I have been a fan of Margiela tabi shoes since 2010, back when I was a
senior in high school. My first pair wasnt until I was 25 and they were
black canvas tabi booties with gold coin details on them. I got them for
half the price of retail which at the time was about $800. Since my
first pair I have been hooked on the brand and the back ground of tabi
shoes with the split toe detail.
Maison Margiela introduced the split toe tabi boot to his collections in
1988. It then became a staple piece in his house for decades now. The
tabi silhouette comes from 15th century Japan, where socks were
beginning to be mass produced with imported cotton from China, and
featured the divided toe design crafted to be worn with traditional
thonged sandals. The Tabi socks later became a symbol of a hierarchical
societal status, with gold and purple socks being worn by the upper
class. Commoners wore blue, and the samurai could wear any hue except
the aforementioned. The design was later elevated with rubber soles for
outdoor wear in the 1900s, called the “Jika-Tabi,” which are still worn
today as workwear shoes, as the split-toe design promotes both balance
and a clear mind, according to holistic reflexology.
Over the years the tabi was designed for women but became unisex over
time. Now there are loafers and mary janes and heels, sandals and more.
Over the years i have collected over 10 pair in different styles from
sneakers all the way to the boots. As someone who was once new to
margiela tabi shoes, I recommend checking them out on the website or
even second- hand markets suchs as Ebay,Vestiare Collective or Poshmark.
You never know hat you may find and you will come out with a great deal
and a brand new pair of shoes.
Check out Best of Margiela Tabi