How Margiela’s Tabi turned into a cult
Leading to the debut show in 1988, ambitious to create a shoe as never seen before, Martin Margiela recalled the Japanese workers he saw in Tokyo and their flat cotton tabi shoes. He adapted the split-toe silhouette onto a leather boot with a block heel. To accent the footwear, Margiela smudged the shoes with red paint, allowing models to leave split-toed footprints on a white cloth laid out on the catwalk. Soon after the spectacular presentation, Tabi became the attribute of the anti-fashion movement.
Tabi shoes have been rather undesirable for those outside of the accompanying aesthetic, though, within it, Tabi became collectible. The situation began to change in 2021, with a breakthrough in September 2023, when the story of the stolen Tabi went viral in the media, catapulting the shoes to the top of Lyst’s list of the hottest products. The interest in Tabi shoes has continued to grow ever since, with the ever-increasing number of Tabi variations from ballet flats to Mary-Janes to loafers and brogues offered by Maison Margiela.
