Streetwear's OG Sandal Brand Is Ready to Be Taken Seriously
Back in the prehistoric days of streetwear, when New York's clout corridor was only just beginning to earn its name and "Supreme x Louis Vuitton" referred solely to a lawsuit about skateboards, sandals didn't exist. Not in streetwear, at least. Dudes would rather sweat through summer in raw jeans and skate shoes than ever show toe. Birkenstock was still associated more with hippies than haute couture. None of the big sportswear or luxury brands offered men's sandal styles any more exciting than shower slides.
How times have changed. Thank Suicoke for helping hurry them along. Or, rather, start looking at Suicoke as a serious sandal contender — again.
Founded in the aughts as a maker of crafty home goods — some of Suicoke's first products were matryoshka-themed lamps (!) — Suicoke became the face of contemporary summer footwear in the mid 2010s, when its straptastic Vibram-soled sandals proliferated a streetwear scene just beginning to find fresher stylistic footing.
At a moment where a generation of young people were opening up to more adventurous clothes (and earning their own money), Suicoke's stylishly technical shoes helped sell non-believers on the whole sandals-as-style thing.
Don't get me wrong — I think it's insane that we weren't all wearing Birkenstocks, always. But some people take some convincing. And Suicoke proved plenty convincing.
Back when far too many people were convinced that sandals couldn't look cool, Suicoke's Teva-esque DEPA sandals and chunky MOTO slides provided a safe starting point. These were cool-guy sandals epitomized by barely-there branding, nerdy specs like custom Vibram soles, and an air of mystery.
It really helped that Suicoke felt enigmatic — its designers and founders were anonymous and these were not just cool sandals but cool sandals Japan — and was in all the right places, working with all the right brands: Early scene-y adopters like Palm Angels, Aimé Leon Dore, and BAPE gave way to big names like Moncler, Lanvin, Missoni, and Carhartt WIP.
Suicoke really took off around 2019, peaked in the COVID-19-wrought easy-footwear boom, and rode a wave until around 2022 or so, when it began to retreat into itself. It'd recently scored some of the biggest collabs in its career but with Birkenstock coming to dominate the post-pandemic clog business and increasing normalization of outdoor brands as worthy summer-shoe options, the OG streetwear sandal brand became just a face in the crowd.
Then, in 2026, Suicoke got a new face.
This is year that Suicoke celebrates its 20th anniversary and the year that it was born anew.
Its newly wiped Instagram page began uploading again, eschewing the plain product shots of old in favor of stylized shots that dig into the details. Closeups highlight reconsidered iterations of the buckles and straps that've defined Suicoke's practice for over a decade; shots of pre-scuffed shoes demonstrate their utility.
Classic shapes mingled with slick new styles. The MOTO is back, offered in a new "soft" iteration, and so are Suicoke's ahead-of-their-time Vibram FiveFinger shoes, which predated the greater toe-shoe acceptance by at least a half decade. Suicoke is also pursuing a greater range of sneaker and closed-toe styles, including its preferred hiking shoe styles alongside more plimsol-ish forms.
It's an impressive makeover and the message is clear. This is no longer the funky footwear brand whose self-representation was wanton and wild. Suicoke's sandals were always aesthetically pleasing. Now its entire visual language is, too.
I reached out to Suicoke to see what prompted the shift. Or, at least I tried to.
Having ditched its previous representation, Suicoke proved fairly aloof — just like the good ol' days! Over the course of a month, I eventually got in touch with the company for a few terse insights (the language barrier didn't help). The only wrinkle: The respondents insisted on keeping their name off the record. Some things never change.
So, I initially wanted to get in touch because I noticed the new imagery on Instagram and some Japanese articles talking about a brand "renewal." What's changing with Suicoke, exactly?
Simply, Suicoke is celebrating its 20th anniversary by re-examining the products that we have developed over the years and exploring them in greater depth with comprehensive updates. Suicoke is operated with the same management.
Suicoke product has become less available over the past few years — is this related to the revamp?
Yes, [we have] limited distribution partners now because we just launched our updated concept but we are working on and will connect with more international collaborators and international retailers in the near future.
Speaking of international collaborators, a big part of Suicoke's early success came from its collaborations with American and European brands. Is that going to change going forward?
We plan to continue our collaborations with various partners, not only Japanese partners.
In short, what does the new Suicoke mean for fans of the brand?
Basically, Suicoke's DNA is product-focused, not fashion-driven. Therefore, it doesn't change anything in term of our brand concept. We pursued designs and a product lineup with functions that we can provide for users.
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