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In Japan, it is customary to remove shoes indoors. The geta, a sandal with a cloth thong were easy to slip on and off. Geta became fashionable in urban areas during the Edo period (1615–1868). Wooden stilts or “teeth” elevate geta, which range in height from around two-to-six inches. Japanese geisha wore finely made, lacquered, high-platform geta, which required slow, short steps. Such footwear signified the geisha’s social standing while protecting her kimono from dirt and water. Geisha, however, were not the only ones who wore geta; both sexes and various classes of people wore these platform sandals in order to protect their feet and clothing. Thank you to the Collection of the Fowler Museum at UCLA for your generous loan. See more shoes from all over the world in "Stepping Out: Shoes in World Culture" on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal. http://bit.ly/ShoesinCulture This image was posted on May 18, 2017.

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