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Okinawa’s Locally-Made Sandals Sold for Just a Few Hundred Yen—The History & Allure of "Shima-Zouri"
You’ll almost always find Shima-zouri in Okinawan souvenir shops. These sandals feature vibrant colors reminiscent of the island’s strong sunlight.
But what kind of history and characteristics do they hold as a fashion item?
We spoke with President Ryoko Yonahara of Okinawa MoonStar, a company with the longest history of selling Shima-zouri in Okinawa and known for offering the “Original Shima-zouri.”
PROFILE
Ryouko Yonahara
MoonStar Company President & CEO
The company plans and wholesales footwear, rainwear, sporting goods, and more. Founded in 1950 as Matsumoto Shoten, reorganized into Matsumoto Shokai in 1956. In 1972, the wholesale and retail divisions separated and the company became the exclusive Okinawa agent for MoonStar, establishing "Okinawa MoonStar" and expanding its business.
The Hidden History of the Okinawan People’s “Soul Shoes”
First of all, “Shima-zouri (島ぞうり) ” refers to thong sandals that Okinawans wear in daily life.
Most are made of rubber or EVA, making them affordable, but some focus on being "MADE IN OKINAWA" and a few are even crafted from genuine leather.
“Because of Okinawa’s hot climate and its proximity to the sea, Shima-zouri are handy footwear that everyone relies on. They’re like ‘soul shoes’—the footwear equivalent of soul food.”
While they are technically flip-flops, people don’t just wear them to the beach or around water; they’re everyday shoes used in all aspects of life, except for business settings.
“In Okinawan households, it’s totally normal for every family member to have their own pair of Shima-zouri.
Our company has been handling Shima-zouri longer than anyone else in Okinawa, so we sell them as the 'original Shima-zouri.'”
Okinawa MoonStar began selling Shima-zouri in the immediate postwar 1950s—back when they were still called “Matsumoto Shoten.”
It was a time when Japan was poor and even owning “shoes” was uncommon, so many people went barefoot. The company started producing and selling affordable rubber sandals within Okinawa. It’s said that the rubber was sourced from old military vehicle tires.
“Basically, people wore flip-flops because there weren’t any shoes available. The term 'Shima-zouri' was coined much later. When I was a child, everyone just called them ‘Saba’ in the local dialect.”
President Yonahara explains that, in the 1950s, these “Saba” were made at local Okinawan factories and distributed wholesale by Matsumoto Shoten (now Okinawa MoonStar).
The local factories shut down in the 1960s, so they switched to importing sandals from the Philippines.
Then, in the 1970s, after Filipino trading companies closed, they started sourcing sandals from Indonesia via trading firms outside Okinawa.
It was around this time that “Saba” started being known as Shima-zouri. That supply chain has continued ever since.
“For us, Shima-zouri have to be casual, comfortable, widely available, and affordable—just a few hundred yen per pair. Even though inflation is pushing prices up, we’re determined to keep them under 1,000 yen a pair.”
The history of Shima-zouri is tightly linked to postwar Okinawa—born from the hardships people faced after the war, they managed to endure through disruptions in production and import, making them an important symbol of the island’s postwar story.
What Is the Leading Shima-zouri Brand “SKYWAY”?
Many different companies produce Shima-zouri, but Okinawa MoonStar is known for offering the brand with the highest sales volume: the original Shima-zouri, “SKYWAY.”
“SKYWAY is an Indonesian brand we started importing in the 1970s. While it’s considered a premium brand in its home country, you can buy it not only at shoe shops throughout Okinawa but also at supermarkets and convenience stores.”
It can be said that Okinawa MoonStar's business grew hand in hand with SKYWAY. The overseas brand evolved into Shima-zouri to meet the needs of the local people.
"I believe the price when we started importing SKYWAY in the 1970s was 380 yen. They were high-quality sandals made from raw rubber. However, due to the natural properties of the material, they were prone to cracking as they deteriorated and could be slippery.
That's why, in the 2000s, we switched to EVA material. Each sandal became as light as about 60g, and breathability improved as well. The soles and footbed are comfortably soft, and grip has also gotten better."
The sandals are built with a basic two-layer structure—a footbed and outsole, both made from different types of EVA, glued together. They come in a wide range of sizes, from 14 to 28 centimeters, which is quite rare for a single sandal model.
"We've designed them so that both children and adults can wear them. In elementary schools and other places, sandals with thongs are considered to help create a good arch in children's feet, so it seems Shima-zouri are being worn by many children."
While SKYWAY has updated its materials, there are aspects that have remained unchanged.
The thong part has stayed exactly the same since the brand started being imported in the 1970s. The softness and angle fit Japanese feet well, and to date there have been no accidents or complaints, they say.
When "Shima-zouri" Go Out into the World
The original SKYWAY Shima-zouri are now seeing their uses expand even further."With the switch to EVA, the sandals now come in more vivid colors. When we first began selling them, the color options were only red, blue, and yellow, but now there are 14 colors. Black is the most popular."
Because anyone can wear them regardless of age or gender, with the expanded color selection and affordable price, they've become popular for bulk purchases as uniforms, novelty products, or brand collaborations.
There's also a fun, original trend unique to Shima-zouri.
"SKYWAY's original Shima-zouri have a two-layer structure, so if you shave the footbed, the outsole beneath becomes visible, making it possible to sculpt into them. It's said that surfers, who often couldn't tell their own Shima-zouri apart from everyone else's, started engraving their names to identify them."
An organically developed, unique customization culture arising from widespread popularity. Users carve their own designs, and there are even specialty "Shima-zouri tattoo" shops offering custom hand-carving.
Easy to wear, durable, easy to find anywhere, and affordable—these are the qualities of the original Shima-zouri, which might seem unrelated to branding, but there's a deeply rooted history and a philosophy of craftsmanship behind them.
Finally, we asked President Yonahara about their vision for the future.
"Shima-zouri are beloved in Okinawa, and I'd love to see them become a household name across Japan. While our business partners for the original Shima-zouri aren't limited to warm regions, there still isn't much penetration in the big metropolitan areas.
I hope people will see how suitable they are for city wear and for collaborations with other brands as outstanding footwear."
They also talked about wanting to make a contribution on the international stage.
"We've been supporting places like Myanmar, which is under military rule, and Cambodia, which used to be considered one of the poorest countries, by sending them the original Shima-zouri. Just as Okinawa once did, there are still countries in the world where people don't have shoes and live barefoot. We think this is the least we can do to help."
Born out of postwar poverty and having evolved by adapting foreign-made sandals, Okinawa's local soul-shoe "Shima-zouri" are now working to help people around the world from the ground up.
How about picking up a pair of SKYWAY, an unknown brand with a unique history, this summer?
Text by GANTAN
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