Column: "Seeking a Sustainable Manufacturing Way of Life

NEGRONIRegeneration and circulation aimed for by 

We reclaim the products we produce through the sole restoration process, which exceeds 1,000 pairs per year, and return them to their owners in beautiful condition.
　
This is a factory brand.NEGRONIThis is an important mission of the "MARCEL" brand, and it is also our brand philosophy that we always want to be regenerative in spirit.
　

NEGRONIrepairs go through the same process as the production line and are handmade.

We are always deeply impressed by the awareness of each and every customer who uses their purchased products with care for a long time with repairs.
　
This is because we can realize a next-generation product cycle of "regeneration and circulation" by carefully using the purchased sneakers for a long time with sole replacement repairs, instead of discarding them.

Divergence from Well-Being 

However, there is a point of view that what is a common concept for us, who have our own factory, is a very minority for the shoe manufacturing industry until now. In the traditional shoe production industry, which has been producing and consuming shoes on a large scale, our methods and ideas of manufacturing and repairing shoes are seen as too inefficient.

In the apparel and footwear business model, we have always felt uncomfortable with the idea of manufacturing large quantities of products each season, introducing them to the market, and disposing of or discarding them if they do not sell well. Simply continuing to overwrite production and consumption without considering "regeneration and circulation" will eventually create distortions and disrupt the cycle.

Besides, it is not only the products that are manufactured that are discarded. In addition to the large quantities of metal and plastic molds generated by each design, materials such as soles and leathers have nowhere to go once they are no longer marketed, resulting in a large amount of waste. Moreover, for some reason, the responsibility for disposal is almost always borne by the manufacturer contracted to produce the product, not by the ordering party or the brand. 

We feel that this is a major departure from the global trend that environmental impact should be reduced and responsible manufacturing should be promoted in the context of sound economic activities.NEGRONIEven if we are in the minority, we at MCC would like to co-create a vision for the future of manufacturing with our users through the "regeneration and circulation" of products.
　

Creating a mechanism for successful continuation

NEGRONIWe at "MYNOLITY" try to continue to make products as long as possible once we have planned them, taking responsibility for them. This is because we know that the quality of a product can never be measured in one season. This is a concept influenced by the car culture of continuity and updates.NEGRONIThis is our unique manufacturing concept, influenced by the way car culture works. It may seem obvious from a manufacturer's ethical point of view that we should continue to make products as long as possible and not waste them, even if they have been on the market for more than 10 years, but it is no easy task to keep up with the times and continue to create cycles of continuity.

It is also possible to reproduce and reissue most of the products, if only the materials would not become unavailable as the years go by,NEGRONIThis is one of the strengths of the company. By continuing to carefully craft products by examining the materials used, rather than being caught up in transient market trends, we can reduce waste and create a positive cycle of recycling.
　

NEGRONIThe Italian-made rubber sole has been used for more than 20 years at Currently, they are stamped with the brand logo.

Toward a Positive Industry

Old shoe production has been largely eliminated by the 2020 Covid-19 craze, and I sense a movement toward a gradual change in direction. There seems to be a growing number of environmentally conscious companies that are trying to balance economic and social concerns, and are offering more and more services for the future.

NEGRONIis beginning to work with overseas companies to consider initiatives to use materials that are more environmentally conscious than ever before, including a move to rubber soles made from renewable, upcycled materials as the next goal. By having the brand, the material manufacturer, and the manufacturing plant both have a firm vision and share a common awareness of social issues together,NEGRONIWe believe that by sharing a common awareness of social issues, we will be able to achieve the ideal of "regeneration and circulation" that the "K" Line Group has been striving for.