Japanese Sock Brands & Tabi Socks: Tabio, RoToTo, Sizes

Last updated: 2026-10-24.

TL;DR

The Japanese sock brands most people look for are Tabio (and its Kutsushita-ya shops), RoToTo and Nishiguchi Kutsushita, all tied to Japan’s sock-knitting heartland in Nara Prefecture. Tabi socks are split-toe socks that separate the big toe; toe socks (five-toe socks) separate every toe; jika-tabi are rubber-soled split-toe work boots. Japanese socks are sized in centimetres of foot length: about 22–24 cm for women and 25–27 cm for men.

• Best Japanese sock brand for variety: Tabio.
• For thick, textured everyday socks: RoToTo.
• For split-toe socks to wear with sandals: tabi socks (足袋ソックス).
• For running and hiking: five-toe or merino wool socks.

As of October 2026, this guide covers the main Japanese sock brands, what tabi, tabi socks and toe socks are, Japanese sock sizes, and how to buy Japanese socks from Japan.

Japanese Sock Brands at a Glance

Tabio: Japan’s Best-Known Sock Brand

Tabio was founded in 1968 by Naomasa Ochi, who had started making socks at 15; his son Katsuhiro Ochi now runs the company. Tabio says it makes more than 30 million pairs a year, has over 200 stores in Japan, emphasises made-in-Japan production, and runs a London store in Covent Garden.^[1] It opened its first Kutsushita-ya (靴下屋, literally “sock shop”) boutique in 1984 and chose London for its first overseas shop in 2002; it also has shops in France.^[2] If you searched Tabio socks, Tabio Japan, Kutsushita-ya or Tabio London / Paris, this is the brand. Its range covers men’s, women’s and kids’ socks, tights, and five-toe and split-toe styles.

RoToTo: Textured Socks From Nara

RoToTo is a Japanese sock brand based in Nara Prefecture, founded in 2014 by designer Daisuke Ishii. It knits on vintage machines in small batches; its range includes double-face socks, organic cotton, merino wool and low-gauge (chunky) knits.^[3] RoToTo’s thick pile and double-face socks are the ones people mean by RoToTo socks review or Japanese wool socks brand.

Nishiguchi Kutsushita and Nara’s Sock Makers

Nishiguchi Kutsushita was established in 1950 by Katsuji Nishiguchi in Katsuragi City, Nara, and runs more than 130 knitting machines.^[4]

Why Nara? The sock industry in Koryo, Nara began in 1910, when Yoshii Taijiro brought hand-cranked knitting machines to the village; output rose from 280,000 pairs a year in the Taisho era to more than 100 million pairs by 1989.^[5] A 2018 report citing the Nara sock industry association put Nara’s share of Japan’s domestic sock production at about 63% (about 35% including stockings, 2017 figures).^[6] So when a listing says 奈良県産 or 日本製 on a pair of socks, Nara is the most likely origin.

What Are Tabi?

Tabi (足袋) are traditional Japanese split-toe socks, worn with thonged footwear such as zori and geta. They fasten at the back of the ankle with small metal clasps called kohaze (こはぜ), and are most often white.^[7] The split toe appeared toward the late Heian period; cotton tabi spread in the 17th century; the kohaze clasp became standard from the late Edo to early Meiji period; tabi sizes were once measured in mon (文) and are now given in centimetres.^[7][8] White tabi are worn with kimono and for formal occasions; patterned and colored tabi are casual. For summer festival wear, see our yukata and jinbei guide.

Tabi Socks vs Toe Socks vs Tabi

• Tabi socks (足袋ソックス, also called split-toe, single-toe or two-toe socks) are knitted socks with a separate big toe and no clasps. They are what people wear with flip-flops, sandals and zori, and with Tabi shoes and split-toe sneakers.
• Toe socks (5本指ソックス, five-toe or five-finger socks) separate all five toes; open-toe versions and toe separator socks leave the toe tips bare, for wear with sandals. Men’s and women’s toe socks come in the same cm sizes. Five-toe socks were first patented in the US in 1969;^[9] in Japan, La Sante dates its five-toe socks to 1970,^[10] and Japanese brands sell them mainly for comfort, sweat absorption and grip in running and hiking.
• Tabi (足袋) are the traditional woven-cotton version with kohaze clasps, sized exactly to the foot.

