Pre Margiela: Decoding the Interminable Journey of the Tabi Shoe
While searching through my mother's shoes for the perfect pair of heels to bring to my first semester of college, I stumbled upon an unusual sandal. This Nike rubber shoe was unique from regular sports sandals in that it featured a split toe from the tip to the mid-center of the toe-box. This sport sandal, The Nike Air Rift Breathe, found its inspiration from one of the most controversial trends, ‘The Tabi Shoe’.
The Tabi got its name from the original design that can date back to fifteenth century Japan, first taking form in socks. These socks were inspired by one of the biggest frowned-upon combinations in fashion history: “Socks and Sandals''. ‘Geta, or Zōri(sandals), were worn by many citizens of the working class. In hopes of making the shoe more comfortable to wear, the ‘Tabi Socks’ were invented with a divided toe design. By the 1900s, the invention was later modified into the ‘Jika-tabi shoe’. This shoe would be worn by farmers when working on dirt or grass, as well as fishermen who wore tabis with woven soles, hoping to catch dinner.
Although this creation was at first considered peculiar, the ‘tabi’ was revolutionized when one of the most visionary designers added his own stylistic choices to the shoe, making it his own.
Despite its awkward stitching and negative connotations, there is a reason why this peculiar blueprint was thought to have been created by one of the most visionary designers of our time. Martin Margiela, the prestigious Belgian fashion designer (founder of the luxury fashion house Masion Margiela), took the ‘jika-tabi’ and created an entire design of his own, causing a commotion within the fashion industry and its critics. In the late 1980’s, Martin was on a trip to Japan after recently leaving his job at the prestigious designer Jean Paul Gaultier. Margiela wanted something so eye-catching and unique that it made people uncomfortable… and that's what he created. In his 1988 inaugural titled “Construction and Interception,” Margiela debuted his take on Tabis. “They inspire complete strangers to stop me on the street to ask me if they're comfortable...They’re the most divisive thing I own” (Ssense editorial).
Searching through my mother’s shoes has depicted the evolution of trends, from the start of Martin's creative stroll through Japanese neighborhoods to finding themself alongside my mother’s vintage collection. It's safe to say that the “tabi” shoe is an eye-catching, unique, mom-approved shoe trend.
