are traditional Japanese

sock A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

s worn with thonged footwear such as

zori Zori (), also rendered as zōri ( ja, , ), are thonged Japanese sandals made of rice straw, cloth, lacquered wood, leather, rubber, or—most commonly and informally—synthetic materials. They are a slip-on descendant of the tied-on sandal. ...

, dating back to the

15th century The 15th century was the century which spans the Julian dates from 1 January 1401 ( MCDI) to 31 December 1500 ( MD). In Europe, the 15th century includes parts of the Late Middle Ages, the Early Renaissance, and the early modern period. M ...

History

Japanese are usually understood today to be a kind of split-toed sock that is not meant to be worn alone outdoors, much like regular socks. However, were originally a kind of leather shoe made from a single animal hide, as evidenced by historical usage and the earlier form of the word, , written , with the kanji literally signifying "single hide".'' Nihon Kokugo Daijiten'', entry for tabi available onlin
here
(in Japanese)'' Dajirin'', second edition, 1995'' Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten'', fifth edition, 1997 As Japanese footwear evolved, also changed, with the split-toe design emerging towards the late Heian period (794–1185 CE) to allow the wearer to accommodate the thong of straw sandals to reinforce the sole.'' Sekai Dai Hyakka Jiten'', second edition, entry available onlin
here
(in Japanese) Outdoor versions of involved some kind of reinforcement, with soles traditionally made of cloth, leather, or straw. Brothers Tokujirō Ishibashi and Shōjirō Ishibashi, founders of the tyre company

Bridgestone is a Japanese multinational tire manufacturer founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (1889–1976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of , meaning 'stone bridge' in Japan ...

, are credited with the invention of rubber-soled in 1922;'' Encyclopedia Nipponica'', entry available onlin
here
(in Japanese)'' Encyclopædia Britannica International'', entry available onlin
here
(in Japanese)'' Mypedia'', entry available onlin
here
(in Japanese)'' Sekai Dai Hyakka Jiten'', second edition, entry available onlin
here
(in Japanese) these are now the dominant form of outdoor , and the term generally refers to the indoor form.

Use

Behind the Scenes of the WIPO Assemblies 2018

are worn by both men and women, with traditional formal footwear such as

, and sometimes the less-formal geta. are typically worn with clothing such as kimono. are sewn with a divided toe, in order to be worn with thonged footwear. Historically, most people in Japan wore , as most Japanese footwear was thonged; however, some, such as upper-class courtesans and the geisha of Fukagawa did not wear them, as the bare foot was considered to be erotic in

Japanese culture The culture of Japan has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Historical overview The ance ...

. Others, such as lower-working class members of society who could not afford , either did not wear them or wore boots such as instead. In traditional Japanese spaces and buildings, such as Noh theatres, teahouses and for traditional stage performances, must be worn, and shoes are not worn inside or on stage.

Styles

The most common color of is white, which represents purity. White are worn in formal situations such as tea ceremonies. Men sometimes will wear blue or black for traveling. Colored are also available, and are sometimes used in kabuki theatre as part of a character's costume, or are worn with more casual outfits as fashion. Traditionally, are sewn from cloth cut to form. They are open at the back to be slipped on and have fasteners along the opening (known as ) so they can be closed. sewn from stretch material without fasteners are also available.

One distinctive style of are . Made of heavier, tougher material and often having rubber soles, resemble
boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is cle ...
s and are outer footwear rather than socks. Like other , also have divided toes.

Modern versions

Contemporary socks—socks with a separation between the big toe and the rest of the toes—are also available. This reflects the number of people who still prefer to wear zori and geta, especially during Japan's hot, humid summers. Modern occasionally have elastic openings instead of fasteners. Belgian

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

house Maison Margiela has released modern boots with a separated big toe since the late 1980s-early 1990s. A related item are toe socks, which have five separate compartments; these are known as in Japanese.

Gallery

File:Theatrical costume MET CI46.9.73ef F.jpg, Cotton-paper , 1700s File:Tabi (Japan, early 20th century).jpg, Cloth with ties, early 1900s File:Japanese socks,shiro-tabi,gyoda-city,japan.JPG, Modern with hook-and-loop fasteners File:Flip-Flops socks.jpg, Knitted stretch-on , no fasteners File:足袋 (4846978908).jpg, Sheer File:Tabi 足袋 (2461775040).jpg, Woven File:Gyoda Tabi 2020-11 ac (5).jpg, Close-up of File:４．「おさえ」工程専用のミシンGyoda Tabi.jpg, Sewing the loops File:Gyoda Tabi 2020-10 ac (2).jpg, Brightly-patterned File:Kutsu 1.JPG, Leather , Edo period (1603–1867), precursors to modern File:Kutsu 2.JPG, with reinforced hobnailed soles, Edo period File:Weighing a Basket in Japan (1912 by Elstner Hilton).jpg, Farmworkers wearing outdoor , 1912 File:Marathon Tabi from Idaten.jpg, Early 20th century cloth-soled boots (reconstruction of 1912 marathon ) File:Showing Off His Catch on the river in Japan (1915 by Elstner Hilton).jpg, A fisherman wearing with sewn-on woven-straw soles, 1915

References

External links

The Museum of website

at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

at the University of Michigan Museum of Art

at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Maison Martin Margiela: Women's boots at the RISD Museum
{{Authority control Samurai clothing Socks Japanese footwear Japanese words and phrases