Jika-tabi shoes in some industries, many workers prefer them for the softness of their soles. This gives wearers tactile contact with the ground, and the concomitant gripping ability lets them use their feet more agilely than rigid-soled shoes allow. This is useful for workers who traverse girders on construction sites and need to be sure what is under their feet. Carpenters and gardeners wearing these boots can, if they wish, use their feet as an extra pair of hands, for example to hold objects in place. There is also a line of knee-high all-rubber jika-tabi that is used by workers in
Jika-tabi Other people also like wearing them for certain kinds of exercise, specifically trail-running, walking, and climbing. In recent years, jika-tabi have been seen in Hollywood movie productions. Examples include "The Wolverine", "47 Ronin", "Big Hero 6", "Star Trek", and "". In 2017, a report described how the World War 2 Battle of Milne Bay in Papua (now part of Papua New Guinea) was the first time that forces of the Allies of World War II saw Japanese "Kaigun Tokubetsu Rikusentai" (Special Naval Landing Forces) in action. The Allies had mostly Australian troops with some American units. The jika-tabi shoes were