Jika-Tabi: Split-Toe Work Boots

Jika-tabi (地下足袋) are tabi with a rubber sole, worn as outdoor footwear by construction workers, gardeners, festival participants and rickshaw pullers. Bridgestone’s corporate history says Shojiro and Tokujiro Ishibashi of Nippon Tabi in Kurume developed the rubber-soled jika-tabi in 1922 and began selling it in January 1923 as “Asahi Jika-tabi”;^[11] Nippon Tabi’s successor Asahi Shoes gives the same 1922 invention date.^[12] For jika-tabi brands, sizes and work-wear boots, see our Japanese workwear brands guide.

Tabi boots in fashion: Maison Margiela’s split-toe Tabi boot debuted at the label’s first runway show in Paris in October 1988, inspired by Japanese tabi and jika-tabi.^[13] Margiela is a European label, not a Japanese brand, but it is why “tabi” now also means a split-toe shoe.

Japanese Sock Sizes

Japanese socks are labelled by the foot length they fit in centimetres, usually as a range. Men’s socks are most commonly 25–27 cm and women’s 22–24 cm.^[14] Measure your foot from heel to longest toe and pick the range that contains it.

Figures from Tabio’s Japanese and UK size guides.^[15][16] To turn a US shoe size into centimetres, use our Japanese shoe size to US chart; for clothing, the Japanese clothing size conversion. Big-foot sizes (27–29 cm and up) are sold as 大きいサイズ; tabi and tabi socks follow the same cm sizing, so a 26 cm tabi fits a 26 cm foot.

MUJI Right-Angle Socks

MUJI’s 足なり直角靴下 (“right-angle socks”) knit the heel at a 90-degree angle to match the shape of the foot, instead of the 120 degrees used in ordinary socks; a 2007 FamilyMart release describes the design.^[17] They are an inexpensive way to try Japanese sock design. Uniqlo also sells basic socks in Japan in cm sizes.

Japanese Socks by Use

• Climbing and bouldering socks: thin, snug socks or toe socks; also sold for yoga as non-slip yoga socks.
• Sports socks: golf, baseball and rugby socks in cm sizes; Japanese sports brands sell five-toe running versions.
• Dress socks: thin black or navy business socks (ビジネスソックス) for suits.
• House, room and bed socks: thick indoor socks (ルームソックス) for homes without central heating, kotatsu evenings and sleeping.
• Warm socks: Uniqlo HEATTECH socks (not electrically heated), wool, and silk inner socks layered under cotton.
• School and fashion socks: Japanese high school girls’ (JK) uniform socks are navy or white crew and knee socks; gyaru (gal) fashion made loose socks famous. Ankle socks are worn by guys and girls alike.
• Convenience store socks: 7-Eleven, FamilyMart (Family Mart) and Lawson all sell basic socks — konbini socks — popular with travellers; GU and Don Quijote sell cheap fashion socks.

Types of Japanese Socks

The Japanese name for socks is kutsushita (靴下, “under the shoe”). Long and overknee socks are ニーハイ (knee-high) or オーバーニー; quarter socks are クォーター丈.

Loose socks (ルーズソックス, baggy or oversized socks) are the slouchy white knee socks of 1990s Japanese high school fashion, now back as a retro trend. Wool and merino socks are popular for hiking and winter; linen and cotton for summer. Japanese ankle socks and no-show socks often have a silicone heel grip so they stay up in loafers and sneakers. Sock glue (ソックタッチ, “sock touch”) is a roll-on adhesive Japanese students use to hold socks in place; it is a liquid cosmetic-type product, so check shipping rules before ordering. Cute Japanese socks — embroidered, lace, ruffle, ribbed, Fair Isle, animal and character designs, kanji prints — are one of the easiest small souvenirs, and silk, hemp and washi (paper yarn) socks are Japanese specialities worth looking for. Thin nylon socks and sheer socks are common for summer and office wear.

Japanese sock size in EU and Chinese sizes: convert the cm range first, then use your country’s shoe size chart; a 25–27 cm sock fits roughly EU 40–43 (shoe sizes run about 0.67 cm per EU size).

