Waraji – Standard Footwear

Waraji is Japanese sandals made out of straw rope. This is still a part of Samurai Suit and Samurai Armor. Samurai and foot soldiers wear these during the feudal era in Japan.

There are other materials that can be used in making these sandals. Waraji can be made out of hemp, myoga, palm fibers, and cotton thread. Today, these are only worn by traditional Buddhist monks.

When Japanese were this footwear they allow their toes to protrude over the edge. There are really no strict rules that govern the use of this footwear. Tying this footwear depends on the preference of the user.

A monk will tie it differently than a farmer, soldier or townsman. Simply put, it is worn in whatever comfortable way the user prefers. Buddhist monks may request customized sandles that have beads incorporated on these.

In the late Muromachi period, even horses were fitted with straw sandals known as Umagutsu which were similar to the Waraji.

Using this horse footwear maximizes the power of the horse legs. It was easy to pass through muddy grounds with the help of these candles.

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Footwear for the People

Waraji became popular in the Edo period. Wearing these sandals with protruding toe will allow them to keep their traction when running, fighting or even scaling walls.

This explains why it is snug across the area behind the big toe. These must be soaked for at least 10 minutes whenever it starts to dry up.

For those who will wear this for the first time, it will take a bit of time to get used to before it feels comfortable enough to wear. Footwear consists of Waraji and wooden clogs or Geta to complete a Samurai ensemble.

These sandals were made of various materials as mentioned earlier. Clogs were generally associated with a lower rank of Japanese society like Geisha and Kabuki actors.

There was a time when warriors wear bearskin boots when it comes to armor apparel however, by 16rh century these were considered passé.

Waraji Features

Waraji out of doors and has a good grip even during the rainy season. One can walk through the mud when they use this pair. These sandals are lightweight which explains why Samurais keep extra pairs on their belt.

Earlier pairs were found in Gungnamji in South Korea which suggests the level of interactions that the Japanese have with South Korea. These were considered a Japanese version of flip-flops.

This Samurai Armor is not just for the battlefield alone because it provides sufficient ventilation thus it prevents an athlete’s foot and allows ankle mobility. Those who wear these sandals have firm grip on rocks and even on mossy surfaces.

This is why those who climb mountains during that time period use this footwear. It was easy to have these replace because it only requires the use of straws.

Although the disadvantage of using these sandals is that it is less durable than shoes or boots. It also takes a short period of time to make these as compared to the other forms of footwear previously mentioned here.

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