Kyusha is a Japanese word literally meaning old car. Given that, I suppose kyusha shoes could simply refer to wheels for old cars, but that’s not entirely what I’m interested in when I talk about kyusha shoes. If we define the term like that, we are forced to talk about a lot of things that don’t really interest me. Like Sportmax, and Axis, or Konig… or Rota. Lots of companies are now making wheels for “Old Cars”. That’s not to say I hate that there are now copies and clones of wheels that were produced 20 or 30 years ago all over the place. In some ways I actually think it’s great, and it’s a sure sign that the old Japanese car scene in North America has come a LOOONG ways in the past ten years. These clone wheels are often cheaper and better sized than their often bent and corroded “authentic” counterparts.

Still…many will argue a penalty is paid in quality, and there are countless examples of modern e-bay specials failing in catastrophic ways. This may or may not be a reasonable arguement. After all… how much life does a twenty year old wheel really have left… even if it was better engineered and constructed in the first place? There might be only one car on authentic kyusha wheels for every ten on new clones, but I can’t remember ever seeing an SSR or Advan center section separate from it’s shell. Furthermore, I don’t need a scale to know that my Sportmax aren’t anywhere near the 5kg that similarly sized wheels from SSR often are.

But the real reason this site isn’t about new clones, is because new clones are boring. Wheels are often the defining feature of a cars appearance, and I just plain don’t want to drive the same car as you. If I buy all my parts on ebay, or at the local shop then it’s pretty likely that somebody is going to bite my supposed “style.” Some people don’t care. Some people buy spinner hub caps and neon. Some people traded their busted Integra’s with Type-R badges and Mugen seat belt covers for AE86’s with tight fitting Rota’s and a “Nardi” Classic.

I’ve always driven AE86… and it’s important to me that be evident. Drive what YOU love, or go buy a magazine, some wheels off the back cover, and get off my website. I don’t actually feel that strongly… but at least you get the point. That’s what kyusha shoes are to me. One of a kind finds, that demonstrate a commitment to Japanese old car history and style. At some point, our cars evolve from race machines or street monsters, into items of nostalgia and experience. Brand new wheels on my bruised and worn car are equivalent to laser guided missiles on a P-51 Mustang, or a light saber on Wyatt Earp’s belt.