Talking with Kosuke Fukushi

Kosuke Fukushi in his shop

Name: Kosuke Fukushi

Date of birth: 2.11.1966

Marital status: married, two daughters

Profession: Shoe retailer

Place of residence: Hachioji/Tokyo

Company and position: Owner of Gozovation, shoe shop, pedorthics and custom made footwear.

Career/job history:
Neither an orthopaedic-shoe-master nor any other formal shoe related education, I am maybe still a master in shoe retail.
After high school I started to work in shoe shops as a salesperson. One of my seniors taught me that not the sales number is the most important thing but the customer satisfaction.
Later, when health awareness took broader space in Japanese society, I got in contact with comfort shoes. I started to study in different institutions and with various „Meisters“. And I have never stopped since.


With 38 I became self-employed, first all by my own. From that time I was consulting OSM Clemens Hagen on a sporadic base first which became quickly a monthly regular.
Two years ago I started to plan and realize a craftsmen’s workshop to build custom orthotic footwear as well as custom made men’s dress shoes. (see. page 10).

I came to the shoe trade through/because:
Ever since elementary school when watching movies and listening to music, my focus was always on what the characters were wearing. When seeing a 007 film more than James Bond car his shoes drew my attention. After seeing Steve McQueen in Bullitt my greatest desire was to own a pair of brown suede mud guard boots.
When I got into high school a high-end brand shop opened in my hometown in northern Japan where I became a regular visitor. There were luxury brands from France and Italy and the USA I have never heard of before. Fortunately the young owner sympathetically shared all his knowledge about this brands history and background. I guess it was there when I slipped my feet the first time in one pair of these shoes I was eternally captured in the world of shoes.

This is a typical day in my professional life:
Around 5:30 am Harry, a gray Schnauzer with merciless habits, punches me in the face. So he takes me for a 30 min walk around the neighborhood.
After breakfast I take Harry to the workshop where I meet our craftsmen. We check the progress of the work there, discuss some technical details and decide on the day’s assignments.
At ten I am in the shoe shop where I join my other two female employees. Also here we talk about work related topics first. We also have a very small workshop in a corner of our shop. That is where I produce orthotics, shoe adjustments but also some shoe repairs. And then of course, I am selling shoes and serving my customers.
At 7 pm we close the shop and workshop. We do our cleaning and preparations for the next day.
Usually I am at home at 8 pm to ­enjoy a peaceful time with my wife, daughters and of course Harry too.

What I like about my job is:
To make my customers happy and satisfied. To solve their problems on their feet with our shoes. To make nice shoes in cooperation with my wonderful team, and to give our best to get there. To more and more understand this “world of shoes” but also understand what I can do and what I cannot do. To be able to provide my customers with something they cannot get anywhere else. This, at least in my work, is the highest level of happiness.

It is very important for me to:
To run a pleasant shop, friendly and sincere, with smart conversation and kind assistance. We like a clean but still attractive and cordial space. The same is true about what we wear – it should be neat but also individual and innovative. When serving my customers I aim to fulfill their desires and needs, not ours. Only customer satisfaction leads to long time relations.

My next aim is:
Since shop and workshop are touching capacity limits now I would like to pack all together in a bigger place.

Shoes are for me:
Foundation and compass of my life.