Toe socks are widely used in Japan, but they are not "traditional Japanese socks". They were first machine-made in Spain in the 1970s, but knitting instructions for five-toe socks can be found as early as the 1950s. In Japan, they were still unknown at that time.

Takahiro Idobata founded the first Japanese company in 1981 that exclusively manufactured toe socks and established them as a normal garment in Japanese wardrobes. Today, 8% of the socks sold in Japan are toe socks – in comparison: in Germany it is less than 1%.

Traditionally Japanese are the so-called Tabi socks, in which only the big toe is housed separately. They still belong to the traditional festive attire and are worn in traditional wooden sandals, the so-called Geta. For Japanese carpenters, they are part of the workwear, as they traditionally wear black Tabi shoes. Meanwhile, they are also widely used in martial arts.

They are also called split toe socks and are often worn with flip-flops.

Each of our socks is machine-prefabricated on knitting machines developed by Knitido and then finished manually. This requires a lot of patience, manual work and experience, but it is the only way we can guarantee our high quality standard.

Normal socks are usually made in a circular knitting machine like a tube. You start at the top of the waistband and knit down to the toe area. The socks are then ejected from the machine and sewn together at the front.

At Knitido we start knitting with the individual toe pockets and knit all the way to the cuff. This allows us to completely go without seams and linking. Open threads that arise from the knitting process are pulled by hand into the inside of the sock.

Mostly, the toes are squeezed together in "baggy socks" and too tight footwear. Their individual freedom of movement is restricted, their sensory system limited. As a result, the musculature of the toes is not very pronounced compared to "free toes", and blood circulation is restricted.

Toe socks give the individual toes space again and improve their sense of touch. Stimulated by this, your toes move more, feel more and participate in the walking process again. In addition, they keep the spaces between the toes dry, so the feet do not cool down so quickly.

Toe socks activate the individual toes and integrate them back into the walking process. This improves the blood circulation in the feet and legs. As a result, their heat balance also improves.

Yes, toe socks help against sweaty feet.

In "normal baggy socks" that enclose the whole foot, moisture collects between the toes. The sweat cannot evaporate but remains in place on the skin.

Toe socks can help with sweaty feet by first absorbing the moisture in the fabric and then wicking it away from the skin. Since they now have a porous fabric between the toes, air can flow in and the moisture can evaporate.

Yes, toe socks basically provide a better heat and moisture regulation.

As the feet remain dry, especially in the toe area, less sweat accumulates. And only in a humid climate can bacteria and fungi develop, which ultimately lead to the bad smell.

Yes, with our products to support foot malpositions, toe socks, you can counteract this problem to varying degrees:

By widening the position of your toes. Knitido toe socks do this anyway by placing two strips of fabric like small wedges between your toes.

By compressing the metatarsus with a slight compression. The joint affected by the bunion is directed outwards, into its original position, and relieved.

By moving your toes more again, they strengthen the muscles of the foot.

All of this already leads to a relief of the pain for many of those affected - however, we do not promise you a cure, there are too many causes for this disease.

Regardless, we recommend that you do more good for your foot: seek advice from a podiatrist, attend a running training and get to know your feet again. You will be amazed at how much your quality of life improves.

No, 100% cotton makes no sense for toe socks.

The reason for this is that the sock itself and the toe pockets need a certain amount of stretch and shape retention. This is because everyone's feet and toes are different.

That's why we knit a thin elastane thread together with the cotton threads. This ensures that the sock pulls back into the right shape after stretching. To ensure the shape retention and durability of the sock, we need a certain amount of nylon.

But: like you, we believe that cotton or natural fibers or wool are the most important materials for everyday toe socks. In addition, we only use synthetic materials when they have to fulfill a function, e.g. during sports.

All models in the "Cotton and Merino" range are made from New Zealand merino wool. Mulesing is not necessary in New Zealand. The remaining models with merino wool are made from Australian merino wool. We cannot guarantee that mulesing was not used for these products.

No, we have to pass, we don't have toe tights. At the moment, we are reaching the limits of what is technically feasible for us - and it doesn't seem very practical to us either.

If you choose the right sock size, toe socks have a very good durability.

The use of high-quality materials and over 40 years of experience in the production of toe socks form the basis for this.

However, the individual foot characteristics and care have a major impact on the durability. Hard footwear, rough heels, long toenails, excessive wear or selective stress during running, for example, cause holes to appear prematurely. For a long life of our toe socks, please pay attention to our care instructions.

When washing your toe socks, you should make sure that you first pull the socks off the heel when you take them off and then "pluck off" the individual toes. This prevents the toe niches from twisting together and they get really clean during washing.

You can wash the toe socks normally in the washing machine, please note the washing instructions. After washing, you can simply hang your socks over the line to dry.

To be particularly gentle on delicate materials such as wool, we recommend using a laundry bag.

When wearing toe socks regularly, the toes return to their original, slightly open position. That's a good thing. If you have been wearing shoes that are too tight and have squeezed your toes together, it is possible that after a few months you will naturally choose the next shoe size or slightly wider shoes. Rest assured – you are doing the right thing.

Over the years, shoes that are too tight lead to deformities in many people, such as overlapping toes, stunted toes, hammer toes or Bunion. Toe socks help you to prevent it from getting that far. They strengthen your foot and your toes – all in passing.

Yes, definitely.

Both tabi socks and toe socks are an ideal addition in barefoot shoes, for a healthy, gentle gait.

Five finger shoes can be worn barefoot, but in some cases they feel better in socks.

Choose thin toe socks for this, e.g. from the Track & Trail line.