Artisanal Tabi Boot 1989

Martin Margiela's split-toe Tabi boot — introduced in his debut collection in October 1988 — is the single most influential shoe design of the last 50 years. Named after the Japanese split-toe sock worn with traditional sandals, the Tabi transformed the relationship between footwear and the body. The earliest Tabi boots from 1989-1992, produced in Belgium with the white label and four stitching lines at the wrist, are foundational artifacts of conceptual fashion. Margiela's insistence on anonymity — the label shows only a number, not a name — gives these pieces a particular poetic weight. Value: $3,000–$12,000.