Much More Than a Shoe - Freddie Gibbs and Mizuno Team Up: A sabukaru Documentary

Far from Gary, Indiana, Freddie Gibbs has built a musical legacy that not only made him a hometown hero but a global superstar. That kind of talent is few and far between. Recognizing that influence, Mizuno, the brand that started humbly in 1906 in Osaka through the Mizuno brothers’ mutual love for Western culture like baseball, chose Gibbs as their first non-sporting Global Brand Ambassador for Mizuno Sportstyle. That decision speaks volumes to the international reach of Gangsta Gibbs and his flows.

To commemorate this colossal collaboration and bridging of cultures, sabukaru went to Osaka to film a documentary about the process. Sumo wrestlers, fast cars, and home runs, this was a deepening, not the beginning, of Gibbs’ connection with Japan and Mizuno. From our creative agency Bianco Bianco producing his short film in 2024, Alfredo: The Movie, here in Japan to Gibbs performing at Mizuno Sportstyle’s showroom at Paris Fashion Week in June 2025, that much is clear.

As the documentary continues, we travel to Tokyo where Gibbs put on a show at Soho House and visited key stores across the city. It’s the kind of story that captures the environment of the room. The budding talks of what the future will look like, the laughter and presence of the present, and the honoring of the tradition of the past, this documentary traverses through time, setting its aim towards a promising future between Gibbs and Mizuno.

Please check out the full documentary here.

Credits:

Production: Bianco Bianco

EP: Marta Espinosa

Producer: Ryosuke Oki

DP:  Yutaka Akiyama

AC:  Kaiji Takaoka

Photographer: Adi Putra

Photo Assistant: Takumi Yamazaki

Editor: Evan Amezcua

Colorist: Mayumi Comley

Words: Josh Moore