Split-Toed Socks Resonate With New Designs In Japan

One man in Japan's ancient capital Nara has put his all into fusing traditional "tabi" split-toed socks with modern socks and sneakers, and in the process created a new appreciation for footwear among overseas buyers.

Before the pandemic, he was annually selling about 2,800 pairs to foreign customers, according to a report by Mainichi Shimbun.

Tabi-style marathon shoes were developed by figures including Shiso Kanakuri, a marathon runner and Japan's first Olympian. They encourage the wearer to use the entire sole of the foot, thereby providing stable balance.

The shoes featured in public broadcaster NHK's 2019 historical TV drama series "Idaten," featuring Kanakuri. Over the years, their functionality has improved further, leading to the birth of tabi-style sneakers, socks, and slippers.

Shop Tabi-ji Nara-Sanjo in Nara's Tarui-cho district specializes in tabi-style sneakers, and is filled with colorful footwear, which primarily have divided toes and no shoelaces. The store's operations are presently compromised by the coronavirus pandemic, but in better days its products were popular with overseas customers, and sales were growing steadily.

"Half our customers were foreigners; we've had people from nearly 100 countries and regions visit our shop," said Ryo Yonehara, 41, president of specialty-store operator Tabi-Square Inc. "I'm glad we've been able to provide an opportunity for the world to learn about Japanese culture."

In his high school days, Yonehara wanted to sell milk around the world. To realize his dream, he spent nearly a month working and living on a dairy farm in Japan's northernmost prefecture Hokkaido. He later took a year's leave from high school to study in the U.S., where he realized he really didn't know Nara at all. On returning home, he began working part-time in the ancient city as a rickshaw operator.

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