Zōri and Tabi

Zōri (草履^?) are flat and thonged Japanese sandals made of rice straw or other plant fibers, cloth, lacquered wood, leather, rubber, or—increasingly—synthetic materials.

Zōri are quite similar to flip-flops, which first appeared in New Zealand and the United States sometime around World War II as rubber imitations of the wooden thong sandals long worn in Japan.

The traditional forms of zōri are seen when worn with other traditional clothing; modern forms are fairly common, especially in summer. While geta are nowadays worn with the informal yukata, zōri are associated with the more formal kimono. The formality of the occasion affects the choice of kimono and zōri. The bulrush covered zōri that resemble tatami mats are not used with kimono, but are considered working wear or matched with casual Western or Japanese clothing, for example jinbei. Thus they rank close to the wooden geta.

Men's zōri are often plastic straw imitation, with foam or cork soles.
The hanao, or thongs, for men are often white or black. Women's zōri can also be of straw imitation, but the hanao are usually red, and they rank below colored vinyl or brocade zōri in formality. As formal wear, all plastic and fabric zōri for women require the use of white tabi socks. Men have more latitude, and can use the same imitation zōri with both informal (without tabi) and formal wear with tabi socks.

Tabi (足袋^?) are traditional Japanese socks. Ankle-high and with a separation between the big toe and other toes, they are worn by both men and women with zori, geta, and other traditional thonged footwear. Tabi are also essential with traditional clothing—kimono and other wafuku as well as being worn by samurai in the feudal era. The most common colour is white, and white tabi are worn in formal situations such as at tea ceremonies. Men sometimes wear blue or black tabi for travelling. Patterned and coloured tabi are also available and are worn most often by women, though they are gaining popularity among men as well.