The Brief History of the Margiela Tabi Boot

The infamously, reclusive design genius, Maison Martin Margiela, was one of the first designers to challenge the modern idea of luxury. From his first runway show, Margiela has made his focus on creating designs that go against mainstream trends, and push the boundaries of design to places it's never been before. No better example of Margiela’s design ideology than the iconic Margiela Tabi Boot. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Tabi Boot, which is a testament to Margiela’s ability to make timeless pieces.

Even though the Tabi silhouette has become synonymous with Margiela, he didn’t invent the style. The Tabi design originates from Japan in the 15th century and was often worn by everyone from royalty to the working class. Margiela drew inspiration from the traditional Japanese shoe and created his version of the Tabi while visiting Japan. Margiela wanted to construct a shoe that gave the impression of a foot on a heel as well as mixed masculine and feminine design elements. The boot made its debut in Margiela’s 1989 S/S runway show, and it made an instant impact on the fashion scene at the time. This show included the now unforgettable ending with the models wearing Margiela white lab coats (typically worn by Margiela atelier employees) and the Tabi boots adorned with red paint splatter. The audience was split on their opinion of the shoe- some people adored the experimental, unique silhouette and some loathed it. However, the Tabi boot did evoke something from each person that looked at it, which was a sign that the brand had created something special. The tabi boots made an appearance in the next several Margiela collections due to the new fashion house not having enough capital to invest in creating an additional shoe silhouette. Due to this constraint, Margiela released several iterations of the Tabi boot in the following years, which have become increasingly coveted archive pieces by Margiela enthusiasts.

Fast forward to modern-day, the Tabi Boot has become one of the trendier boots for both men and women alike. The shoe caters to a variety of different personal styles and even comes in a sneaker silhouette. The Tabi boot has defiantly evolved from an avant-garde exclusive to a more commercial phenomenon due to the exposure through social media. It’s safe to say that the Margiela Tabi boot has established itself in fashion history and will likely be around for another 30 years.

Margiela Tabi Boots on Display at The MOMA