Tabi or Kinky?

Kinky vs. Tabi - recently on Broadway.

It's barefoot season.

Sensing the surface we walk on through the thousands of nerve endings (the last number I heard was 200.000) on the feet means communicating with the brain and rest of the body.  The feet get reflexed in other words, and this is exactly the reason why I got so curious about barefoot walking and wearing tabi (see photo, right side)


(To architects the design of the foot, the arch particularly, is a masterpiece, I read once.  Oh, arch, architects - lightbulb! And I totally agree for many other reasons.) 

 

Back to Tabi: In case you consider getting a pair of tabi boots to protect your feet when barefoot walking and get many of the benefits of barefoot walking, please, speak to your podiatrist in case of foot problems.

But what are tabi boots?
They are the shoes that Japanese construction workers wear.  They have a rubber sole but it is thin, the fabric used is cotton.  

Friendly warning 1:  You will become a more mindful walker and perhaps be less plugged in.  Walking will become the main activity when wearing tabi shoes.


Friendly warning 2: Tabis are addictive.
 
Once ready:  Start slowly; wear them inside first, then for short walks.

How to walk with tabis?  If walking on grass, soil, pebbles, which is so much better than on man made surfaces just walk normally but mindfully take the next step.

If walking on asphalt/concrete, walk as if you were walking on concrete with the awareness that you need to step more softly than you ever may have.  Do it softly like our furry friends, so bring all your attention to your feet.  Observe and literally ask yourself how to walk.  In other word: have beginner's mind.  Walk as if you have never walked before.  Tabi is a new reality.  
 
By the way, I  personally find myself lifting my feet much less to accomplish that. 

Sore Feet:  Your feet may get a bit sore in the beginning.
How about bathing them in warm water with a drop of lavender, getting a foot reflexology session.

My first pair of tabi:  After I bought mine a few years ago in San Francisco's Japan Town (it was the year R. ran the marathon).  I wore them once, did not like the way they looked, despite the fact that I thought about it for a really long time, regretted the purchase and put them into the closet until the following year.
I am not sure what prompted me to dig them out.  Perhaps it was the book "Born to Run." 
(Thank you, Arve, for reminding me to add this link).  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is into feet/ foot health/running.   

And that is when I fell in love with them.

I now have three pairs and want to grow old in them;-0.

The first pair is still my favorite.  The velcro closures allows for very smooth fit all around.  The color is a dark green.  They come up half my calves  The new ones are rather fancy looking; a bright red pair, a black and white pair.  They are shorter and do not have the velcro.  They have three clasps that need to go into loops.  It takes much longer to get them oh.  The top of the boots can be cuffed which displays the decorative lining.  The velcro is much better.  Perhaps instead of buying two pairs on sale, I should have gotten a more expensive pair that I like better.  I really wanted a copy of my first pair or the same in black or grey, a neutral color.  To intensify the barefoot experience I immediately removed all inserts they came with. 
   
Discovery.  I discovered cold weather tabi with a faux fur lining.  However, I love wearing my boots with thick wool socks (or smart wool socks).  I have not bothered getting the socks with the big toe separation.  I just create the division between hallux (big toe) with my finger before getting into the boots.  
 
Having worn my old tabis already for a while this spring makes me feel rather insecure when switching back to normal shoes, and even uncomfortably insecure when I wear heels.  This is an indicator about just how sensitive our body is, always busy picking up information, sending signals, always adjusting to new circumstances. 

I also spend some time fixing some minor tears.  

More and more my feet/body/mind want tabi, or similar so that my feet can do what they were designed to do. 
  
Here is the link to an article I wrote a few years ago that touches on "walking softly."