Tencel and rubber boots, £137, by Tabi. Worn with organic cotton shacket, £48, by Rapanui; cotton blouse, £129, by Cape Cove; linen trousers, £115, by Beyond Nine
I know, I know, you hate them. But that’s all part of the fun when it comes to my Tabi boots, which I bought two winters ago and have been walking miles in ever since. In fact, one of the first times I ever wore them was to walk about 22,000 steps on a trip to Paris, so I knew they would be perfect for this feature. Being a little like a trainer, they’re not waterproof, but I have worn them in the rain by accident and they dry very quickly, plus you can stick them in the washing machine if they get grubby.
The split toe is to promote balance – by freeing the big toe, which takes twice the total pressure of the four other toes, the body’s own natural biomechanics can kick in. Tabis date back to 15th century Japan but it was Maison Margiela that made them a cult style in the late 1980s with a formal leather version, while Nike’s Air Rift split-toe trainers launched in 1995 as a barefoot running shoe. Both are still popular to this day.
My Tabi boots use sustainable TENCEL for the stretchy upper material and are available in seven colours, as well as a slip-on clog style, a shoe and a sandal. Of course, you’ll need specialist socks with these, which you can find plenty of at the Japanese gift website Uki Uki.