I just posted a couple of days ago with a Ryu Japan update, but I saw this this morning and figured it was worth mentioning: the site has a bunch of pretty and brand-new zori 草履 (more formal sandals) for $20.
The catch is that, while they're labeled "for 23-25 cm", they're 23.5 cm long. When I lived in Japan, I always bought 24.5 cm shoes or LLs, as sometimes cheaper shoes came in sizes like clothing. I'm an 8.5" in American shoe size.
I decided to try my luck on a cheap vintage pair of 23.5 cm zori off Ebay awhile back, as traditionally with geta and zori it's ok to have a little bit of your heel hanging off the back. I figured, "Hey, it's just a centimeter! How bad can it be?"
...
Well, let's just say that if I go to Hell those zori will be waiting for me. They are the most painful things I have ever worn in my life (the thong on the strap isn't high enough, so the straps pinch down across my foot and cut off circulation after about a minute). They're nice display pieces for my panels at this point, and that's about it.
That said, if you do wear an honest-to-God 23.5cm shoe (about an American 7: you can check your size here), these zori are a steal for the condition and price. I believe they're a more formal type of zori with the wide strap like that, but if any of my fellow kimono fans can give more info, that'd be great.
Enjoy your Friday! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment