Travel & Leisure·Tim CookApple CEO Tim Cook wore a 1-of-1 pair of custom Nike shoes during his Japan visit—with special hand embroidery made by a team of 15 womenBy Dave SmithBy Dave SmithEditor, U.S.
NewsDave SmithEditor, U.S.
NewsDave Smith is a writer and editor who previously has been published in Insider, Newsweek, ABC News, and USA TODAY.SEE FULL BIO Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks with customers at the grand reopening of its redesigned Apple Ginza flagship store in Tokyo, Japan, on September 26, 2025.Christopher Jue—Getty ImagesDuring his visit to Japan this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted sporting a unique pair of custom Nike Vomero Plus sneakers created exclusively for him by Sashiko Gals, a collective of 15 women artisans from Otsuchi Town in Iwate Prefecture.
Cook wore the custom footwear during the grand reopening of Apple Ginza in Tokyo, which was the company’s first retail store outside the United States when it originally opened in 2003.
The Sashiko Gals collective specializes in the traditional Japanese needlework nique of sashiko, which uses bold running stitches for reparative and decorative purposes.
The group, consisting of women aged 40 to 80, formed in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 as part of local reconstruction efforts.
Each custom piece requires apximately 30 hours of meticulous handwork by experienced artisans.
Cook’s sneakers the existing Nike Vomero Plus colorway with an all-new upper featuring intricate blue patchwork, complete with white stitching and subtle hits of red to match the sneaker’s ZoomX cushioning, embroidered using traditional Japanese sashiko niques.
View on Threads Cook’s cultural immersion during his Japan visit ext beyond the custom sneakers.
In an X post Wednesday, the Apple CEO said he “met Pikachu, connected with developers using our software features in amazing ways, and played Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra at Bandai Namco… Japan is a gamer’s paradise!” The post accompanied a showing Cook interacting with the iconic Pokémon character and touring various gaming facilities.
The CEO’s visit culminated with Friday’s grand reopening of its redesigned four-story Apple Ginza store, which features sustainability elements adaptive louvers for natural light regulation and regionally sourced materials.
Cook made a surprise entrance at the opening ceremony, greeting enthusiastic Apple fans with high fives after a countdown.
Cook’s custom Sashiko Gals-Nike collab represents the growing global recognition of the collective’s work, which has garnered attention on social media for transforming ordinary sneakers into unique art pieces.
Their bespoke customization service, which starts at around $1,600, is so spective clients have to apply through a lottery system.
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