Via VIBAe Shoes, with Stops for Sweets and Vinyl Treats

As many of you already know, Battenwear’s brand-new headquarters are located in an old, Bauhaus-esque apartment building in Morishita, Tokyo.

We use the space as our everyday design studio and offices, and we’re looking forward to welcoming guests soon for a by-appointment showroom shopping experience. Just shoot us an email

Our new series, On the Way to Battenwear, is meant to provide a few ideas for adventures to be had on your way to our new digs. Morishita and its surrounding neighborhoods are chock-full of fascinating shops, cafés, restaurants, and friends. The way we see it, it’s always a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

For our first installment, we present a little adventure we recently had with our good friends Koji and Tropical.

They arrived on our doorstep just as we were finishing up work last Friday. We had the pleasure of showing them around the FW26 collection before heading out for some treats and shoe shopping.

Along the way, we stumbled upon a traditional sweets shop and a convenience store specializing in cup ramen and rare vinyl. So, you know, an average Friday.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

VIBAe is our neighbor on the other side of the river. We first got curious about them because their building is so cool. Inspired by old-fashioned canal locks (used to control water levels), it's covered in ivy, with an interior that combines industrial heritage and Americana.

The shoe company has a pretty interesting story, too. It was founded by a group of friends from Malibu and Finland after an adventure in Finnish Lapland sparked the idea for a new kind of comfortable footwear. Their shoes are designed in Finland and made in Portugal, with an emphasis on comfort and thoughtful design. Right up our alley!

The Tokyo branch of VIBAe is run by Dallas, who's become a friend of ours over the past couple of months. We asked him to show us a few of his favorite shoes, tried on a few pairs, and then headed downstairs to catch up over a couple of beers.

If you'd like to see more of our neighborhood adventures, check out our Instagram Reels and YouTube videos.

And if you'd like to find yourself on the way to Battenwear, we'll be taking showroom appointments starting in mid-November. shoot us an email

We look forward to welcoming you!