Explainer / Love it or hate it? Why the Maison Margiela Tabi is a cult classic: Olivia Rodrigo and Dua Lipa are fans of the subversive split-toe shoe with 15th century origins – and it’s going viral on TikTok too
For the past three decades, the Maison Margiela Tabi has divided opinions much like the shoe separates toes. Known as one of fashion’s most subversive shoes, the hooflike Tabi is certainly not for everyone, but it’s definitely not going anywhere. In fact, the cult classic’s following is only growing larger thanks to social media and a new legion of celebrity fans.
In fact, the tabi existed before luxury fashion houses did. The silhouette dates back to socks from 15th century Japan. The divided toe design was specially crafted to be worn with traditional thong sandals. By the 1900s, rubber soles were added and the design became a shoe called the jika-tabi. According to holistic reflexology, the Japanese split-toe design is meant to increase balance and a clear mind.
And that’s exactly why designer Martin Margiela was prompted to create a luxury version. During the late 1980s, the Belgian designer visited Japan after leaving his role at Jean Paul Gaultier. He was in the process of starting his very own fashion label, Maison Martin Margiela, and was looking for inspiration for a shoe unlike any other. And boy, did he find it.
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In his 2019 documentary Martin Margiela: In His Own Words, he explained: “My memory went back to the day we went to Tokyo for the first time, when we saw street workers in their flat cotton tabi shoes,” he said. “I thought, OK, why shouldn’t I do a soft Tabi shoe but on a high heel? And then the idea was born.”
By 1989, the Tabi boot debuted on Margiela’s inaugural spring/summer show, where models covered in lab coats and red paint walked down a white fabric runway leaving a trail of cloven-hoof footprints.
“I thought the audience should notice the new footwear,” Margiela wrote in the book Footprint: The Track of Shoes. “And what would be more evident than its footprint?”
The shoe certainly turned heads, but it wasn’t an instant hit. Margiela also had budget limitations in the early days, which meant he had to repurpose his unsold boots for upcoming shows by repainting them in different colours. “In the beginning, there was no budget for a new form, so I had no other choice than to continue with [the Tabi] if I wanted shoes,” Margiela wrote in his book.
The hand-painted Tabi quickly became synonymous with the fashion house and demand started to increase. “After several collections people started asking for [the Tabi],” he said. “And they wanted more … and they didn’t stop asking, thank God.”
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There is even more demand for the unusual footwear 35 years later. Current creative director John Galliano embraced the signature shoe after Margiela’s departure from the fashion house. The Tabi boot has since expanded into everything from ballerina pumps and lace-ups to heels and even men’s footwear.
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The renewed interest in the Margiela Tabi is very much evident online too. Instagram accounts like @margielatab1 continue to create buzz and intrigue around the footwear, while the hashtag #margielatabi is currently clocking up millions of views on TikTok.
Just last month, New York designer Alexis Dougé went viral on TikTok after her male Tinder date stole her Maison Margiela Tabi Mary-Janes, worth US$990. After plenty of online drama, the thief was revealed to have a girlfriend who he gifted the Tabi shoes to. His girlfriend found out and made him return the shoes to Dougé at NYC’s Grand Central Station, which she also shared on her TikTok account. Of course, that video went viral too.
- Belgian designer Martin Margiela visited Japan after leaving Jean Paul Gaultier in the late 1980s and saw street workers wearing tabi shoes – then he made the split-toe design central to his label
- The Tabi boot debuted in Maison Margiela’s inaugural spring/summer show in 1989 – 35 years later, Jessica Parker, Dua Lipa, Nick Jonas and Olivia Rodrigo are all fans