Setting the Vanishing Free: ISAMI's Next-Generation Footgear "The Knit Tabi" Launches 26 June

Isami Corporation (based in Gyoda City, Saitama; Representative: Takahiro Tsuchiya) will release "The Knit Tabi," a new product from its brand ISAMI, on Friday 26 June 2026 from 10:00 via its official online shop and physical store. Founded in Meiji 40 (1907), we have gone on making tabi — Japan's traditional split-toe footwear — in Gyoda, once the country's foremost tabi-producing town. With The Knit Tabi we set the vanishing craft of tabi-making free from the world of kimono, rebuilding both the fabric and the construction from scratch to create a tabi of an entirely new genre. The price is ¥3,300 (incl. tax), with eight colourways across solids, dots and Duo. It is a new kind of footgear with a barefoot feel that works with sandals or shoes alike — a new option for your feet in the season when sandals come into their own.

▶ View The Knit Tabi (available from 10:00 on 26 June 2026)

Setting the vanishing free.

As kimono culture declined, tabi makers across Japan closed their doors one after another. Skills were lost, the production regions shrank, and at some point tabi became something separate from everyday life.
So we asked ourselves: "Does the craft of tabi-making really have no future but to disappear?"
Isami Corporation was founded in Meiji 40 (1907) and has made tabi in Gyoda, Saitama, ever since. Gyoda was once the leading tabi-producing region in Japan. At its peak the town was home to more than 100 tabi businesses; today only five still handle the sewing. Taking the sewing skills cultivated in that place, setting them free from the world of kimono, and rebuilding both the fabric and the construction from the ground up for modern needs — that is where ISAMI begins.

Two craft regions join forces

The Knit Tabi was born when the skills of two places met: Mitsuke in Niigata Prefecture, a centre of knitwear, and Gyoda in Saitama Prefecture, a centre of tabi. Mitsumoto Textile, the fabric maker in Mitsuke, has been a partner of ours through knitted school-uniform products. Out of that relationship, we co-developed from scratch a dedicated, hard-wearing jacquard-knit fabric (Amossa), engineered for tabi right down to the knit structure. That fabric is then sewn up in Gyoda, pair by pair, using tabi construction. Rather than being knitted and shaped like a sock, it is cut and tailored — which is why it feels like something else entirely on the foot.

Product details | The Knit Tabi

The Knit Tabi is a "sock-feel tabi" worn directly on bare feet. Because it has the tabi shape with a separated big toe, it works not only with hanao (thong) sandals and zori (traditional flat sandals), but also straight into trainers and leather shoes. It combines the softness of knit with the structural beauty of the tabi for a light, cloud-like feel underfoot. It resists stuffiness, so it stays comfortable indoors all year round.

A new staple for sandal season

Add a layer of tabi to the season of bare feet and sandals. The Knit Tabi offers a new option for summer sandal styling.

• Eases hanao rub — the tabi covers the area where the thong sits, reducing the chafing you get with bare feet.
• Keeps feet from getting chilly in air conditioning — stay comfortable indoors without cold feet.
• Makes sandals better to walk in — it fits closely to the foot for a more unified feel and easier walking.

Sales and availability

• Release date: Friday 26 June 2026, from 10:00
• Official online shop: The Knit Tabi collection (Shipping: free within Japan / international shipping available)
• ISAMI Store (directly operated): 15-8 Renjakucho, Kawagoe City, Saitama / 10:00–17:00 (Fri, Sat, Sun)

* Until sales open at 10:00, you can sign up for "back in stock" notifications on each product page, so you can buy the moment it launches.

Company information and enquiries

Isami Corporation (Representative: Takahiro Tsuchiya)
2-6 Mukaicho, Gyoda City, Saitama
Founded in Meiji 40 (1907)
Official website: https://isamijapan.com

Enquiries regarding this release
ISAMI contact: Shogo Tsuzuranuki　TEL: 048-556-5276　MAIL: staff@isamitabi.com

* Prices, specifications and release dates are subject to change without notice.