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 rice fields and/or wet and muddy environments. In more recent years, jika-tabi manufacturers, like Marugo and Rikio have introduced the "steel toe" and "hard resin" versions which are approved by the Japan Occupational Safety and Health Resource Center (JOSHRC). A variation on the jika-tabi, called the matsuri tabi, is so called because it is most commonly worn during festivals. It differs from the regular jika-tabi in having extra cushioning for the sole. Outside Japan, where they are available from online and martial-arts shops, jika-tabi are appreciated by practitioners of the martial art of Bujinkan budo taijutsu, especially when training outdoors.