MUSIC VI – Horn is the sixth piece in Noriyuki Misawa’s MUSIC series, where music and shoemaking intersect. Unveiled in Tokyo in 2025, this wearable art piece reflects the flowing curves of a horn. The welt, linking the insole and outsole, is hollowed like the horn’s air passage—not as imitation, but through thoughtful insight. Made from uncolored, vegetable-tanned leather, it embraces the raw beauty of aging material. A renowned Japanese curator likened its leather flow to a calligrapher’s brushstrokes, where the horn’s form emerges beyond shape. It invites motion as musical expression.
Noriyuki Misawa trained as a shoemaker for 10 years in Tokyo and Vienna. In Vienna, he immersed himself in the city’s vibrant art scene—visiting artists’ studios and museums—which reshaped his creative outlook. Returning to Japan, he spent 4 more years studying under traditional Japanese artists and craftsmen. With over 20 years of experience, he explores the intersection of art and footwear, redefining shoes as expressive, sculptural forms. He has held solo exhibitions in New York, Paris, London, and Singapore.
2010 Germany, International Efficiency Contest of Shoemakers "Gold medal" and "Honor prize"
2015 The 33rd Japan leather crafts exhibition "Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Award"
2021 GLOBAL FOOTWEAR AWARDS "BEST OVERALL WINNER"
2022 GLOBAL FOOTWEAR AWARDS "BEST OVERALL WINNER"