It was while studying Architecture and Design at university, that Hiroyuki Hagihara found his love and fascination for the world of welted shoes.

Upon graduation, he entered a shoemakers' school in Tokyo and studied under well-known shoe makers such as Hiro Yanagimachi and Takeru Taga. In 2010, he opened his own store, Shoe Scape.

Hagihara’s philosophy is that bespoke shoes are something the shoe maker and the customer make together. Hagihara’s vision is for his creations to make people happy and that the quality is such that the shoes can be worn for a long time.