Eight-sole sandals (by Karei)

Hello, Karei-san -

I put thought into the reason why the eight-sole sandals were worn in factories. In factories, what might cause fire were strictly prohibited and hobnails were included in them. They feared sparks when hobnails were hit. At that time, everyone made shoes hobnailed to protect the soles from wearing out.

In addition, eight-sole sandals are safe as they are not slippery.

KAME (Kamei)

Hello, KAME-san -

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That's the reason. The reason sprung to your mind is very agreeable to me. Under such circumstances, the sandals were ready to use as the right footwear. (^^; Eight-sole sandals fit for prompt movement rather than geta clogs.

I remember hobnails. Leather shoes of old days had leather soles, and they were spoiled very easily when compared with those of synthetic resin. So people took good care of shoes with hobnails.

The hobnails were triangular or square, 1 cm on a side, and made clicking noises while walking. (^_^)

Karei

KAME(Kamei)-san -

Welcome to "Succeeding Generation Project" Room.

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As I guessed, they were fairly popular in Osaka, weren't they?

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You mean they are sturdy like hardware and not slippery in addition.

Thank you very much.

Marchan

Hello, Karei-san -

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My father of 90 years old had not seen eight-sole sandals, I heard. (-_-;)
Of course I saw them for the first time too.

♪Purple

Hello, Purple-san -

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Did you hear so?
There might be no eight-sole sandals in Kyushu.
Thank you for your hearing from your father.

Nowadays there is nothing that can't be bought as we have (thanks to?) TV, mail-order, convenience stores, etc, but a little while ago, different things were used in different district.

Mr. Hideo Yasuda of Kamakura City gave us the following comment by phone. Thank you, Mr. Yasuda.

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In around 12th to 13th year of Showa (1937-1938), this kind of sandals could be seen in Kamakura City, where they were called "board backing sandals".
They were mainly worn by servant boys (male shop attendants) in shopping streets.
Many bicycles were used at that time for order-taking and delivery, and thus, the sandals of flexible back were convenient.

The surfaces to contact feet bottom were like surfaces of tatami mat, and a piece of leather like a scrap of belt was pasted on the back, on which several wooden boards of about 3cm thick were pasted.

Shop masters wore tatami-mat sandals with a scrap of bicycle tires on the back (as tires are flexible).
They were sold at shops too.

However, since they were too expensive for servant boys to buy, the boys wore sandals of self-made.

In old days, they were called "board backing sandals".
The backings were made of boards of Japanese cedar or something, and on top of the boards, usual sandals were attached. The split boards made walking easier, they said.
They were popular among workers of small factories. Black tabi socks and the sandals were styles specific to them. At spring factories around Kawasaki and Kamata, lathe operators in such sandals were seen frequently.
Besides, they were used in Tokyo Gas factories. Although no factories are present today as all the gas has become natural gas, coal was gasified by smoking in the past for city gas supply. The factories for the gasification were present in Omori, Toyosu, Negisi, etc. where workers on brick kilns wore the sandals too. Many canvas shoes were used in the factories, but rubber-soled shoes couldn't be used on kilns, and thus the board backing might be valuable.

From Mr. Awata (Male) born in 2nd year of Showa (1927)

Reading an article of The Yomiuri Shimbun dated May 30th, He provided the newspaper company with the information.

Reading the article of Eight-sole sandals on the living page of The Yomiuri Shimbun morning edition dated May 30th, I am writing this comment.

When we were children, they were called "board backing sandals (itaura-zouri in Japanese)", and were used mainly by servant boys of shops and workers of factories.

Safety shoes or the like of present days appeared in around 30th year of Showa (1955) after the war. Before the war, no leather shoes for work were available at all.
For working shoes, board backing sandals, which have several boards of about 3cm on the back, allow moderate bending, and are safe even if stepped on scrapes in factories. So, many lathe operators and the like used them.
The article brings back my nostalgic memories and makes me write this.

77 years old male in Kawasaki

A postcard having reached The Yomiuri Simbun was transferred to us.

I am reporting my memories on the eight-sole sandals (your morning edition of 5/30, living and home). Please understand that the memories are those chronologically after around 1930. (After the year I was 10 years old)

1. About the name

I don't remember I heard any name other than "board backing sandals"

2. Kind of jobs engaged

Employees of ordinary shops (including those called servant boys at that time) and shop masters (Fish dealers wore rubber boots in the same way as they do now)

3. Place of sale

At so-called geta clogs shops, they were hung in a bundle.

4. Price

Although I was a child and didn't know, I guess their price was the same as taht of geta clogs or cheaper than that from the fact that almost all people including even the above servant boys at bottom wore the sandals.

5. Convenience

Before advent of many kind of walking shoes, they were most suitable for collection and delivery of commercial goods as mobility was high (Running could well be possible.) On the other hand, those with rubber soles (special shape, reuse of old bicycle tires) were rather expensive. Ordinary Japanese sandals can't be used in rainy days. Board backing sandals (the board measured 20mm thick) were suitable.

6. Endurance

I have no memory that they were used until they became thin. (Available at low price?)

7. Spread

They were sold across the country, I believe.

From Mr. Umezawa in Machida-shi, Tokyo

Good evening, Karei-san -

The Yomiuri Shimbun morning edition of June 11 reported on this room. 　I would like to comment on eight-sole sandals mentioned in the report. Many comments have been posted already, but the sandals I saw were mainly those worn by workers in factories. It was the second decade of Showa Era when safety shoes or the like were not available. Workers slipped on the sandals, wearing dark blue working tabi socks.

Since no other sandal-like footwear was available then, they should have been useful as their wood backing withstood stepping on scrapes from lathes and other metal chips scattered in factories. I often saw at lunch-break factory people in eight-sole sandals trooping for the lunch.

Shin