included) | Courtesy of buntA

More than a place to shop for footwear, the POP-UP offers an opportunity to experience Japan's expertise in material innovation and craftsmanship firsthand. It presents buntA's vision of how foamed rubber technology, developed in Kobe's Nagata district, can support healthier movement and enrich contemporary everyday life—one step at a time.