Eight-sole sandals (by Karei)

Shin-san and all -

Thank you for your comments on eight-sole sandals. We have been provided with much information by the readers of the newspaper article. Summarizing the given information, the sandals seem to have been used habitually by workers in factories and shops as footwear suitable for individual purpose of use.

I can imagine a scene, where people wearing tabi socks in dark blue or black, slipped on the sandals. According to Shin-san, it was the second decade of Showa Era whereas it is guessed KAME-san saw them in around 32nd - 33rd year of Showa (1957-1958). It means that, though the commencement of their use is not clear, they had been used as simple and convenient working footwear until the years of steep economic growth.

Their life is considered to be long despite of a simple novelty, a hybrid of sandals and geta clogs. It must have been appreciated that the users themselves could make the sandals. Geta clogs couldn't be made by users anyway.

Incidentally, the sandals were given to me by an ex-teacher who wore them for enjoyment. New sandals left from bulk-buying were sent to me.

Karei

Kozai-san who read The Yomiuri Shimbun Kansai edition informed us by mail.

From Kouzai-san:

I learnt eight-sole sandals through The Yomiuri Shimbun. According to my mother (74 years old), brass chips were scattered on factory floors using lathes, and workers, who gathered them to sell, wore the sandals in the factories.

I'm writing for the first time. My name is Hama.

Reading The Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka edition of June 11 and learning that the information is wanted, I'm posting it now.

Eight-sole sandals were worn by carpenters and those engaged in iron works in particular. Before the war, as no safety shoes for working were available as they are now, and work places were not so safe in addition, those people put the sandals on to protect their feet.

The above information is based on a story told by my grandfather a carpenter, and for him, being posted by me (as my grandfather doesn't use personal computers). Questions, if any, will be forwarded to him

Hello, Hama-san -

Thank you for the information on "eight-sole sandals". When I see the real thing, I quite agree to the expression "to protect their feet". Although others contributed information that they saw factory people in the sandals, no information that they themselves wore the sandals has been contributed.
Quote:The sandals seem to have been used not only before the war but also even after 32nd - 33rd years of Showa (1957 - 1958) in factories. What I'd like to know now is the time when use of them was started. If your grandfather knows anything about that point, I'll be glad to hear from you. Thank you for your posting.

Karei

Having entered this forum now, I'm writing this comment without knowing how to write.

I (Mikipapa) am 71 years old now. I was born and grown up before the war in a house of "wholesaling hemp-backing straw sandals" in Hyogo Prefecture.

Do you know hemp-backing straw sandals? Leaving it for a while, my house sold eight-sole sandals too of course.

They were the cheapest footwear at that time (as straw sandals made in countryside were not for sale).

The sandals are made of the cheapest tatami mat surface, willow twigs stitched on it, and chunks of wood nailed up on them. You will be able to see the real things at Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectual Museum in Koganei Park.

In around 15th year of Showa (1930) before the war, apprentices of shops were given them to wear. Advantages of them were that foot could stay dry at water places, the life was long as the wood backings didn't wear out easily, materials used were cheap, and so on. They made unique noises at walking but no one did care about them. The thongs were made of the cheapest white cotton with straws wrapped in it. They were such things that present people will suffer from abrasion by thorn as soon as they use them.

They couldn't be found after the war. There should have been no materials of willow twigs and wood backing. As high-grade goods, sandals of bicycle tire scrap backing and rubber sandals were popular in place of sandals of hemp backing.

We called them "eight-cuts". They are good old footwear.

From Mikipapa, a little knowledgeable person for clogs, sandals and the like.

Hello, Mikipapa-san!

Did you produce "hemp backing straw sandals" exclusively among footwear for "wholesaling hemp-backing straw sandals"?

Searching for "hemp-backing straw sandals", I learned that they are "sandals of straw surface with round hemp plaits stitched on the back." Are they a kind of leather-soled sandals? Um...

Don't you call them leather-soled sandals that dashing youths hitching up the bottom of kimono in white socks slip on at festivals?
Quote:Straw sandals and the like were hand-made by every farmers. And the eight-sole sandals were the cheapest among footwear. I understand.
Quote:H'm, I suspect that nail heads might come out when the sandals were worn. Does long time endurance of the backing wood chunks mean that the chunks were hard enough?
Quote:In the thirties of Showa (the 1950's), many ladies were still in Japanese dress. My mother wore kimono many times, and used to conduct fulling with tenterhooks or stretching boards.

On rainy days, she put on high clogs attaching toe-covers to keep toes dry.

The supports of high clogs were taller than ordinary ones and some skill was needed for walking.

We seldom see the high clogs today. Nowadays in 21st century, footwear of vinyl for covering sandals is available. It's convenient but isn't so attractive.

Anmitsu-Hime

Hello, Mikipapa-san -

Welcome to the Mellow Denshoukan!
Quote:Hemp-backing straw sandals? No, I don't know. What kind of footwear were they? Your advice is welcome. Hemp fabrics are durable and firm, aren't they? I recall jute sacks containing rice. Was hemp fabricated similarly used?
Quote:Footwear like straw sandals was not sold at footwear shops but at general shops, was it? When I wore the sandals at my place of wartime evacuation, a general shop sold them at the front, threading them together by a hung rope. New ones were light and comfortable. My experiences were in or about 1945.
Quote:Willow twigs are to give flexibility, aren't they? I have real things but I've believed that they were cut bamboos.
Three things like chop-sticks in thickness are inserted. They should be willow twigs. Now that you mention it, they are similar to the material of willow basket trunks.(^^;
Quote:They thought it was natural that walking makes noises, I guess. "Karan-koron" representing the noise from geta clogs will go out of current expression, though the generation that liked to read "Ge-ge-ge no Kitarou" may understand it.
Quote:Footwear, one of the bare necessities has changed completely, and I wish old wisdom for everyday life be recorded without fail. I'm looking forward to your continued writing, Mikipapa-san.

Karei