Tabi Tabi In contrast to socks that, when pulled on, fit the foot snugly because of their elastic weave, tabi are sewn from cloth cut to form. They are open at the back so they can be slipped on and have a row of fasteners along the opening so they can be closed. Construction workers, farmers and gardeners, rickshaw-pullers, and other workmen often wear a type of tabi called . Made of heavier, tougher material and often having rubber soles, jika-tabi resemble boots and are outer footwear rather than socks. Like other tabi, jika-tabi are toe-divided so they can be worn
Jika-tabi used by the Japanese special forces, and were later a liability as the Allies’ rout and mopping up operation was aided by the distinctive boot tread pattern being easy to identify and follow through the muddy forests. Examples of the boots are held by the Australian War Memorial. Jika-tabi Also known (outside Japan) as "tabi boots", they are modelled on "tabi", traditional split-toe Japanese socks. Like other tabi, jika-tabi have a divided toe area so that they can in theory be worn with slip-on thonged footwear, but they are heavy-duty, and resemble boots. Tokujirō Ishibashi, a brother of Shōjirō Ishibashi