Those Godzilla claw shoes on the Oscars red carpet are just one of Hazama’s ‘dark fantasy’ creations

By YURI KAGEYAMA
Associated Press

URAWA, Japan (AP) — One Japanese creation grabbing attention on the Oscars red carpet wasn’t a movie. It was the kitsch shoes that seemed to be clenched in Godzilla’s claw. They were the work of Ryosuke Matsui, who described his joy at seeing the “Godzilla Minus One” team win the visual effects Oscar while wearing his shoes. Matsui heads his own brand called Hazama, which means “the space-in-between” in Japanese. The business with just six employees offers fluffy skirts, sweaters in gradient colors, jackets with repetitive motifs, and, of course, shoes with crazy heels. “Dark fantasy” is what Matsui calls his motifs. The first batch of Godzilla shoes sold out, but it plans more, perhaps in different colors, like gold in homage of the Oscar statue.