Tabis were once just loved by a select set of fashion insiders, but now the divisive shoe style has been emerging into the mainstream. Although they’re growing in popularity, admittedly they’re still not for everyone. I recently polled my fellow Good Housekeeping colleagues to see how they feel about the split-toe shoe, and the overwhelming majority of my coworkers are anti-tabi. One confused staffer asked, “Doesn't this make a foot look like an animal hoof?” And to that I say: exactly.
I’m an analyst in the Textiles Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, but I used to teach fashion history and studied the social psychology of dress, so I love delving into the background of trends and exploring why we wear what we wear. If you haven’t deduced already, I’m also an avid tabi and split-toe shoe supporter. (They’re weird in a good way and add another level of interesting to my outfits!).
Still, the footwear had me wondering a few things: Are they as popular as I think they are, or is this just my fashion bubble? Would a podiatrist recommend them or tell me to avoid them like the plague? And where on earth did this weird shoe come from? I felt it was time to investigate.
What exactly is a tabi?
Tabi is a name used today to describe a split-toe style shoe. Rather than the standard footwear design with one toe box for your toes to wiggle together freely, a tabi shoe splits the toe box into two: one separated space for your big toe and another larger space for the rest of your toes. And, yes, this does create the look of a cloven animal hoof, as observed by my colleague. But that wasn’t the initial intent of the now fashion-forward shoe, which was actually designed with practicality and well-being in mind.
How tabi shoes came to be
There are a couple of different theories as to the origins of the tabi shoe, but the most widely accepted one is that the tabi started as a sock when cotton was first imported to Japan from China in the 15th century. These split-toe socks were made to be paired with the traditional Japanese geta shoe, which has a wooden sole and thong design.
Eventually, in the early 1900s, the bottom piece of the cotton tabi socks was replaced with a rubber sole. This new style of shoe was known as jika-tabi and was worn by manual laborers—think farmers and construction workers—because it was thought to promote balance and mobility.
The shoes were popular in Japan but were not well-known elsewhere until 1951 when Shigeki Tanaka won the Boston Marathon wearing a pair of split-toe shoes designed by the brand Onitsuka Tiger. Tabis were given a global stage, but they weren’t catching on with the general public.
Everything changed when fashion designer Martin Margiela incorporated tabis into his runway debut in 1988. Feeling inspired after a trip to Japan, Margiela created his own take on the shoe. During the show finale, a parade of models wearing Tabi boots walked the stage. To emphasize the split-toe design, Margiela had the models step in red paint, leaving behind a trail of cloven-hoof prints on a fabric runner. For his next show, Margiela used that same Tabi-print fabric in one of his clothing designs, and the rest is history. His brand became synonymous with Tabi shoes. Of course, Margiela isn’t the inventor of the tabi, but he did bring the shoe into the mainstream.
Other brands started to latch onto the newfound tabi intrigue, including Nike. In 1996, Nike launched the Air Rift—one of my personal favorite sneakers. The split-toe running shoes were inspired by Kenyan long-distance runners who famously run barefoot. They were designed to encourage natural motion while running.
Over the years, the Margiela Tabi shoe has been “duped” by dozens of brands, including other luxury designers like Prada and Vetements.
We’re seeing tabis everywhere
In the 2020s, slowly but then all at once, the tabi trend began to gain speed. Margiela Tabis weren’t even that popular with celebrities before, but they are now worn by famous figures like Dua Lipa, Jonathan Bailey, Zendaya, Emma Chamberlain, and Kylie Jenner. And they’re being produced by more affordable brands like Jeffery Campbell and Steve Madden. My fellow tabi-loving coworker just spotted some on the shelf at a local T.J. Maxx. Some people are offended by the mass acceptance of a style that was once only worn by those who are ‘in-the-know’ with more avant-garde taste, while others are ‘pro tabis for all’ and encourage the democratization of fashion.
I fall more into the ‘pro tabis for all’ bucket. I’ve owned a couple of pairs of tabis over the years (never Margiela because I unfortunately can’t justify a $1,050 pair of flats while paying NYC rent), and I love that they’re now more accessible than ever before. I just hope that regardless of price point or designer, people buy tabis to wear them longer term, rather than to jump on the current trend and get rid of them when they start to lose traction.
Can tabis be bad for your feet?
It’s one thing to love how tabis look, but I have always wondered if they’re good for my feet. Listen, I am not one to choose comfort or practicality over fashion, so I’m wearing my tabis regardless, but I have been asked by plenty of friends, family members, and strangers who are all wondering if the shoes hurt my toes. I think they’re more comfortable than many of my other shoes. Plus, the Japanese developed tabis for holistic health reasons, and Nike’s Air Rifts were made to encourage the natural motion of the foot, so I always just assumed they were a good idea to wear.
I reached out to Dr. Rajat Lahiri, a podiatric physician with Bay Area Foot Care, to find out. He says tabi-style shoes aren’t necessarily bad for your feet. In fact, depending on your foot, the shoe could pose some benefits. “For people with narrower feet whose toes tend to crowd together, separating the big toe from the second toe may help reduce rubbing between the toes and prevent irritation or sores from the toes pressing against each other.”
However, if you deal with significant bunions or hammertoes, Dr. Lahiri warns against the shoes. “The split-toe design can limit the available space in the toe box, and if the toes are already deformed or stiff, forcing them into a different position can create pressure and discomfort.”
Ultimately, it’s up to you and your preferences. He emphasized, “The most important thing is that the shoe feels comfortable on your foot and doesn’t force your toes into a position that causes pain or pressure.”
I would have worn my tabis anyway because they’re cute and comfortable, but I’m happy to have peace of mind that they’re not causing my feet harm. I’ve worn my Nike Air Rift split-toe shoes walking 20,000+ steps around NYC without pain because they’re similar to a running shoe, and my regular tabi flats are great for a day in the office and a few errands. That said, the first time I tried a pair of tabis on, my feet felt a little confused about the separated space, but now, it feels much more natural. And in case you were wondering how socks fit into the equation with tabis, I wear my tabi shoes both with and without socks. You can buy tabi-specific socks, but I’ve found that any relatively thin sock folds nicely between the split toe and doesn’t bunch up or feel uncomfortable.
Tabi takeaways
Whether you like them or not, tabis are seemingly here to stay—I mean, they have lasting power, since they’ve technically been around for centuries. Tabis may not remain as popular as they are in this moment, but I’m betting that the acceptance of tabis by the mainstream is setting us up for more weird and exciting designs to take hold in the near future. I always feel confident in my pierced-toe Tory Burch flats and have been saving for some lace-up sneaker heels and John Fluevog winklepicker-style pointy-toe shoes. But if you’re considering dipping your (split) toes into the weird-shoes waters, tabis are a great place to start.
