How are jikatabi fastened?

How are "real" jikatabi, such as some construction workers and carpenters wear, fastened?

In the US there are a lot of "ninja shoes" that have about 12 metal fasteners that slide into holes along the sides, but I can't believe this is what the real thing uses.

Is it??

Yes, that is how they are fastened. They can even be classified by how many metal fasteners they have. It varies depending on the length of the jikatabi.

Just curious. Why can't you believe this is what the real thing uses? It's still a common way to fasten all traditional footware such as tabi we wear with ordinary kimono, and I see nothing inconvenient about it.

https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=%E5%9C%B0%E4%B8%8B%E8%B6%B3%E8%A2%8B...

Just seems like they'd easily come unfastened and fall off if worn in an outdoor construction environment.

Thanks for the link.

Oh, on the contrary. Nowadays, some tabi are made of stretchy fabric, but traditionally they weren't, so basically, as long as you move around the hooks will always be tightened, especially when you have a dozen of them. But I must confess that I've never done any construction work.

Actually, the tricky part for tabi made by traditional non-stretchy fabric is that you need to keep your legs straight and skinny when putting them on your feet. For this reason, you're supposed to wear the tabi before putting on your kimono. Otherwise, your kimono may get sloppy when trying to put on your tabi.

But still, hooks are a lot easier than shoe laces or nylon stockings, although more complicated than socks.