How to Buy Japanese Socks From Japan

1. Search in Japanese: brand + type, e.g. タビオ 靴下, 靴下屋 足袋ソックス, RoToTo ソックス, 5本指ソックス 日本製, 足袋 白 26cm, 地下足袋.
2. Check the size range in cm and the material (綿, ウール, 麻).
3. Bundle: socks are light and small, so they are cheap to add to a parcel. The first six orders consolidate free; combining socks with other purchases spreads the international shipping cost.
4. See it before it ships: wrong/missing-item checks (¥200) and unboxing photos (¥500 / ¥700) let you confirm size and color at the Tokyo warehouse.

OneMall buys from Japanese marketplaces such as Mercari, Yahoo Auctions, Rakuten and Amazon Japan, and from other Japanese online stores through LinkBuy. Items that need a lottery entry, purchase limit, Japanese identity verification or a merchant account cannot be purchased. International shipping is charged on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (length × width × height ÷ 5,000) of the box the warehouse uses.

Service fees are ¥300 per item on most marketplaces; from ¥200 per item on Yahoo Auctions and LinkBuy. The first six orders consolidate free; each additional order costs ¥100. Storage is free for 90 days after arrival (30 days after consolidation). Payment is by Visa, Mastercard or PayPal, settled in USD.

US buyers: since August 29, 2025, US-bound parcels of any value go through customs and pay applicable duties, taxes and fees — the $800 de minimis exemption no longer applies. OneMall currently ships to the United States by ECMS and DHL; the live quote at checkout shows which lines accept your parcel.

Browse tabi sock listings, Tabio socks or five-toe socks, and compare the best Japan proxy services and proxy costs by total landed cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most famous Japanese sock brand?

Tabio is the best known. For other needs: Tabio for range and sizes, RoToTo for textured and wool socks, Nishiguchi Kutsushita for small-batch natural fibres, La Sante for five-toe socks and MUJI for cheap basics.

What are Japanese split-toe socks called?

Tabi (足袋) for the traditional clasped version, and tabi socks (足袋ソックス) for knitted split-toe socks.

What is the difference between tabi socks and toe socks?

Tabi socks separate only the big toe; toe socks separate all five toes.

Why are Japanese socks so good?

Many are knitted in Japan in small batches, especially in Nara, with careful heel and toe shaping. Quality still varies by line, so check material and country of production.

Are Tabio socks made in Japan?

Tabio emphasises made-in-Japan production; check the 日本製 label on each pair.

What size are Japanese socks?

They are sized by foot length in cm: typically 22–24 cm for women and 25–27 cm for men.

What are Japanese toe socks called, and who makes them?

5本指ソックス (five-toe socks); Tabio, La Sante and many Nara manufacturers make individual-toe socks, including silk toe socks for men and women.

Can you wear tabi socks with sneakers?

Yes, with split-toe shoes or ordinary sneakers; the split toe is mostly noticeable with sandals and flip-flops.

References

1. Tabio UK, This is Tabio. https://tabiouk.com/pages/this-is-tabio
2. Tabio France, About. https://www.tabio.fr/en/service/about/
3. RoToTo. https://therototo.com/
4. Nishiguchi Kutsushita, Company. https://11-11.jp/en/company/
5. Koryo sock industry, About. https://socks.nariwai-koryo-nara.or.jp/about/
6. NEWS Post Seven, Nara socks (2018-03-09). https://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20180309_658027.html
7. Tabi (Wikipedia). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabi
8. 足袋 (Wikipedia, Japanese). https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B6%B3%E8%A2%8B
9. 5本指ソックス (Wikipedia, Japanese). https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/5%E6%9C%AC%E6%8C%87%E3%82%BD%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9
10. La Sante, Five-toe socks history. https://www.lasante.co.jp/html/page1.html
11. Bridgestone, Corporate history. https://www.bridgestone.co.jp/corporate/history/story/01_03.html
12. Asahi Shoes, History. https://www.asahi-shoes.co.jp/company/history.html
13. The Zoe Report, History of the Maison Margiela Tabi. https://www.thezoereport.com/fashion/history-of-maison-margiela-tabi-shoes
14. Descente, Sock size guide. https://www.descente.co.jp/media/wear/item/24700/
15. Kutsushita-ya (Tabio), Rakuten size chart. https://item.rakuten.co.jp/kutsushitaya/c/0000000105/
16. Tabio UK, Size guide. https://tabiouk.com/pages/size-guide-1
17. FamilyMart, 2007 news release. https://www.family.co.jp/company/news_releases/2007/20070329_01.html