4 Most Famous Traditional Types of Japanese Shoes

4 Most Famous Traditional Types of Japanese Shoes

The Netherlands is famous for their traditional wooden clogs, Turkey for their pointed slippers, and Japan?
They, of course, have traditional shoes of their own!
The pretty ones are meant for celebration, while the simple ones are for everyday life.
You might have seen some of them in movies, manga, anime, or even in real life on the streets of Japan.
Here are the most famous ones:

1. Geta

These rather cool-looking shoes are basically a mix between wooden clogs and the flip-flops we know from summer.
The main board is called “dai” (台), with “hanao” (鼻緒) being the cloth that goes in between the big toe and the other toes.
They are meant to protect the feet from the ground that is why its teeth, or “ha” (歯) in Japanese, the one to two additional pieces under, have different heights varying from low to some being extremely high.
The ones maikos sometimes wear can have a platform at the bottom and are very high at times.

2. Zori

If you are looking for more casual ones, a pair of zori will help you.
The zori has been regarded as formal footwear rather than the geta and is worn with kimono in the ancient times.
However, these days, there are a variety of zori and people often wear it casually.
It is traditionally made of straw but some are made of cloth, and with simple instructions, you can make your own pair!

3. Jika-tabi

You might have heard of “tabi” socks – socks that have the big toe separated from the rest of the other toes.
The jika-tabi shoes are similar in shape but have a rubber sole at the bottom and are usually higher than just socks.
Nowadays, workmen and carpenters especially wear these shoes for comfortable working.

4. Waraji

The waraji is similar to the zori made of straw, with the difference that they are a bit simpler and have straps to tie around your ankles.
It fits the feet better than the zori so people use it when walking on mountains or when traveling long distance.

After having read about these 4 types of footwear, which ones have you seen in real life or are you familiar with?
Are you interested in trying and wearing a pair to have that authentic traditional Japanese experience?