December 12, 2013

[Jap Culture] Japanese Traditional Footwear

A. Geta
- It's a type of footwear which is elevated due to practical reasons. It is commonly used to protect one's feet from getting wet from rainwater or snow.
- Oval geta for women; rectangular geta for men. ;3

B. Merchant's Geta
- Higher teeth (elevation), to protect one's feet from getting dirty/wet from the marketplace/trading area.

C. Okobo (Geta)
- Special geta meant to be used by geisha-in-training (also called maiko). Red straps represent newbie geisha.

D. Zōri
- Flat, slightly more formal than geta, usually associated with the kimono (geta --> yukata).

E. Tabi
- Japanese socks with toe separation between big toe and other 4 toes.

F. Jika-tabi (Tabi boots)
- (literally "tabi that contact the ground") 20th century modified tabi. They are heavy-duty (with rubber soles) and are meant to be used outdoors.

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Did you know that according to Japanese superstition, breaking the thong/strap on one's geta is considered very unlucky!
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