Lacquer-coated shoehorn in black

At a glance

- Echizen Shikki (越前漆器), Fukui Prefecture, METI-designated traditional craft
- Bamboo core with multiple coats of kuro-urushi (黒漆) black lacquer
- 67.5cm long; long-handled design, use standing fully upright with no bending

The moment before you leave the house is smaller than it sounds. A good shoehorn makes it feel unhurried. A long-handled one means you never have to bend down at all.

This shoehorn is made in the Echizen Shikki (越前漆器) tradition of Fukui Prefecture, a lacquerware craft with roots stretching back over 1,500 years and designated by Japan's Ministry of Economy as a traditional craft. The core is bamboo, shaped into a slender, gently curved form and finished with multiple coats of kuro-urushi (黒漆), the deep black lacquer that characterises formal Echizen work. Each coat is applied by hand, dried and polished before the next, building a surface with depth rather than flatness. At 67.5cm long, the handle reaches the foot whilst you stand fully upright: no stooping, no strain, no compromise on the quality of the start to the day. The result is unexpectedly light in the hand, with a sheen that improves rather than diminishes with careful use. The kind of object that makes a small daily action feel considered.