Fukuoka shoemaker helps Olympic skaters put best foot forward

A 61-year-old shoemaker based in the southern Japanese city of Fukuoka has played his part in Japan's Beijing Winter Olympic speed skating medal-winning exploits by getting his shoes on the feet of some of the nation's best.Hisataka Oi has a group of ambassadors that speak for themselves, like Wataru Morishige, who won bronze in the men's 500 meters, and Tatsuya Shinhama, who finished 20th in the same event held Feb. 12 at the National Speed Skating Oval.As a former short track speed skater himself, Oi knows the importance of having footwear that fits properly and takes his job very serious…READ FULL ARTICLE