During the Nara Period (710-794), the Japanese aristocracy wore shoes or boots, influenced by the Chinese style footwear. It wasn't until the Heian Period (794-1192) that zori and geta were worn.


The climate in Japan is very humid and shoes become rather stuffy during the summer season. Compared to the old style of footwear, zori and geta are cool and good summer wear. They are shoes that are truly native to Japan, not influenced by the previous Chinese style.

People continued to wear geta and zori through the Tokugawa Period (1603-1867), where many different styles of geta started to appear. Due to the closure of Japan to foreigners, Japanese culture (and footwear) flourished.


With the Meiji Period (1868-1911) came a new era, and Japan open itself back up to foreigners. Foreign style shoes started to become popular, and the Japanese style of footwear slowly started to be driven out of the market. Nowadays it is difficult to find people who wear geta in Japan, even in summer. Geta are no longer regarded daily footwear by regular Japanese. When geta are worn, it is when someone is dressed in a kimono, going to a festival. Even then, the geta might have rubber fixed to the foot, blocking out the distinctive sound of the geta - karankoron.


Japanese geta-ya (geta shops) are worried about the future of these traditional shoes. They make much different style of geta using their own imagination or current fashion trends to keep the geta alive. There are only a few specialty geta-ya in Japan.
In 1996 when Paris and Milan companies put out footwear similar in style to the strap used for geta and zori (hanao), both geta and zori suddenly became all the rage. Japanese young people created a boom for the traditional footwear during the summer of 1997 - geta or zori shops could not keep up with the demand!

Now, Japanese style footwear is still pretty popular among the young people. Japanese young buy these shoes as a fashion statement, paying attention to the shape and the many colorful hanao. Geta and zori are also given attention because they are known as to be shoes to stimulate the foot and improve health. These geta are good as gifts and symbolize well-wishes for good health in the future.