Japanese TABI Sneakers - Sports Jog AIR | Run like a Ninja!

February 20, 2022

Designed in Japan, Inspired by Japanese traditional socks

A high top air cushioned sneaker with a twist! A new take on tabi the traditional footwear used by ninja, the Sports Jog Air!

The Sports Jog AIR is a product that looks to adapt and update the traditional footwear, the TABI (足袋たび), creating a unique pair of shoes that can keep up with today’s lifestyle.

Tabi is traditional Japanese footwear, but it has been slowly gaining popularity recently. The idea of separating the big toe from the rest of the toes makes for a unique and fashionable shoe.

The Sports Jog AIR, uses this traditional footwear’s design to create a pair of shoes that you want to wear, while also being heaven to wear like you’re wearing nothing! This pair of shoes isn’t just a fashion statement, but has actual benefits for the foot!

The Sports Jog AIR is the newest form of jika tabi, the traditional type of footwear used for work. It uses a meshed fabric that covers the foot, that allows for great breathability, while feeling fitted to the foot and super lightweight. You can feel like you're walking barefoot just like a normal pair of jika tabi, however with an updated sole that has an air cushion, you’ll feel like you’re walking on air. We hope that because of these updates you’ll be able to use them as a perfect pair of shoes for running or other sports!

As your toes are separated, with one side being your big toe and the other side being your other toes, it is easier to adjust the power you put into different parts of your foot, letting you stand firm in one position, great for when you’re doing weights. Because it is also well fitted to your feet, it also allows you to make subtle motions with your feet.

Shoes that many people wear today are quite stiff, especially in the middle of the shoe. This can lead to fallen arches, which then can mean that the burden on the back and the knees is increased. The Sports Jog AIR looks to help with this problem, allowing for your feet to feel free, and giving your toes a sense of freedom, being able to move with ease. We’ve also added an air cushion to the sole to help reduce the shocks to the feet as you walk or run, protecting your soles.

The Sports Jog AIR are made to not be abrasive, which helps to stop you getting blisters on your feet, even after you wear them for a long time. The shoes look to support you for a long time!

With these sneakers, as you are able to move your toes more freely, you can apply as much or as little force as you want with ease, letting you keep your balance which in turn helps walking easier. By making it easier to shift your centre of balance, you can change how you walk, and this makes your posture easier to keep.

This is close to being barefoot and makes going on walks more enjoyable, letting you grip the ground better as you do so.

・50 Year Old Female

Quality of Shoe:★★★★★ Comfort :★★★★★ Size: Just right

A comfort that can alleviate your worries. The instep of my foot is rather low, which means that I get tired easily when I walk. I’ve tried a variety of different shoes, and I tried this type of shoe as a test. This shoe has beaten all others before it. I don’t feel tired when I walk, and in fact it feels easier to walk in. After I get through these ones, I want to buy a new pair!

・40 Year Old Female

Quality of Shoe:★★★★★ Comfort :★★★★ Size: Just right

Easy to walk in. As I have a job where walking is a large concern, I used them for work. With my previous pair of shoes, I would trip and slip a lot, but with these it hardly ever happens. As well as this, there isn’t any squeakiness when I walk and my footsteps have become much quieter, just like a ninja! Once downside is that it uses laces, so they do take a second to wear but other than that it is a brilliant pair of shoes!

The sneakers are made to fit to your feet, as well as that if worn for long periods your feet don’t get stuffy. This is thanks to the polyester knit used to make the upper. It feels great while also not having any of the stress you’d have from a normal shoe.

Feel the ground beneath you as you walk, while the cushioning helps to reduce the shocks from your footfalls.

A downside of normal tabi shoes is that when you wear them for too long, the heel becomes rather tired. With that in mind, we have created a double cushion to help reduce this. By adding a cushion to the back of the shoe under the heel, it helps to reduce the shocks when your foot hits the ground, and lets you walk for much longer. By creating an outsole that fits to the foot and works with you, it also helps with posture and balance.

Lightweight and made from recycled material

EVA is lightweight and extremely flexible. Even in low temperatures it doesn’t harden, and because it is made from foam, there is a lot of air contained and therefore is lighter than rubber. It is easily recyclable, meaning it is rather environmentally friendly.　※The insole is not removable

Using a traditional shoe that has incredible features to help benefit our everyday lifestyle.

Using a traditional style shoe, we have looked to make a shoe that not only feels and looks good, but also is comfortable and light. We think we have created a shoe that can support you in your current day lifestyle!

The tabi has its links back to the 8th century, in the form of a traditional sock! Used when wearing items such as geta sandals when in formal attire, they are now used today during events such as matsuri (festivals) and ceremonial occasions, as well as traditional art forms such as Kabuki, and Geisha dancing.

The Jika Tabi is a style of shoe, that has roots in more active work. It today is used by the agriculture industry but it is also used during traditional festivals.

Tabi are said to be good for your feet. They allow you to feel the ground beneath you more, as well as making you grip the ground more, strengthening your muscles as well as helping to stop bunions.

The last that is used is based on a wooden pattern over 100 years old!

It may seem simple to just put a split in the shoe, but it is not so. The Sports Jog AIR uses a last that has been exclusively used for jika tabi for over 100 years! This is to make sure the parting is done properly to give you maximum comfort!

NEW MODEL FOR KICKSTARTER

The grey version is a version that we want to offer to Kickstarter Backers first! This project is mainly to raise the funds needed to pay for the prototyping that goes into the creation of a new colour, as well as putting that new colour into production.