Inspired by the socks inserted into the shoes of Japanese factory workers, this practical piece from Asia was reinvented in 1989 by Martin Margiela. Wishing to unite the past with the present, he re-transcribed it starting with an object that had a hundred years of history, making for a surprisingly futuristic creation. With this game of references, the designer perfected the object and made it evolve to attain a new reading in fashion history. He modified an interior object, made to protect the foot, into an exterior object and thus gave it a new function. With a touch of humor, he got right to releasing the Tabi shoe in multiple forms such as pumps or flats. Despite the simplicity of its composition, the materials always change throughout the seasons. Sequins illuminate them, aluminum gives them an outer space side, while plastic inscribes these revolutionary shoes into a purely contemporary context. The years have gone by and Tabi doesn’t even have a wrinkle to shoe for it, decking herself out in red lacquer for the Fall/Winter 2014-2015 collection, giving a ruby slippers vibe to these shoes that already attract the eye.
Indeed, the strangeness of the Tabi shoe by Margiela causes the consumer to question notions of beauty and ugliness in fashion that are put forth by designers. This question, studied over and over again in the artistic domain, obviously remains without an answer since it’s subjective. But, through its philosophical windings, it shows that the Tabi shoe isn’t just an accessory that Margiela decided to make the reckless wear. It has truly inscribed itself into a fantasy universe where a time machine seems to have wrapped itself up and mixed every era and culture together to yield a unique representation of the world. Is the Tabi shoe a utopia? The designer’s non-existent marketing and anonymity allow him to not associate the object with any one personality so that we can take on these shoes and start our own story. With this creation, different times, different places, and different domains are evoked so that the spectator questions their limits and their wardrobe choices. Will I attract attention? Will I inspire imagination? Will I incite admiration or repulsion? Can I pull them off? Finally, the Tabi shoes that Margiela offers us lead us to question garments of today and yesterday that inexorably tend to become more and more uniform and, to be blunt, have no surprises left in store for us. Who could ever wear Tabi shoes in a shameless way? Become, throughout time, one of the mysterious brand’s icons, this creation remains a challenge. Nonconformist, Margiela is targeting an on-point and provocateur clientele to establish a creative society with no holds barred when it comes to clothing choices. These shoes seem to exponentially multiply the pleasure of wandering around town, up and down the streets, like the new hybrid shoes that certain hardened walkers wear. Evidently, Martin Margiela’s fashion bothered people when it was launched 20 years ago, because it didn’t correspond with habitual canons, but this fashion has lived on and remains acclaimed for its originality, its sense of structure, and the extraordinary history behind it all.
Its ties with artwork are confirmed by an exhibit in their Brussels boutique in 2012, sacralizing the object in the temple of anonymous MMM creation, just like a sculpture presented in a museum. Enlargened and exhibited outdoors in Milan, the Tabi shoes seem to spring forth from a new mindset that is part of something timeless.
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