Meet the Japanese designer who expresses the sublime through the ridiculous

Japanese designer Mihara Yasuhiro doesn’t just make shoes; he makes sculptures you can wear. He makes Duchampian punchlines. He makes statements that hit you in the gut and sometimes the shin, well, depending on the thickness of the sole.

At Studio Dimensione in Bonifacio Global City, the usual showroom vibe was temporarily short-circuited by this Tokyo transplant’s mad-scientist energy. His signature sneakers (chunky, deconstructed, kicks that look as if they’re melting) sat next to designer furniture by Fritz Hansen and Foscarini like they belonged there. Because, in fact, they do.

“I want to express the sublime through the ridiculous,” Mihara explains. “From a certain point of view, it’s very humorous and ridiculous, but from another point of view, it’s very noble and very artistic.”

There’s a method to his madness. The “Original Sole” line isn’t just a marketing term; it’s a literal philosophy. Mihara hand-sculpts clay prototypes before they’re digitized to create unique silhouettes.

It’s analog first, digital second.

“What’s happening now is that designers are letting the computer control the design,” he says. “So, to get out of that environment, we start manually. I still draw. That’s important.”

The approach is part craft, part rebellion. In an age where AI spits out sneaker concepts by the dozen, Mihara insists on the human touch: on weirdness, asymmetry, imperfection.

Standout designs like the Peterson Low OG Sole and the Hank Low OG Sole have solidified the Mihara Yasuhiro brand’s position as a trailblazer in contemporary sneaker culture and have become a staple in design and international celebrity circles.

“But design is only a word,” he shrugs. “What I’m chasing is putting out an idea directly. To just make it real.”

Quirkily, his process starts not with sketches but with words.

“We write the words of what we want to make. Like, a cloth that doesn’t have a sleeve. Or maybe just a little sleeve. The idea flows better that way. If you start drawing, you start stopping your imagination.”

Let that marinate.

He mentions Marcel Duchamp like an old enemy turned plot-twist mentor.

“I hated his ready-mades when I was young,” Mihara says of the French conceptual art pioneer. But the more he mulled over the definition of art and its relation to the everyday, the more he warmed up to Mr. Duchamp and his merry Mad Hatter ways.

He states, “Eventually, Duchamp became my favorite. So, my goal is to make some kind of art that makes people think. And at the same time, you can wear them.”

That duality runs deep. His shoes are streetwear, yes, but with all the gravitas of fine leather: they’re both punk and polished; sneaker and sculpture; satire and soul.

Since its inception in 1997, Maison Mihara Yasuhiro has revolutionized fashion with an unconventional approach, seamlessly blending high fashion with premium design details. The brand’s creative direction in sneaker culture was driven by Yasuhiro’s edgy designs, leading to major collaborations not just with footwear but also fashion brands like Moncler.

Mihara explains. “Street and casual are (merely) categories (in fashion)—but for us, they become elegant. It’s about perspective.”

The collaboration with Suyen Corp. chairman and CEO Ben Chan feels like a serendipitous match, a cosmic alley-oop.

“There’s a connection,” says Mihara, who met Ben six years ago. Recently, the Japanese designer served as a juror during the Bench Design Awards 2025 finals. “We share the same feeling. Ben Chan’s wish is for more Filipino designers to go abroad. Fashion used to be a culture. Now it’s more business. But we want to bring that culture back.”

Ben echoes the sentiment: “We’re deeply passionate about sneaker culture. Filipinos have a strong love for self-expression through fashion, be it clothing or accessories. For years, we’ve championed individuality, and Mihara Yasuhiro beautifully captures the essence of the Filipino sneakerhead.”

Bryan Lim—Suyen VP for business development—agrees. “Mihara’s footwear isn’t just footwear; it’s wearable art. I’m confident the discerning Filipino market will appreciate this distinctive approach.”

That’s no hype. The crowd that came to the recent meet-the-designer event at Studio Dimensione (notable personalities from fashion, art, business, as well as Bench endorsers) weren’t there just to shop; they came to vibe and connect. To peek into the mind of a designer who thinks fashion should make you laugh, cry, or allow you to walk on the wild side.

“What would I want written on my tombstone?” Mihara muses. “No matter, never mind. No mind, never matter.”

Get a kick out of that punk koan.

Mihara Yasuhiro pieces are now on display at Assembly in Rockwell and Studio Dimensione, One Parkade, BGC.

Among the standout styles currently available are the “Peterson 23” (Original Sole canvas low-top sneaker), “Hank” (Original Sole canvas low-top sneaker), “Blakey” (Original Sole leather low-top sneaker), “Blakey Puffer” (Original Sole garment-dyed canvas low-top sneaker), “Wayne” (Original Sole canvas low-top sneaker), and “Past Sole 6” (Hole Canvas low-top sneaker).