Kimono Style | Designing Chic Footwear to Complement Every Kimono Look

Have you ever thought about what people wear on their feet when they are wearing kimono? There are a variety of options. Historically, a wooden sandal held on with cords that went between the toes, like a beach sandal, was the basic model. There were also straw sandals woven from rice straw, which are surprisingly tough. Straw boots were also worn in snowy areas.

From Woven Straw to Platform Sandals

Very high wooden platformed sandals were worn by the courtesans of the Edo period. The height of their platforms and the weight of their attire meant that they were truly fashion victims. They had to rely on an assistant to lean on, as they walked in a distinctive figure-eight pattern, dragging their huge wooden clogs.

In the Victorian period, boots came in from the West. Leather boots were worn with suits, with military and official uniforms, and were also adopted by kimono wearers. Black ankle boots and a kimono and hakama became school uniforms for girls in the 1920s and 1930s. This is now revived and is the most popular style for graduation from university.

*Sheila Cliffe wearing zori she designed. (©Derek Makishima)*

These days, people wear all kinds of boots, even sneakers and sandals with their kimono or yukata, but there are two main kinds of Japanese footwear that are in popular use. For very casual wear, especially yukata, but also with woven kimono, a lot of people wear geta. These are wooden sandals and they are often lacquered in black. They can be flat or have two teeth to raise them up.

For slightly more formal or very formal kimono, zori are the correct footwear. These have a leather, or fake leather, or a brocade covering and the thongs often have some kind of embroidery, weaving, or decoration on them.

Designing Timeless Zori

In 2023, I was invited by Iwasa Japan to design some zori. I had to think carefully about what kind of design I would like. I wanted to design something that would go well with both modern and chic kimono, but something that could also look nice with antique kimono, too.

Therefore, I wanted a design that was both fun and timeless. I remember buying a polka dot kimono in a used kimono shop in 2023. It was contemporary and fun, but I also remembered that I had an early 20th-century kimono that had a very similar polka dot design. I wore it on the cover of one of my style books.

*Drawing designs for zori. (©Derek Makishima)*

I realized that polka dots have a kind of timeless appeal. They have been loved throughout the ages, and dots and circles have been well-used in Japanese design, representing dew and splashes or rings of water. Also, dots have no real seasonal connotations so they can be worn at any time of the year, which is an important consideration when designing something to accompany kimono.

Colors for Versatility and Vibrance

Having decided on my design, I started to think about the colors. This is an important consideration. A lot of people choose beige, cream, grey, or black-based designs, thinking that they can use them with as many kimono as possible. However, I feel that there is another way of approaching color.

Having multiple colors in the design, conversely means that you can wear the zori with a lot of different kimono. I had the idea of making one version in colors that I thought would go with many different colors of kimono and had a kind of pop feel to them.

Elevating Kimono through Footwear

The base is pale blue with plum accents in the stripe and thongs. Lime green, light turquoise, and warm orange in the embroidered circles and dots mean that they can be worn with warm or cool colored kimono.

I designed the other color scheme thinking specifically about the colors in woven kimono. These kimono are often beige, golden, brown, rust, or peachy in hue, but some of them are dark indigo. I made a golden yellow the base of the design and added brown, rust, and indigo for the dots and circles, and used indigo for the thongs. My idea was that this color scheme would go with a whole variety of naturally woven fabrics and give a vibrant punch to the outfits.

*Cliffe added a pop twist to her zori by using polka dots and a variety of colors. (©Derek Makishima)*

This project gave me new insights into the footwear industry and the challenge of creating footwear that will add something to kimono outfits. Choosing the design and colors meant I had to think carefully about what would really enhance people's kimono image.

Embroidering the circles was a challenge for the company, but I was delighted when I saw the finished results. This is a project that I feel proud of and I was very happy when they were featured in a popular kimono magazine. The zori are available at this link.

Author: Sheila Cliffe
Read other columns on kimono by the author.