Tabi

 are traditional Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear dating back to the 15th century.
Use.
 are worn by both men and women, with traditional formal footwear such as , and sometimes the less-formal . are typically worn with clothing such as kimono. are sewn with a divided toe, in order to be worn with thonged footwear.
Historically, most people in Japan wore , as most Japanese footwear was thonged; however, some, such as upper-class courtesans and the geisha of Fukagawa did not wear them, as the bare foot was considered to be erotic in Japanese culture. Others, such as lower-working class members of society who could not afford , either did not wear them or wore boots such as instead.
In traditional Japanese spaces and buildings, such as Noh theatres, teahouses and for traditional stage performances, must be worn, and shoes are not worn inside or on stage.
Styles.
The most common color of is white. White are worn in formal situations such as tea ceremonies. Men sometimes will wear blue or black for traveling. Colored are also available, and are sometimes used in kabuki theatre as part of a character's costume, or are worn with more casual outfits as fashion.
Traditionally, are sewn from cloth cut to form. They are open at the back to be slipped on and have fasteners along the opening so they can be closed. sewn from stretch material without fasteners are also available.
One distinctive style of are . Made of heavier, tougher material and often having rubber soles, resemble boots and are outer footwear rather than socks. Like other , are toe-divided.
Modern versions.
Contemporary socks—socks with a separation between the big toe and the rest of the toes—are also available. This reflects the number of people who still prefer to wear and , especially during Japan's hot, humid summers.
Modern occasionally have elastic openings instead of fasteners.
Belgian fashion house Maison Margiela has released modern boots with a separated big toe since the late 1980s-early 1990s.
A related item are toe socks, which have five separate compartments; these are known as in Japanese.