2020 marks the 20th year of Hirofumi ‘Koji’ Kojima working as creative director of atmos, a prominent Japanese sneaker retailer. He has been staying in the same industry for more than two decades, but Koji said that he hasn’t lost his passion for sneakers.

“I think about sneakers even on holiday,” said Koji. “I don’t mind not having a day off. I love this job.”

That passion is how Koji got into atmos’ design team two decades ago. Koji started working at atmos as a shop staff in 1996 while he was in high school. He then attended Bunka Fashion School to pursue fashion studies. His efforts paid off when atmos founder Hidefumi Hommyo noticed his enthusiasm for sneakers and decided to recruit him into design team.

“I got to travel to the US within six months of joining the atmos design team. I’m so lucky.”

Until today, traveling has been deeply ingrained into his design process. Walking around the streets in new places fuels his inspiration. For Koji, idea comes from personal experience. It cannot be searched on the internet.

“You cannot stay in the same place if you are in a creative team. You have to see new things, meet new people and talk to people from different generations. You have to understand what the youths are up to. Let me ask you guys, how often do you watch TV?”

As a Japanese, Koji finds Asian countries more relevant to his taste than European countries. And there’s always something new in Asian sneaker scene. “If there’s something interesting, I’ll take pictures. Anything can be interesting. My wife thinks I’m weird.”

Most importantly, having faith and ambition is what keeps Koji going. During its initial release in 2006, atmos’ take on Nike’s Air Max 1 wasn’t a huge success as Koji recalled. Fast-forward to a decade after their launch, the shoes become an all-time favourite according to a poll by Nike to celebrate the10th anniversary of the Air Max.

“Luck plays a factor in your career, but you also have to believe in yourself. Don’t get stuck at one place. Whenever I see a nice pair of sneakers, I get goose bumps and I want to create better design than what I’ve seen and created before.”

Aside from ambition, business decision has to be taken into account. There will always be clash between the creative and business department. Finding a middle ground is necessary for both sides.

For instance, when the first Air Max 1 Retro launch hasn’t yet received much attention, the team has to find other collaborations and bring in more sneakers to keep sales afloat.

After the success of the Air Max 1, the retailer has to limit the shoes’ availability on stores to maintain the ‘rarity.’ Production quantity has to be carefully calculated to earn profit while not losing the exclusivity.

Like any other limited edition kicks, the resale market will follow suit. When reseller enters the equation, the original price hikes up. At the same time, that goes against Koji’s belief that sneakers should be available for everyone, not just the rich. But without reseller, it won’t be interesting.

“atmos would not be this big if I am too idealist. I have to keep sales afloat and take risks with my designs. But if I don’t do it, I will never know. A lot of stores that failed didn’t take risk.”

That formula drives atmos’ rapid expansion and innovation. Unlike previous atmos stores, the interior of atmos Indonesia store boasts a premium look. It is set to be the new benchmark for upcoming atmos stores in the Philippines and Malaysia.

Amid the fierce competition in the sneakers industry, atmos Indonesia’s grand opening managed to draw in 1,000 crowds. After the event, atmos’ Indonesian partners, 707 Group and MRA Group, reported high foot traffic. “Sales are better than expected,” said 707 Group President Marcel Lukman.

Regardless of its success and worldwide expansion, atmos maintains a small design team with Koji handling almost every design himself. In total, there are six designers working on atmos apparel and footwear design. On top of that, Koji is also responsible for training upcoming designers about atmos design DNA.

“Be passionate, be positive and believe in yourself because business has its ups and downs. Everyone has to start from bottom. I started as a shop staff. Show people you can do it. If your manager asks you to do something, do it. Don’t be lazy. It’s okay if you don’t know how to do it at first, but you have to try.”

Edit: The previous statement ‘Hidefumi Hommyo recruited Koji as design part-timer’ was mistranslated. Koji was a part-timer before Hidefumi Hommyo noticed his passion for sneakers.