Why Are Mizuno Made in Japan Boots So Sought After?
Morelia Neo V Beta EliteMade outside Japan
Morelia Neo V JapanMade in Japan
Ask a boot collector which pair they'd keep if they could only keep one, and a surprising number will say a Made in Japan Mizuno.
They don't have the marketing budgets of Nike or adidas. So why do players and collectors chase them? It comes down to six things.
They're made in Japan, by hand
Most football boots come off mass-production lines. Mizuno's Japan tier doesn't. Mizuno Australia says its Made in Japan boots are made entirely in Japan, at a partner factory in Hyogo Prefecture.
When Soccer Bible visited in 2014, it described a small workshop “far removed from the average conveyor belt of mass produced football boots”, the same place Mizuno's custom builds for professional players come from.
The leather
Japan models use Mizuno's highest grade of kangaroo leather. It's thin, soft and strong, and it moulds to your foot in a way synthetic uppers can't. Retailers say it's treated with liquid silicone during tanning so it resists water and lasts longer.
And because it's natural leather, no two pairs are ever exactly alike.
Patience in the build
Retailers report that Made in Japan uppers stay on the last, the foot-shaped mould a boot is built around, for 24 hours. A standard boot gets about 20 minutes.
That extra time sets the shape, and it's a big part of why Japans are famous for feeling right almost straight out of the box.
They're more than a label
A Made in Japan Mizuno isn't a standard boot with a different tag sewn in. Depending on the model, the upper materials, shaping, stitching, internal construction and finish can all differ. Some Alpha Japans add a KaRVO forefoot insert for energy return, which Mizuno has refined between generations.
Our Made in Japan guide shows the differences up close, and how to tell a genuine pair.
A 40-year legacy
The Morelia launched in 1985. Mizuno developed it with Brazilian player Musashi Mizushima, through prototype after prototype, and named it after the Mexican city of Morelia ahead of the 1986 World Cup.
Mizuno says seven of Brazil's starting eleven wore Morelias at the 1990 World Cup. The design has barely changed since, because it never needed to.
They're hard to get
For years, many Japan models were only ever sold in Japan. Players overseas had to import them, and that scarcity built the boot's cult status.
Now Mizuno is growing fast in the A-Leagues and more Australian players want a pair. But Mizuno Australia's RRP for the Japan tier is $460–$500, and the most-loved older models can't be bought new at all.
Where to buy Made in Japan Mizunos in Australia
That's where we come in. The Boot Connection sources genuine Made in Japan Mizunos, inspects every pair in person, and sells them well below Australian RRP, including discontinued models you won't find on a shelf here.
See today's stock against Mizuno AU's prices in our guide to where to buy Mizuno Made in Japan in Australia.
