Mid Top Japanese Sneakers 'Nakaba'

Mid-top sneakers with a knit sock collar and red lines on white or black

A sock with a shoe round it. These mid-tops have a knit collar that rises above the ankle, a lace that wraps across the upper and round the back, a mesh body with smooth panels, and a moulded sole with red lines drawn along its edge and red marks at the heel. In white, as in the photograph, the red reads sharp; in black, it reads warm.

It is the mid-top of the collection, the one that sits between a sneaker and a boot, and the wrapped lace is the detail that makes it look built rather than assembled.

The name, Nakaba, means halfway, the height of the shoe between low and high, and the shoe sits there.

The sole is a moulded rubber platform with a deep tread, the upper is a mix of mesh, synthetic panels and a knit collar, and the shoe is cushioned through the midsole, so it walks a city all day. It is a mid-top chunky sneaker, the shape Japan made its own, cut for a wide foot.

Wear them with a white sock pulled up, as in the photograph, which is how every pair in this collection was shot and how they are worn in Tokyo: the sock is part of the shoe. White trousers, black jeans, the cropped pants from the range, and nothing else on the foot that argues.

The knit collar is elastic and pulls on without undoing the lace, and the lace is there for the fit across the foot rather than the ankle. The red lines on the sole are painted into a groove, so they do not scuff.

The last is a Japanese one, wider at the toe box than a European sneaker and lower at the instep, which is part of why they run small: the length is short and the width is generous. A wide foot will be comfortable; a narrow one will want the thicker sock.

Wipe them with a damp cloth; do not machine wash. A soft brush for the mesh, a cloth for the panels, and they are ready for the next day.

From across a street they are white or black mid-tops with a red edge. From close the knit collar shows its rib, the lace its wrap, and the sole its red lines. They are the sneaker for the person who wants ankle support and does not want a boot.

Sizes run from EU 39 to 45. They are cut to Asian sizing and run small, so take one size up from your usual. Between two sizes, take the larger.