Japanese Sandals

Before the shoe, Japan wore straw. The waraji, a sole woven from rice straw with rope cords that cross the foot and tie at the ankle, carried pilgrims and armies across the country; the zori, flat with a woven footbed, went with the kimono to anything that mattered; the plain straw sandal went everywhere else. All three sit flat, all three split between the first and second toe, and all three let the heel hang slightly over the back edge, which is the fit and not a fault. Four here, plus the wooden geta in their own collection, and this page is about which flat sandal does what.

Zori, waraji and the straw sandal: three shapes, one idea

The zori is the formal one: a black moulded sole, a footbed woven in a pale mat weave, and a padded black fabric thong. It is what goes with a kimono and white tabi socks to a ceremony, and it is the flat sandal that takes a wet pavement. The waraji is the oldest: a sole woven from straw cord in a tight oval, a straw loop at the toe, and rope cords that pass through side loops, cross the foot and tie at the ankle. It was the sandal of travellers and of the samurai on the march, and it still hangs at temple gates as an offering. The straw sandal is the everyday one: the same woven sole with a twisted straw rope thong between the toes and nothing else. And the wooden flip flop with a contoured footbed, a rubber-faced sole and a padded printed strap sits halfway between these and the geta.

How to wear a Japanese sandal

Bare feet in summer, tabi socks with the zori when it is formal or cold, and never an ordinary sock. The heel sits a little over the back edge; the strap sits between the first and second toe. A zori with a kimono is the ceremony; a straw sandal with a jinbei is the garden; waraji with rolled linen trousers and a white tee is the walk to the beach, and the cords tied at the ankle are the detail people ask about. The straw pairs are for dry days and soften with wear; the zori and the flip flop will take rain.

Sizing and care

Listed by foot length in centimetres with the US and EU equivalents on each page; measure heel to longest toe and take the size that matches or slightly exceeds it, remembering the overhang. Straw dries out if it stays wet, so let it dry in the shade, not the sun, and do not soak it. The zori wipes clean. Made to Japanese designs in Asia, and every page says so.

Japanese sandals: the questions we are asked

What is the difference between zori and geta?

Zori are flat, with a moulded or woven sole, and formal. Geta are wood, raised on two teeth, and for summer. Both have the thong between the first and second toe.

What are waraji?

The oldest Japanese sandal: a straw sole with rope cords that cross the foot and tie at the ankle. Worn by travellers, pilgrims and samurai; worn today with rolled trousers on a dry day.

Can I get straw sandals wet?

Briefly. Let them dry in the shade and they recover; soak them and they do not. For rain, the zori or the wooden flip flop.

Which sock goes with them?

Tabi, the split-toe sock, or none. An ordinary sock does not pass the thong and is the one mistake that shows.