Yamaksa Dictionary

Labour shoes:
Shoes, that look smilar to socks, have a rubber sole and hold the big toe separately.
Originally the carriers of the Kakiyama would run barefoot, but since the mid Taisho-period (about 1920) the Jikatabi are used.
The shoes were invented by Ishibashi Tokujiro (石橋徳次郎) and were also a hit in the mining business and with the army.