After exhibiting at the MADE Bike Show at the end of August, I took the opportunity to head over to Missoula, Montana, in the United States.
I went there to meet the team behind Bedrock, the sandal manufacturer for which Circles serves as the Japanese distributor.
In this blog post, I want to share a bit about where they live, the terrain they explore, and what kind of environment the Bedrock product is born from.
A River Runs Through It
When I heard "Missoula, Montana," the only thing I knew about it before my visit was "A River Runs Through It."
A film directed by Robert Redford and starring a young Brad Pitt.
Dynamic nature. Beautiful rivers, dust-covered earth, and fly fishing.
In Missoula, the scenery really was just as I had seen in that movie.
I’ll talk more about that experience later in this travelogue.
Missoula
Since around this spring, Matt, their sales manager, had been suggesting, "Why don't you come out here? We can talk business and spend some time hiking and fishing."
He had visited Japan three years ago and we spent a lot of time together, and he even came back for this year's OFF THE GRID to help out with the event, so there was no reason to refuse. It was our turn to visit him.
You can get a sense of the vastness of the local nature just from the airport views.
After a joyful reunion, we headed to their headquarters.
Since we arrived late in the afternoon, we had a quick meeting and then borrowed some bikes they’d prepared for us to ride to the edge of downtown for dinner.
The classic townscape was truly beautiful.
It was still bright even after dinner, so Matt suggested, "Why don't we go for a hike with the CEO, Dan?" and we took a walk in the hills behind Dan's house.
Naturally, we were all wearing Bedrocks.
"Watch out, bears come around here sometimes," they said, and we even ran into a deer. I couldn't help but envy them for living in an environment where the wilderness is so close.
The view from these hills is great, too.
On the way back, they said, "There's an ice cream shop in town that's really popular, let's end the day there," and the place they took us to had great vibes.
Missoula is home to the University of Montana, so despite being a rural town, there are a lot of young people.
Vast nature, classic streets, and a liberal university. It's a fantastic town.
I really came to like this town.
"I'm glad you say that, but the truth is, this area is winter for about half the year. Well, there are fun things to do in the winter too, though."
Analog Culture in Missoula
Matt said, "You like analog culture, right? There's somewhere I want to take you," so we made time for it between meetings.
Matt is quite the film camera lover himself, and he took me to a local photo lab.
It's called "The Dark Room." A space that offers a darkroom for rent where you can print manually from negatives—doesn't that sound amazing?
Places with universities and youth culture always have these kinds of small businesses. Missoula has a population of just over 73,000, and I was so moved to find a place here that preserves analog culture.
Stay Dusty
After finishing our meetings and photoshoots, it was time for some "Hike and Fish" with the team.
They took us to one of Dan's favorite spots.
Shige-chan brought his own fishing gear.
After walking for a bit and clearing the forest, the view opened up.
We spotted our destination in the distance.
We made our way forward, joking and chatting as we walked.
Apparently, wildfires have been frequent around here lately too.
Because the climate is so dry, there’s a lot of dust. By the time we arrived at the site, our feet were covered in it.
We could wash them in the river, but they’d just get dusty again on the way back, so we didn't bother worrying about dirt while we were out in the field.
"Being covered in dust is more like us, right?" we said.
The river surface was incredibly clear, and the scenery was pure wilderness. There was no cell service either, making it the ultimate digital detox.
And the stones under the water were beautiful.
Red, blue, green. Stones of all different colors and expressions. Objects that took thousands of years to reach this shape.
Time for everyone to do whatever they like, however they like.
If you get bored of fishing, you just jump in.
The BEDROCK Cairn Evo is a pair you can rely on even in the river; they won’t come off in the water, and they provide great grip on wet surfaces.
Of course, they wear these sandals even when riding, and it became incredibly clear to me that BEDROCK products are developed day by day through this kind of play.
In Japan, people often ask me, "What are these sandals for?" or "Can I run in them?"
But they don't limit the intended use, and they aren't specialized for any single purpose. Because they function as proper "shoes," they want you to find your own way to use them within your own lifestyle (I think you'll understand what I mean if you check out their Instagram posts!).
What makes this brand interesting is that their products are born from people who aren't necessarily athletes, but who just go all-out playing in the great outdoors with a sense of pure fun.
They’re so hungry for play that they end up creating great products. In America, the people who make great things are all people who are absolute experts at having fun.
I also visited their HQ, but I’ll save those stories for another time.
