Japanese traditional footwear is HANAO-straps completed by a craftsman installing
When shopping for traditional Japanese footwear, it is important to choose a store that has expert installation craftsmen on staff. This is because a store specializing in traditional Japanese footwear is not a store that sells ready-made products like a typical shoe store.
Geta and Zori step soles (the part the foot rests on) are not sized in 5mm increments like shoes. This is because they can accommodate any foot shape, depending on how the HANAO straps are fitted.
The original Japanese footwear store is a semi-custom manufacturing and retailing business, where stepsoles and HANAO straps are made by each expert craftsman, and finally each pair is made in-store by the footwear store’s installation craftsman to fit the customer’s feet.
Traditional footwear shops with skilled installers have become a rarity even in Japan.
Therefore, even products that look the same will be completely different in comfort depending on the HANAO-straps installation technique. Unless you understand how to wear, walk, and even stand HANAO-straps differently from shoes, you will not be able to show the best of Japanese footwear.
However, there are very few shops that know the true nature of Japanese footwear, and more and more shops are selling ready-made products such as shoes. In addition, many products are no longer HANAO adjustable straps. Please visit Tsujiya Honten, where you will find craftsmen who know the best of traditional Japanese footwear, and get your own authentic Japanese footwear.
