This Trailblazing Sandal Combines Iconic Japanese History and Groundbreaking Innovation

You’ll never find flip-flops that fit your feet better than these ones, period.

Vivobarefoot Tabi Gen 01 3D Printed Flip Flop Sandal closeup

Published May 7, 2025

·

Updated May 7, 2025

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Although first popularized in the United States in the 1980s, the Tabi sandal dates back to 15th-century Japan. While most know it because of fashion and pop culture trends (a tiny bit of credit is owed to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and G.I. Joe), the split-toe sandal style is practically ancient and hasn’t changed much over time.

Vivobarefoot’s Tabi Gen 01 sandal looks to be taking that definitively old-school footwear style and vaulting it into modernity (and even beyond). Utilizing groundbreaking tech, this could be the best-fitting flip-flop you’ll ever own — seriously.

Model wearing Vivobarefoot Tabi Gen 01 3D Printed Flip Flop Sandal — These feet-hugging flip flops are based on a Japanese style that dates back to the 15th century.

Fits like a glove

According to the brand, the Tabi Gen 01 is the “world’s first 3D-printed sandal shaped by your feet.” To achieve that, Vivobarefoot is using a unique combination of 3D-scanning and -printing tech.

Like other footwear in the brand’s innovative Vivobiome, the tech requires you to visit one of the brand’s stores in person. There, an employee will scan your feet, getting a complex blueprint of your foot shape, dimensions, step and so on.

Then, a flip-flop is printed to your exact specifications utilizing low-impact materials to maintain the brand’s aims toward sustainability. The result is unlike any sandals you’ve likely ever worn before.

Instead of the typical experience — loose straps, little (if any) grip and a shape that forces you to grip the sandal with your toes (impacting your gait, comfort and so on) — these offer a precision fit. Not only are they comfortable, but they also promote overall foot health.

Vivobarefoot Tabi Gen 01 3D Printed Flip Flop Sandal toe closeup — These 3D-printed sandals are crafted to match your exact foot shape, offering unmatched comfort.

Form-fitting, terrain-conquering

Obviously, these sandals look extremely minimalist. And they are, to a certain degree. But they’re not entirely without support and performance features.

While they are designed to promote your foot’s natural shape and step, they’re still made with outdoor usage in mind. As such, they have a grippy, treaded outsole that will serve you well whether your day-to-day includes casual walks around the city or more rugged pathfinding, especially compared to other flip-flops.

Like other Vivobiome footwear, these sandals are made from a type of thermoplastic that’s durable, flexible and weatherproof. However, it’s also environment-friendly and will biodegrade at the end of its lifecycle.

That means you can reap all the rewards without worrying about the downsides. Furthermore, Vivobarefoot is already planning on using what it is learning from this pilot program for the Tabi Gen 02, meaning you can be a part of history by partaking.

Vivobarefoot Tabi Gen 01 3D Printed Flip Flop Sandal bottom — Despite their thinness, these sandals still offer plenty of all-terrain grip.

Pricing and availability

The Vivobarefoot Tabi Gen 01 sandals are only available in the UK for now. If you are near London or Bristol, you can head into Vivobarefoot’s storefront to have your feet scanned and unlock access to Vivobiome.

If you’re not near one of their scanning locations, the brand promises a virtual queue for early access to Tabi Gen 02.

The inaugural launch includes a limited 590-pair run, but the brand is expected to expand in 2026.