JapaneseGeta.com

Joseph P. Famolare was born into a third generation shoe making family in 1932, and founded his own company, Famolare, Inc., in 1969. In the 1970’s Famolare produced a line of shoes called Wooden Things by Famolare.

The Wooden Things line included platform clogs, clog soled boots, clogs and boots based on an all wood shoe similar to European sabots, and at least 3 styles with geta-like soles.

The bad news is that there is very little information about the products available online, the good news is he did patent nearly everything and these patents are available for viewing at the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office’s web site (uspto.gov).

Of special interest to geta lovers is his Chop Stix style, which is shown above in his design patent filing (D228265), and a photo of a white pair below.

Variations included various color tops, wood and colored plastic bottoms, and a pair of roller skates, patent #3,901,521.

Another series had a more curved sole, but still with the geta’s distinct 2 tooth construction. I’ve never seen the exact sole shown in design patent D262328, but there was a variation. It was higher, thicker, and the cut out section between the “ha” was a semi-circular shape.

Famolare is currently living in Brattleboro, Vermont, running the Vermont Agricultural Business Education Center (VABEC.COM).

And yes, Famolare shoes is still in business (famolare.com), but alas, no Chop Stix.

There is a pair for sale at Kakkoiimono.com, photo reproduced with their permission. Also, there are occasionally Chop Stix and Wooden Things on eBay — Chop Stix on eBay

“We’re getting close now, Watson. Look at those footprints.”
“What sort of creature has feet like that?”
“That Watson, is the mark of the geta shoes that are worn by the people of Japan. That explains why Lady Bancroft was confused about the apparent height of the shadow on the window. The samurai warriors are trained to stand upon stilted shoes up to 3 feet high!”
“Amazing.”
“Yes, I have published a monograph upon the subject. It is published under the pseudonym JapaneseGeta.com”

Most people find walking on one tooth geta to be not especially difficult, but standing in one place is quite a challenge.

I recently received email from one of our visitors, Marc V. In his message he describes his way of standing in one spot on one tooth geta.

“I have been a fan of Geta for a long time and have had a pair since 1983. I have always wanted Ippon ba and as I found myself in Tokyo I bought a pair.

I tried them right away and found I was a natural. Many people I have let try them out have had big problems which I found strange. My first time in Tengu felt natural, I could walk and even run in them. The only thing I had trouble with was standing still.

Well today I mastered the technique and wish to pass it on to you and your readers.

To stand still or to be stationary in Ippon Ba…

First I will say that Tengu are not normal shoes and you can in no way expect them to behave in the same way.

The secret to standing still is firstly to do with the brain and secondly understanding what your body is giving in feedback. The brain is used to standing on feet or in normal shoes so the messages it requires are defeated with tengu.

The way around this is to take your dominant foot (the one you kick with) and angle the toe forward, your passive foot should be just ahead of the dominant with the heel angled down.
I am right footed so… Right is / and left is \ but only at a slight angle with the left foot slightly ahead of the right.

At first you will need a steep angle but as time goes by the angle and distance of the feet will decrease and soon it will look very natural.

I have been able to stand still like this for over 1/2 hour tonight speaking to people while not tottering around and looking off balance.

i hope this helps.

Marc.”

First of all, Marc, thank you for writing with your suggestion. I put on my tengu geta this morning to try it, and it is a very stable position.

Thinking of my own experience, I was always looking for that magic way to stand. Occasionally, I’d find a post that worked, but I think it was more luck than skill because the next day, that same arrangement became a candidate for today’s most unstable.

Eventually they all worked, because I had developed the balance needed.

I think it took me about 2 weeks of daily 15-20 minute sessions to get the knack of standing. The question is, how long would it have taken me if I knew the best foot postion when I started?

Would anyone else like to share their experiences mastering tengu geta? Please comment below, or use the contact form linked on the left of the page.

Nifty.com is a Japanese web site similar to Yahoo or MSN. In December 2003, one of their writers decided to try Tengu Geta and wrote about his adventure.

The original Japanese article is here, and if you can’t read Japanese, you can read the computer translated story here.

The story spans 4 pages, don’t miss the “To the next” links at the bottom right corner of the story frame.

There is also a short video linked at the end.

If you’ve shopped online for geta, you’ve probably run into them. They’re sold by The House of Rice, Asian Ideas, Asian Import Store, Amazon.com, eBay, and our own JapaneseGetaShop.com. They’re available with either red or black straps, and in two sizes: 9 1/2 and 10 inches (24 and 25.5 cm), and prices range from $14.95 to $27.00 plus shipping.

For this review, I bought a pair of 10 inch with red straps from Asian Import Store for $14.95 + 7.57 shipping = $22.52.

They shipped them within one business day, and they arrived by UPS ground in one week.

They’re made in China and are (machine) carved out of a single piece of wood. The tops have narrow grooves running the length, and the other surfaces are smooth. They are made of soft wood, and are very light weight at about 7 ounces each..

The red straps are thick, fuzzy, and shiny. The front edge of the front tooth is curved, which could reduce wear, although the rear corner is cut at a right angle, and that surface probably takes more of a beating on paved sidewalks.

They’re 10 inches long, 4 1/4 inches wide, and 1 3/4 inches long (25.5 x 11.4 x 4.5 cm). That’s a little narrower and lower than usual, but still reasonably close to correct proportions.

These are inexpensive geta, and although quality has improved over the years, they have some flaws.

As mentioned, they are not well finished, the straps are not especially soft so not as comfortable as other geta I’ve worn, there are some dents and blemishes in the finish, and as mentioned before, the wood is soft and they won’t last as long as a pair of traditional paulownia geta.

Although I can’t see a significant difference, one geta weighs 6.1 ounces, and the other 7.6. That’s not a difference you can feel wearing them, but is a greater difference than would be expected.

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Pros: Inexpensive, traditional style, light weight.

Cons: Soft wood, rough finish, straps not well padded

Summary: Although they prove the wisdom of “you get what you pay for,” at $15 a pair, they’re a good value, and a great way to try geta without spending a lot. They can be easily improved, just sand them smooth, put rubber on the teeth, and maybe give the wood a nice stain or coat of paint. Then, you’ll have a pair of geta that will be both fun to wear and nice to look at.

Giant geta or tiny computer?

Meet the ASUS Eee PC. It’s just 9 x 6 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches and weighs 2 pounds, yet it packs enough computing power to satisfy a tengu. Prices start at $299.99. Get the full details at EEEforME.com
(site owned by JapaneseGeta.com)
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