Rikio Lace Up Jikatabi (Outdoor Tabi)

I subtracted a star for the sizing issues mentioned by others.I have a bunch of Rikio fighter tabi which I wear for literally everything for their comfort, breathability, durability, grip, and style, not to mention that wearing themalmost exclusively has reduced my bone-on-bone knee pain considerably. Unfortunately, however, my wife is not so fond of the way they look, stating they appear not only as hooves but also weird slippers, so when I saw these, I thought maybe she'd feel less embarassed if I wore these as they look more like a modern western shoe (boring, if you ask me, but to each their own.)Now, for general use, I wear no socks and a size 26 fits perfectly, but for cold northern Ilinois winter weather, I have a few size 27 to accommodate the thickness of a waterproof sock and cotton sock inside that. Even without socks, 27's are still comfortable enough for me although a tad roomy. Works great, so I thought I'd be well off with a 27 on these...Not so - the issue stems from two things, however:1) as they are more like a western shoe, your whole foot must be able to pass through the hole at the ankle. In normal tabi, the closures go all the way to almost the bottom of the foot, so fitting your foot in this thing may be hard - at first. I'll get to that after point 2.2) they arrive laced in a very unusual way. I had to re-lace mine. One side of the lace does not go up the eyelets to the ankle, instead being run through a loop on the tongue, and then up the shoe freely, making it awkward to loosen or tighten the laces as one normally would to get them on or off. I'll tell you that I've seen such a loop in other shoes, and have noticed it's an asinine part of the design, so re-lace like a typical shoe, and you're good to go.So, I couldnt fit my foot in the shoe with my socks on. Solution, however, was not only to lace it properly, but also to wear them barefoot for a while to stretch them a bit. Now, they fit OK, but I probably could still have gone up a size and been better off.

i would have given 5stars but i'll explain why i didn't. first off from order to delivery is was fast, i mean it took like a day to process and then 3 days to deliver. i can't be certain but i beleive they come from michigan or thats just where a amazon warehouse is, and i live in WI so it might be faster for me. second the shoes are great, as most other reveiwers have stated the sizing chart is a little off. i would suggest buying your size and if they don't fit you can always return for the next highest. i went with a size to big and i've got about 1/2 inch of room on all the toes and about an eigth inch on the big toe. for me there fine but it does seem like a manufacturing flaw to have so much wasted material. i would suggest getting tabi socks also cause, as anyone knows regular socks don't really work. also going sockless might be a problem, i did it for like 2hrs when i ran to the bank and store, and my feet came back with impressions in then and at the split my toes were raw. (thats just me though)they come with a little insole padding but i'll probably replace that for something with more cussion. also as a personal preferance i'll probably change the laces. other then that i'm pleased and these tabi sneakers are well worth the money.(now if only they can get the winter tabi boots in stock!)UPDATE: Its been 4 years since I bought my pair and they are still in great shape! I wear them everyday (about 8hrs), mostly standing and walking.

These shoes are something that I've wanted, because I have worn similar shoes in the past. The soles are made of a thicker rubber, so you can wear these on any terrain and not worry about foot damage. Drawbacks include the pad inside the shoe that your foot rests on sliding from side to side, as you break in the shoe. So you might be walking and feel the toe support not really beneath your toes. You would have to slide your hand into the shoe and adjust it with your hands.Drawbacks also include average foot size, if your foot is larger than 11..then don't bother getting it. For a tabi shoe you need to have extra space for the toes to not only breathe but to move as you walk.

Why I waited 55 years for my 1st pair of Jikatabi boots I will never know.I usually wear a Men's U.S. size 11.5 so to be on the safe side, I ordered the size 30....and I am glad that I had.Comfortable. Like most have said of these, they are like an old school pair of Chuck Taylor's but only better.Could use a better supportive inner sole insert but other than that, I do not have any issues.

Nothing but good to say here. They fit great, they shipped quickly, and they're rather sturdy even under daily wear. Will buy again when I need replacements.

I LOVE these shoes! I was worried they wouldn't work, but they are better than I had even hoped. They are very well made, nice sturdy canvas and thick traction sole. To my surprise they even repel water, which is wonderful in the snow. They are ridiculously comfortable, they feel like a hug for your foot. Definitely recommend, I'll be buying more!

Got these to combat some knee pain I've gotten in performing in boots over the last few years.Pain in my knees went away almost immediately (within a day of wearing them now) and these have got to be my favorite minimalist shoe I've tried. Not a huge fan of 5 toe shoes, so these are the perfect blend. Good traction, and seem durable enough for the price point.The quality of the pair is sufficient, no defects noted thus far. I am a men's size U.S. 11, and the 28 cm pair fits me great. Seems to be a bit too much room on the pinkie toe side, but I would need a custom ordered pair to have them fit much better then they do.Extreme praise for Ippon not only speedily sending out the smaller size, since the first (29 cm) were too large, but also refunding the shipping fee. Will return to them for future tabi purchases!