BEGIN Japanology

Feb. 11, Thu. 0:30 - 1:00(UTC) etc.

"Footwear"

Before Western-style shoes were adopted in the mid-19th century, what kind of footwear did Japanese people use in their daily lives?

Raised wooden clogs called geta and straw sandals called zori are still a common sight today - but behind their simple, practical appearance lie centuries of development in both function and design. Originally a means to help farmers move around in waterlogged rice paddies, traditional Japanese footwear is made from plant materials and colorful fabrics, decorated with lacquer, carvings and intricate inlays.

Fashion is part of the story, and influenced the evolution of a distinctive way of walking, in which the feet move smoothly forward and body movement is kept to a minimum.

On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, we look at how the form and etiquette of Japanese footwear have evolved, and find out why having your geta made to order is always better than buying them off the shelf.