Highsnobiety
Double Tap to Zoom

Tabi Boots have been part of Maison Margiela's footwear offerings from the very beginning. Inspired by the traditional 15th-century Japanese tabi sock, its first-ever fashion show in 1989 saw the brand's founder Martin Margiela create heeled, split-toe boots.

However, it's only been in more recent years that the divisive, split-toe footwear has reached widespread popularity, spurred along by celebrity cosigns and cringe-worthy pictures of people putting cigarettes in the toe opening. They've gotten so popular that the Tabi Swiper, a Tinder user going on dates to steal Mary Jane Tabi shoes, is a thing.

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Tiktok.

And Maison Margiela has responded accordingly to this new-found popularity, increasing its range of tabi shoes exponentially.

A quick browse under the tabi section of its online shop brings up a page including rhinestone western boots, brogues, ballerina flats, and a new addition to the collection: tabi welly boots.

The humble weatherproof boot worn predominantly by farmers and British festival goers has been luxury-fied and split-toe-ified by the Maison.

These knee-length rain boots come in rubber so that you can freely splash around in puddles without getting wet socks (trust us, we tried it).

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Meanwhile, the sole of the waterproof shoe includes a ridged, cleated sole so that you can get some traction on wet, slippy surfaces.

This means that the luxurious, Italian-made boot has the functionality to get you through a muddy field, although you're far more likely to find it traversing the pavement outside of a fashion show.

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.

Not the only brand working to make wellies cool, these shoes join the likes of Bottega Veneta's Puddle boots and Balenciaga's Excavator Rain boots. But now that it has got welly boots ticked off the list, the only question I have is what shoe Maison Margiela will give the Tabi treatment to next?

We Recommend
  • Designer Sneakers Are Good Again
    • Style
  • Nike? No, These "Waffle" Sprinters Are Margiela
    • Sneakers
  • Olly Shinder Is Subverting Workwear, Utility Boots Now Included
    • Footwear
  • MM6 Maison Margiela's Next Salomon Shoe Has a Girlcore Twist
    • Sneakers
  • The Higher the Heel, the Closer to God – This Counts for Guys, Too
    • Style
What To Read Next
  • Quietly, Saucily, Saint Laurent Swaggered Its Way to the Top of Fashion
    • Style
  • The OG Timberland Boot Was Always a Stud — Now, It Looks the Part
    • Sneakers
  • A 2000s Salomon Trail Shoe Is Reborn as 2025’s Main Event
    • Sneakers
  • The Fabric of Culture: Crown Royal Taps NOLA-Native Juvenile For An Ode to The Big Easy
    • Culture
    • sponsored
  • Nike's Air Max Football Boot Is a Confusing (But Undeniably Fun) Hybrid
    • Sneakers
  • How Did No One See Margiela's New Creative Director Coming?
    • Style