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are traditional Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear such as zori, dating back to the 15th century.


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 are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used, along with the subsequ ...
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 The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japan ...
(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, 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

are worn by both men and women, with traditional formal footwear such as zori, and sometimes the less-formal geta. are typically worn with clothing such as
kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The 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 Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or othe ...
and the geisha of Fukagawa did not wear them, as the bare foot was considered to be erotic in Japanese culture. 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 An East Asian tea ceremony, or ''Chádào'' (), or ''Dado'' ( ko, 다도 (茶道)), is a ceremonially ritualized form of making tea (茶 ''cha'') practiced in East Asia by the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans. The tea ceremony (), literally transl ...
. Men sometimes will wear blue or black for traveling. Colored are also available, and are sometimes used in
kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance- drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought ...
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 Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...
soles, resemble boots 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 fash ...
house
Maison Margiela Maison Margiela, formerly ''Maison Martin Margiela'', is a French luxury fashion house founded by Belgian designer Martin Margiela andJenny Meirensin 1988 and headquartered in Paris. The house produces both haute couture-inspired artisanal colle ...
has released modern boots with a separated big toe since the late 1980s-early 1990s. A related item are
toe socks Toe socks (also known as fingersocks, glove socks, 5-toe socks or digital socks) are socks that have been knitted so that each toe is individually encased the same way as fingers within a glove. All sock lengths are available as toe socks, from n ...
, 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 The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...
(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


See also

* Zori * * * Geta


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