Japanese Footwear

Japanese shoes both have a Y-shaped thong which is gripped between the big toe and the second toe and passes over the top of the foot. The sandals for women are round from the outside and the men have them like square like a shoe box. Japanese footwear is not seen that often these days as is usually only worn with other traditional clothing. Zori are sandals made from rice straw or lacquered wood and are worn for special occasions. Construction workers who can be seen in brightly colored overalls with very baggy trousers often wear jika tabi, cotton tabi shoes or boots with rubber soles. This form of footwear is not only distinctive, but extremely comfortable lightweight and practical. Japanese footwear allows free circulation of air around the feet, making it perfect for the hot humid summers of Japan.

In the United States we have a difference with the Japanese culture we don't have the same tradition of wearing sandals for special occasions. Instead men wear shoes and women wear high heels.