Creativity, functionality and form has been the backbone of designing for our Artefact line. For the new accessory line up we take an added approach by incorporating a heritage and cultural element with our tabi socks that provide health benefits, comfort and style.
Our new tabi socks take inspiration from the Japanese tabi, that originated as pouched shaped footwear introduced to Japan through trade with China. The socks then evolved to better accommodate traditional Japanese thong sandals, the Zōri and Geta.
1) Women wearing Geta with tabi socks
2) Traditional tabi socks
3) Traditional Zōri sandals
The tabi remained a staple in Japanese culture but only came into the limelight in western media when Margiela showed the iconic tabi boots in his debut fashion show in 1988. Soon after, multiple adaptations of the tabi surface such as the Nike Aqua rift and ISPA Drifter. The silhouette has also been seen on runways such as Prada, Thom Browne and Balenciaga.
Besides the popularity of the tabi, the design also provides health benefits for the user. They are thought to have better feet and ground awareness thus improving mobility and agility. They also help strengthen the intricate muscle within the feet which helps with posture and engages the core muscles.
Using the same essence of the traditional tabi socks, we put a little spin on it for our variation. Coming in two different cuts: the boat cut that sits just below the ankle and a longer crew cut. Like the traditional tabi it is made of mostly natural materials, ours being 75% cotton which helps with wicking and an added 25% spandex to ensure a better fit. The socks provide a snug comfortable fit and a soft lushes touch making it a joy to wear.
They also come in multiple colours that could be easily paired with various tabi footwear such as the the Margiela x reebok sneaker to cater to your sports luxe outfits or the with a pair of Suicoke tabi sandals or Abasi Rosborough Technical tabi boot for your utilitarian needs.
The socks also embodies our beliefs on waste reduction by giving new life to leftover paracord and cardstock from previous collections to be repurposed as the tabi sock’s packaging.
Credits:
Shot & Edited: Hamkah Latib
Art Direction: Kezia Teng
Text: Ho Jia Hong
More info on tabis:
Tabi Sock info:
https://www.kineyatabi.com/discover-1/what-is-tabi/
Tabi Shoes info:
https://www.ssense.com/en-us/editorial/fashion/the-uncanny-appeal-of-margielas-tabi-boots
Images:
Geta: https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/3830/
Margiela Tabis: http://evenmagazine.com/martin-margiela/