What exactly is the purpose of having the compartment for
the big toe separate from the compartment for the other
four in ninja shoes?
“The split toe feature is designed to improve the foot’s gripping ability.”
That and they just look so… Ninja-y!
Tabi are worn to allow the wearer to also wear his/her sandals (geta or zori) Just like we wear flip-flops. Or some people do, I find them vastly uncomfortable.
Quote:
“The Japanese usually wear shoes like those worn in Western nations. However, geta, or wooden clogs, and zori, or rubber or straw sandals, are still worn with kimonos. Socks called tabi are worn with geta and zori. The tabi have a separate place for the big toe—the geta or zori strap is held between it and the other toes. Japanese now wear Western hairstyles. The elaborate hairstyles Japanese women formerly wore are now used only at weddings or by entertainers in the theater and hostesses at geisha houses.”
Separating the big toe from the others makes it easier to maintain balance on thin platforms like tree limbs, window ledges and whatnot. It’s hard to look cool doing ninja stuff if you keep falling out of the tree.
I don’t have a cite but if you contact Century or another martial arts supplier, I’d bet they’d confirm this.
Check out http://www.imperialweapons.com or http://www.tigerstrike.com or http://www.ninja-weapons.com
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Or, if you’re a ninja, I’m sure it would also improve gripping ability.
My mom wouldn’t let me play ninja in my nice black socks, so I never got to find if that’s true or not…
Ninja shooz?
Ninja shooz!
Got to get me a pair of them Ninja Shooz!
With the big toe seperate from my little 'tooz.
Got’s to get a pair of them Ninja Shooz!
Got swords and stars and nunchuck-ooz!
But my footwear’s definatly givin’ me the 'blooz.
These second-rate sneakers just will not do!
Black and stealthy with the big toe loose.
Got to get me a pair of them Ninja Shooz!
(sigh)
If only I could play the guitar.
Japanese carpenters that work traditionally also wear ninja boots. The company I work for had sent a photographer to Japan to illustrate an article on Japanese industries and it was in some of the shots he sent back. Looked a little dangerous…wonder if they make steel toed ninja boots. Heh.
[hijack]Amazing Magic Gro-Monster, did you write that “Ninja Shooz” thing yourself? That was the funniest things I have read on this board, and it would actually make a good song if it isn’t already.[/hijack]
That should be one of the funniest. Preview is my friend…
Hey, thank you mobo! You’ve made my day. I was feeling a bit like a goofball after posting my silly little song.
“Ninja boots” are peoperly called “jika-tabi” not “tabi” tabi are generally white soft socks worn with geta or zori (Japanese traditional sandals) Jika-tabi are the black canvas rubber soled boots worn by constuction workers, carpenters, tree trimers, and other manual labor types (who, according to an old textbook I had, are also known as jika-tabi). They are not steel-toed or protective in any way. I knew an American guy who worked as a carpenter for a few years here. He had some fun horror stories about guys loosing toes or even feet. Ouch.