Every step toward a lifetime of health.
Everyone focuses on their health starting from their feet and continues to
walk with vitality.
We will spread this culture throughout the world.
The Origin of STRIDE’s Founding
“Every step toward health.” The origin of my decision to found STRIDE with this purpose in mind lies in my own student days.Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I was deeply involved in gymnastics and baseball, but I was constantly plagued by injuries and lower back pain. The turning point came when the doctor I was seeing recommended that I study sports in the United States.While majoring in exercise physiology at a university there and learning about respiratory metabolism and motion analysis through a hospital internship, I arrived at one definitive conclusion. It was the simple yet fundamental truth that “if the foundation of the body—the feet—is unstable, that imbalance will inevitably affect the entire body.”
Another thing that had a profound impact on me at the time was the existence of “specialty running stores” deeply rooted in towns across the United States. Knowledgeable staff were always on hand, and customers could easily discuss everything from injury concerns to the latest scientific findings. These were not merely “stores that sell shoes”; they functioned as infrastructure supporting the health of their communities.Later, in 2010, I met the founding members of “ALTRA.” I was deeply impressed by their approach to product development—faithful to exercise physiology and designed “not to hinder the foot’s natural function”—and I became strongly determined to establish these values in Japan and throughout the world.
Our Vision
Today, what we value most at our “STRIDE LAB” stores—both in Japan and abroad—is reliability grounded in scientific knowledge, along with attentive and sincere customer service tailored to each individual.Our goal is to be like a “local family doctor for your feet”—one who supports your health from the ground up by recommending shoes that reawaken the foot’s natural functions and helping you cultivate an exercise routine together. We host events such as running, walking, and climbing at each store because we want to expand a community that shares accurate knowledge and the “joy of movement.”
Personally, ever since I organized an event in 2010 to be among the first to introduce ultralight hiking* from the U.S. to Japan, I have consistently advocated for “health starting from the feet” to this day.Even now, I love the feeling of becoming one with nature as I run through the snowy mountains and along the trails. I don’t want anyone to give up on this “joy of movement.” With STRIDE LAB, people’s walking styles change, their posture improves, and before they know it, society as a whole becomes healthier. We will continue to create such opportunities.
Our vision will spread from town to town and eventually across the globe. Aiming for a future where “Every Step Toward Health” becomes the norm, we will continue to stride forward with determination.
*Ultralight Hiking: A hiking style that prioritizes minimizing gear to the absolute minimum and cherishing the act of walking itself and the connection with nature
President and CEO
