It’s not like you’ll see actual Japanese people wearing these on a daily basis anymore, but tabi socks, which have a split toe, used to be very popular, especially because they could be worn with geta sandals or flip flops. Nowadays they are still worn sometimes, especially for traditional occasions such as tea ceremonies or temple visits and paired with yukatas (or kimonos). Traditionally they were custom made and fastened to the shin, but today you can find much more practical versions with elastic weave that cling to the foot just like regular socks. Me not being a fan of walking barefoot, and sometimes having cold feet when wearing flip flops at home, I have a couple of pairs to go with my loungewear or pijamas. I find them incredibly comfortable worn with Havaianas.
Japanese tabi socks by Muji
I got my first pair in Japan, but Muji also carries a variety of solid-colored versions. Go to www.muji.com for locations in the US, or shop online at muji.co.uk.
[...] return of tabi socks About a month ago, I wrote a post about tabi socks and recommended a pair from MUJI. Yesterday, while browsing a catalog from UncommonGoods, I came [...]