Nihonga Silk Sneakers
| Brand | Manofatto |
| Collection | Silken Myths |
| Product type | Sneakers |
| Artwork / Motif | Nihonga tradition, mineral pigment painting on silk |
| Upper | Silk-touch woven textile, high-resolution print |
| Lining | Breathable textile |
| Footbed | Cushioned memory foam, removable |
| Outsole | Vulcanised rubber, non-slip |
| Closure | Lace-up |
| Construction | Hand-lasted and hand-bonded, cured overnight |
| Sizes | EU 35 to 47 |
| Weight | Approx. 850 g per pair (size 42) |
| Edition | Final run, not restocked |
Japanese painting, on the surface it was made for.
Nihonga is painting with mineral pigment and animal glue, traditionally onto silk. It is defined by restraint: a lot of empty ground, a few precise marks. This pair borrows the discipline more than any single image.
Empty space is the design
The temptation with a printed shoe is to fill it. Nihonga does the opposite, and so does this. Most of the upper is left as quiet ground so the few painted elements carry weight.
Three colourways
Blue, pink and black. Each is printed as its own artwork rather than the same file recoloured, so the balance of ground to pigment changes between them.
Silk-touch upper, handmade build
Soft-sheen woven upper, hand-lasted, bonded under weight and cured overnight. Memory-foam footbed, vulcanised rubber outsole.
Final run. This design was produced in a single limited batch and will not be reprinted. Once a size sells out it is gone for good.