A 43-year-old Japanese shoe brand gave up its stores and went back to being a contractor

42ND ROYAL HIGHLAND launched in 1983 as a British-inspired leather shoe brand made for Japanese feet, built by contract manufacturer Sierra International as a way to move beyond making shoes for other labels and sell under its own name. Over four decades it built flagship stores in Daikanyama and Ginza and a following among Japanese leather-shoe enthusiasts.

On 31 May 2026 both flagship stores closed, followed by the online shop on 21 June. Sierra International cited chronic labor shortages, the need to rebuild its sales-management systems, problems with its store locations, and broader shifts in the global economy and consumer habits — Japan's move away from formal business dress had steadily thinned the market for made-to-order leather shoes.

Rather than restructure the retail business, Sierra International closed it entirely and said it was 'returning to its roots' as an ODM/OEM leather shoe manufacturer for other brands, the business it had run before creating 42ND ROYAL HIGHLAND. The closure came alongside REGAL Corporation's own announcement of factory closures and 113 job cuts, evidence the mid-market segment of Japan's leather shoe industry was shrinking as a whole.