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1952

Koyo Sangyo is founded in Kobe, Japan.

Starting out as a manufacturer of rubber and textile goods, the company soon branches out, producing sports shoes for Japan’s domestic market under the name Koyo Bear.

Vintage Japanese advertisement for the Koyo Bear Magic Five basketball shoe, showing the high-top canvas sneaker and its wave-pattern rubber sole designed to reduce foot fatigue and improve grip for competitive play.
Ichiro Ogimura demonstrating his table tennis racket grip, showing the customized handle he developed as a world champion to improve control and spin in professional play.

1950s

Koyo Bear joins forces with Japanese 12× Table Tennis World Champion and renowned ping pong sportswear and equipment pioneer Ichiro Ogimura. Together, they develop the world’s first purpose-built sports shoe made specifically for professional table tennis players, the Koyo Bear Sharpman.

Soon, the Sharpman becomes synonymous with Japan’s top players.

Vintage Japanese advertisement for Koyo Bear Sharpman table tennis shoes, showing the original vulcanized sole and lightweight canvas upper of the first purpose-built table tennis sneaker made in Japan.

1960s

Through Ogimura’s endorsement and the continued success of Japanese players on the international stage, Koyo Bear footwear gains more and more momentum outside of Japan.

By the late 1960s, Koyo Bear is the leading footwear brand in table tennis, worn by players from all over the world.

George Braithwaite of the U.S. table tennis team competing in Koyo Bear Sharpman shoes during the Ping Pong Diplomacy era, when American and Chinese players helped open relations between the United States and China.
Pak Yung-sun, North Korean table tennis world champion, competing in Koyo Bear Sharpman shoes, the original purpose-built Japanese table tennis sneaker worn by elite players during the Cold War era.
German Koyo Bear Sharpman advertisement featuring world champions Hans Alser and Kjell Johansson, showing the iconic vulcanized wave sole and the professional table tennis shoes worn by European champions.
Stellan Bengtsson winning the men’s singles title at the 1971 Table Tennis World Championships in Nagoya, Japan, wearing Koyo Bear Sharpman shoes after defeating reigning champion Shigeo Itō.

1971

At the 31st Table Tennis World Championships in Nagoya, Japan, Stellan Bengtsson becomes the first non-Asian player in almost 20 years and the first Swede ever to win a World Championship title.

Wearing his Koyo Bear Sharpman, the student of Ogimura beats the reigning world champion, Japan’s Shigeo Itō, in the men's singles finals.

The spotlight, however, fell on another Sharpman wearer: U.S. national team player Glenn Cowan.

After missing the U.S. team’s bus, Cowan instead hitched a ride with the Chinese national team. Despite the political animosity between the two nations at the time, Cowan’s flamboyant personality won the Chinese team over.

This instance kickstarted what would be known as "Ping Pong Diplomacy" and culminated with the historic meeting between President Nixon and Chairman Mao and the eventual opening up of China to the world.

Glenn Cowan of the U.S. table tennis team walking through a crowd in China during the 1971 Ping Pong Diplomacy, wearing Koyo Bear Sharpman shoes in the moment that helped open relations between the United States and China.
Glenn Cowan of the U.S. national table tennis team meeting Chinese officials during the 1971 Ping Pong Diplomacy, wearing Koyo Bear Sharpman shoes in the moment that helped open relations between the United States and China.

1970s

Koyo Bear expands its product lines, releasing high quality footwear for a wide range of sports.

Their sports shoes become market leaders in Japan in many disciplines, worn by amateurs and professionals alike.

Their Volleyball shoe, Revo 6, is officially endorsed by the Japanese Volleyball Association and becomes a favorite among the leading Volleyball players in Japan.

Also, in the basketball sport, the Koyo Bear Sokko becomes the first choice of many top players.

Koyo Bear Sokko Laser basketball shoes from 1983, a Japanese performance sneaker with vulcanized rubber sole and wave traction pattern, documenting the brand’s leadership in Japanese basketball footwear.

1980s

Koyo Bear introduces a new generation of “Made in Japan” sports shoes.

The successor of Koyo Bear’s legendary Sharpman is released: the Sharpman Nimble.

In basketball, Koyo Bear continues to lead the way with their new basketball shoe line: Laser.

Cover of FunFunFun, a Japanese basketball magazine from the 1980s, featuring youth basketball culture and containing Koyo Bear basketball shoe advertisements inside, documenting the brand’s presence in Japan’s basketball scene.
Vintage Japanese Koyo Bear basketball shoe advertisement from the 1970s showing the Sokko series and other performance sneakers, documenting Koyo Bear as one of Japan’s leading multi-sport footwear brands.

1989

In the mid-1980s, the Japanese rubber industry enters a dramatic downturn. With the appreciation of the Japanese Yen, high labor costs, and the relocation of many companies to low-cost countries, the situation becomes unsustainably competitive for Japanese rubber manufacturers like Koyo Sangyo. 1989 sees the dissolution of Koyo Sangyo. The Koyo Bear brand becomes dormant.

Stack of vintage Koyo Bear shoeboxes from Japan, showing the historic “The Shoes of Champions” branding used for the brand’s performance sneakers.
Ichiro Ogimura at the ITS Mitaka Table Tennis Club in Tokyo, holding a table tennis paddle during his early career as the future world champion and pioneer of modern table tennis.

2015

A quarter century later, a group of enthusiasts, retracing the steps of Ichiro Ogimura, rediscover the brand in the basement of Ogimura’s ping pong club in Tokyo.

They embark on a mission to bring Koyo Bear back to the world.

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