Comments on: Crocs vs. Uwabaki

By: Zorro

Zorro — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:26:20 +0000

Teachers don’t wear uwabaki. They are for students, mostly because they are cheap, uniform, and easily mass produced. Teachers, such as myself, keep a pair of whatever they want at the school.

I keep a pair of black sneakers without laces (nice in Japan because I have to take them on and off so much) at the school. Some teachers keep dress shoes, but I am running around too much and standing all day. I have a pair of inside dress shoes (normal dress shoes that I never wear outside) and I take them with me when I go to either school (I work at two), the board of education, or someplace where I will be inside and not wanting to wear the uwabaki or sneakers.

For places with tatami mat, you have to wear slippers, and when you stand on the tatami mat you take of the slippers too. This is because shoes (any kind) destroy tatami mats fast. So you keep slippers, and take them off when you get on the tatami. I have tatami mats in my house, so I just wear my socks or go barefoot inside.

Anyways, I have a few teachers who wear Crocs while they teach. I can’t blame them, they are comfortable, easy to stand in, and easy to take on and off. But they don’t wear them at formal occasions.

I say wear crocs if you want to. Who cares… seriously.

They are popular here because they fit the Japanese market,
-they are comfortable (the Japanese like comfort).
-they are easy to take on and off.
-they are easy to work in for hours (most my teachers work from 7 to 6, if not later).
-they are popular in U.S. (they like things that are popular in the U.S.)
-they don’t match most outfits (the Japanese love not matching).

So yea… that’s enough reasons there why the Japanese would like them.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:46:21 +0000

Too funny. I found your blog LOOKING FOR UWABAKI onlilne!! So, I suppose you dont know any importers YET!?! LOL

By: Roy

Roy — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 04:13:06 +0000

hehe, your comment made me laugh.

By: mpd

mpd — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 04:01:36 +0000

Crocks are the most uncool shoes in the world. I would sooner step into the carcasses of two rotting dead dogs.

By: Luis

Luis — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 14:48:18 +0000

Thanks! Got a pair at Tokyu Hands Ikebukuro, 2nd floor. Fakes for about the same price, but lesser quality, were on sale on the 7th floor. Pricey sunzaguns, but they’re very comfy and will make nice balcony shoes.

By: Roy

Roy — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 20:17:38 +0000

So basically uwabaki are not pervasive in all Japanese schools..

AC, I’m ashamed to be Canadian.. :-(

Luis, they sell the fake ones all over the place but you may be able to get the real ones in Tokyu Hands.

donkeymon, very interesting about how student customize their uwabaki!!

By: donkeymon

donkeymon — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 05:02:17 +0000

I went out shopping with some high school girls the other day (please don’t ask for details) and we saw some of these in a store in Ikebukuro Sunshine city. (Obviously the Crocs and not the uwabaki) All the girls seemed to think that they were horribly uncool. Although I could imagine that yankees who never wear anything other than matching mickey and minnie mouse sweatsuits might be into them. A lot of the customers were looking at them, but I didn’t see anyone buy any.

Anyway, at my school we don’t wear uwabaki per se, but we have to change shoes a lot. There’s separate shoes for inside the classroom, in the gym, and for the field outside, in addition to your regular life shoes from outside. But I think that uwabaki are cooler actually, at least for kids. At my previous schools, everyone used to draw all over theirs with magic markers, and it became one of the few ways the kids could express any individuality.

By: Luis

Luis — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 06:38:30 +0000

Looks like they might make good balcony shoes for my new place. Where can you get them in Tokyo, preferably in or near Ikebukuro?

By: AC

AC — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 02:35:48 +0000

Did you know Crocs were originally Canadian? The owners sold the rights to some worldwide manufacturer and now they’re EVERYWHERE.

I’m in 100% agreement that they are the biggest footwear abomination of the last five years. Here in Toronto there’s a huge Crocs backlash — don’t wear ‘em south of Bloor or you’ll be in trouble :->

By: w00kie

w00kie — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 18:15:53 +0000

I have a pair of yellow Crocs
I wear them to go surfing in Shonan, take out the trash and when I go for combini runs