Visvim FBT Amdo Folk: Back to where it all began

Back in 2001 Visvim brought itself to the attention of the world with a pair of fringed mocassins with a trainer soul. The world stood there, gobsmacked, and many people asked themselves "why didn't we think of that?"

Fast forward 12 years and most of the brands who said that have just decided "fuck it" and released their own rip-offs of the Visvim FBT. Visvim, as we all know, took no notice of what anyone else is doing, and carried on leading the way with its trainer-soled creations and jackets with coloured seam tape. And when absolutely everyone had got wise to these details and the street fashion industry was awash with coloured seam-tape and waterproof zips, Visvim, or Hiroki Nakamura to be precise, simply abandoned the whole technical side of clothing manufacture and concentrated knocking out stuff made out of yarn that was shat out of the arse of a yak, and that kind of thing. And all the time the price of the creations has gone up and up.

But while Visvim has evolved, or devolved, whichever way you look at it, there is one thing that has remained constant. The FBT shoe that started it all is still being released, year after year. This time around it is fringed with a tablecloth belonging to a frail Hungarian fishwife.

The proceeds will go towards the replacement, so I'm told.

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