Zori

Like many Japanese sandals, zori are easily slipped on and off, ==Materials==

File:Home Made Shoes in Japan (1914-09 by Elstner Hilton) (borders cropped).jpg|Zori were traditionally made at home, as were . Note twine warp, held between hands and toes, and loose-fiber weft, to his right. File:Zori sandals instructions.jpg|Pictorial instructions on how to weave or in Hida Minzoku Mura Folk Village; woven footwear is uncommonly produced, especially for practical necessity, in Japan in the present day. File:大祭 人足衆 草履 (3521710144) (cropped).jpg|Similar roughly-woven festival zori, but with the straps wrapped in fabric before being twisted together. File:Which pair? (7112693815).jpg|More finely-woven zori (the thong is also further back). Sewn-on outsoles are just visible at the edges. The zori originated as a slip-on form of the tie-on . In the Edo period (1603-1867), the production of zori became professionalized, and a variety of fancy types of zori emerged, using fancier materials. or EVA foam. Soles made entirely of waterproof (usually synthetic) materials are called zori, literally rain-soled zori. Elastomer zori are called . Wrapping straw straps with cloth makes the zori into (cloth zori, ) and the side-straps are the . , like zori soles, are traditionally symmetrical, with no difference between left and right, though some designs diverge from this. The of informal zori can be made of a velour-like material, as is often the case for zori. The of more formal colored vinyl zori are either vinyl or fabric straps. The fabric is often either the fabric used for the shoe, or (a type of Japanese crepe, of silk or rayon), or cotton, often with a different, softer fabric underneath. Men's zori may also feature leather or leather imitation . Traditionally, are adjusted to the wearer, being tied through three holes by strings attached to the straps. can wear and stretch easily; in such instances, the can be adjusted or replaced through small flaps in the soles, which conceal the knots that hold them in place. In other instances, however, the can be entirely inaccessible, requiring the glued sole to be split open, or entire shoe to be replaced. ==Varieties and formalities==

File:Zori-or.jpg|Side view of a semi-formal vinyl zori. Two-fabric , softer beneath. File:Zori1.jpg|Modern formal vinyl women's zori File:Sandals - Hirata Folk Art Museum - Takayama, Gifu, Japan - DSC06786.jpg|Historic cloth-covered zori File:Gomuzori.jpg|Rubber zori, frequently used in bathrooms, and left at the bathroom door File:どれにしようかな。 (9533503205).jpg|EVA flip-flops for sale in Kanagawa Prefecture; note asymmetry File:エナメル (2100306811).jpg|Glossy vinyl zori File:Zori.jpg| zori with a stitched-on outsole. These seem to be made of paper "rush" File:MET DP14486.jpg|1800s ; top surface woven File:Setta,japanese-leather-soled-sandals,japan.JPG|; the top surface is a moulded imitation of the surface in the previous image File:581px-Zori in Aoi festival 1a.jpg|Zori being worn, with an extra tie around the ankle, hitched around each strap File:Jidai Matsuri 2009 080.jpg|Zori being worn Both the gender of the wearer and the formality of the occasion affects the choice of zori. Regardless of variety, zori are almost always worn with socks. Women's zori are seldom flat, save for zori. The soles come in different thicknesses and angles, and are typically covered by vinyl or fabric, though some modern varieties feature a hard black plastic sole with a non-slip base. In contrast, men's zori almost always feature a flat sole. Zori with a woven wicker covering are referred to as and are not worn with kimono, but are considered working wear or are sometimes matched with casual Western or Japanese clothing. These zori more closely resemble a flat sandal with a woven base. Setta were historically mostly , but , they were often ; they were also increasingly likely to have coloured and patterned straps. ==See also==