Mazda has for years pride itself on building cars that encourages man and machine to act as one, based on the Jinba Ittai philosophy. It means a sense of oneness between horse and rider and now, they’ve taken it to another level.
Together, Mazda and Mizuno have come together to deliver what they believe is the purest driving shoe out there. It’s made of a rubber sole with a mix of authentic and synthetic leather and priced at approx. RM1,349. Designed by Mazda’s designers, it will be available from March 2022 onwards.
When pressing a pedal… When lifting off…
In the words of Mazda, the shoes were created based on the concept of communication with the car. For instance, the area around above the ankle is made of Mizuno’s “posture control technology” initially used for making swimsuits. The material helps support the leg’s movements between accelerating and braking maneuvers, with less strain on the muscles.
New Mazda 2 “Sunlit Citrus” in Japan injects C-segment luxury into a hatchback. Read about it here!
As with most driving shoes, their thin and hard soles may offer plenty of pedal feel but they only serve one purpose and can’t be used to walk 10,000 steps in.
Watch the new Honda Civic sedan vs the Mazda 3 & Toyota Corolla in a drag race!
To achieve the duality of a driving and walking shoe, Mizuno’s COB technology helps enhance pedal feel without compromising on cushioning. The surface of the inner sole is made of a special uneven structure that can give more accurate feedback from the outer sole. This, Mazda says offers more feedback from the pedals.
Lastly, with round soles, the shoe supports smoother and more controlled pedal depression, while stabilising the heels when the feet is moving between the throttle and brake pedals.
Mazda even claimed to have learnt a thing or two from Mizuno on how to use leather and elastic materials from this collaboration with Mizuno.
GALLERY
