New to the curated Eat Dust selection of brands, Flower Mountain is an up and coming Japanese brand that truly stands out from the pack by combining bold, lively colors and technical, refined design. In a world full of sneakers that are either just a bit too safe, or just a bit too loud, they perfectly fill a void that needed filling - if you ask us. 

Drawing inspiration from the cycles of nature, and formulating creative ideas based on motifs that are typical of the natural world, Flower Mountain is a brand that does things just a little differently. Their story starts after a chance encounter between Keisuke Ota (a self-taught shoe designer from Tokyo, Japan) and Yang Chao (head designer for a group of Chinese and international footwear brands, from Beijing, China). Quickly, the two discovered they had a lot of common passions; mountain trekking, music and, of course, footwear. As a result of this new friendship, they embarked on a journey together to the renowned "Fuji Rock Festival", right on Mount Fuji in Japan. There they began to lay down the ideas for what would become Flower Mountain.

Both men, along with Federica Wang, founded The Dandelion Mountaineering Association which built the foundation for the Flower Mountain brand. With their combined expertise, the two founders wanted to create footwear that combined superior materials and craftsmanship with a functional, yet appealing design. The brand uses materials that are not often found used in footwear such as Kurashiri hanpu, a Japanese fabric that originates from the town of Kurashiki, Japan and has been in use since the 1800’s. The fabric is a natural cotton canvas that is expertly woven using intertwined cotton yarns.

With the goal of building products that will last and endure, Flower Mountain shoes are lined with natural leather and a cork insole for improved comfort and breathability, next to AGION – a natural mineral compound used on the insole that prevents the formation of mould and bacteria extending the lifespan of your shoes and keeping your shoes and your feet healthy. Each shoe is designed to be lightweight and functional with an extra-grippy outsole ideal for trekking or getting around the city with ease and comfort. 

About the designers:

Yang Chao
Yang Chao is one of the leading designers in China and co-founder of Flower Mountain. Residing in Beijing, he began designing and developing footwear in 1998, became design manager for important Chinese companies and designs collections for important international brands. 

Keisuke Ota (aka K)
Born and raised in Tokyo, Keisuke has a passion for rock music and Japanese culture. Self-taught shoe designer, with a love for premium materials and original design, he began his career in footwear in 2001 designing several collections for many Japanese and international brands.