Many great ideas in Japan are often inspired by a simple pun. Such was the case for designer Keiko Otsuhata, who was thinking about pigeons one day when the word “hato-heel” jumped into her head. Hato is Japanese for pigeon, and, while acknowledging that it’s rather weak as a pun, she began imagining what hato-heels might look like, and whether or not she could camouflage her feet as pigeons.
a cheap pair of black heels, about to be transformed into hato-heels
the final creation
So she did what any creative designer would do: she ordered a pair of cheap heels online and went to work. She documents her creative process in an article she wrote but the results are quite fantastic. Using primarily felt and some paint and glue she created an adorable pair of hato-heels.
She then wore them to Tokyo’s Ueno Park, which is known for their abundant and sometimes overly-friendly pigeons. At first the pigeons are a bit standoffish but they soon accept Otsuhata’s hato-heels as one of their own.
Otsuhata has no plans on selling her hato-heels, but she does sell plenty of other whimsical creations in her shop such as water-puking lion broaches and fish cases.
Otsuhata and her hato-heels in Ueno Park
attempting to befriend a pigeon
Otsuhata sits with her hato-heels
