World Cup: Honda’s boots prove golden for shoemaker

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The yellow boots worn at the World Cup by Japanese star Keisuke Honda are proving so popular that some stores in Japan are running out.

The Osaka-based Mizuno Corp., which makes the shoes, has sold 70,000 pairs of Ignitus boots since their release last December, overtaking an initial six-month target of 50,000, spokesman Kazuhiro Kimura told Bloomberg News. The shoes were developed with the help of Honda, who scored in Thursday’s surprising 3-1 defeat of Denmark to send the Japanese through to the second round.

‘Honda’s goal was impressive and it will definitely contribute to our sales,’ Kimura told Bloomberg.

Japan’s success has sparked soccer fever at home, with people packing bars and other public places to watch the Samurai Blue, despite the unusual starting times for the matches in Japan. The Blue meets Paraguay in its next match on Tuesday.

-- Kevin Baxter in Pretoria, South Africa