Tabi Tales: The Split-Toe That Refuses To Be Ordinary

Step into the split-toe spotlight: Maison Margiela’s new short film, A Tabi Film, peels back the curtain on the house’s most iconic shoe and the quiet magic that makes it sing. The film follows a pair of Tabi from sketch to single white stitch, showing the patient, hand-made craftwork that can’t be rushed or mass-produced.

Watch as 11 artisans bring the Tabi to life—cutting moulds from blocks of wood, stitching by hand and assembling each sole with a rhythm that feels part ritual, part choreography. The split-toe silhouette that debuted in 1989 gets a cinematic close-up here—equal parts heritage and rebellion—framed by archive clips that remind us why the Tabi still feels modern.

Short, tactile and strangely soothing, the film is a love letter to slow making and to design that endures. If you care about craft, shoes with personality, or just want 90 seconds of beautifully shot shoemaking porn—this one’s for you. —Noa Nichol