Just measure your foot length and the strap will cause the foot to sit back a little and give that ideal overhang of the heel.

If I understand you correctly, length of the sandal = length of the foot? How about the placement of the teeth? on 4:10 and other times I see that (1) the forward tooth is beyond the center of the sandal, and (2) the distance between the end of the sandal and the start of the back tooth is a bit less than the length of the square section of the tooth.

Length of geta = length of foot, yes. Because they are 'open-toed' sandals when we have the front of the Hanae at the point where our toes divide, we should not have the 'V' of the toes forced right into the Hanae, but rather back a bit. This will ensure that the heel 'slightly' overhangs the back of the geta. Many people do not understand that when worn in the traditional way, then there is this 'overhang'. For correct balance the weight of the leg coming straight down, the centre of the leg will coincide with the middle of the rear Ha. It is completely wrong to have the front Ha equidistant from the end of the geta as with the rear Ha. One can only walk flat-footed with them like that, instead of having a natural rocking forward as one walks so the front edge of the geta hits the ground. Placing the front Ha slightly forward of the centre of the geta seems to work best for balance.

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Thick straps, Hanae, are more comfortable and good for artistic design.

The traditional ones which are one piece and have the wood grain running horizontal do wear down in a few months of everyday use. Mine which have the grain running vertically are much stronger so one can double that time frame. Japanese people rarely use them daily, and keep them for festivals, but Western people who wear them daily for health benefits have no such hangups.

In wet conditions I would make them a little taller. The traditional method of manufacture does use a single block of wood from which the whole geta and Ha are cut in one piece. Making your own is much easier to do by adding the Ha as seperate blocks. If you use a good waterproof PVA wood glue the join is stronger than the wood, and put the Ha grain running vertically which makes them stronger and longer lasting before wearing down.

extra normal thanks so much! I'll start working on them tommorow!

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. You are I presume Japanese, and therefore think that the Japanese way is best. If I were living in Japan I might never have started to make my own geta as it is easy to find shops full of them there. As I have to make my own, or import from Japan at great expense, I am rather restricted. Paulownia wood, which is used in japan, is difficult to find in many countries, so i use what is available locally, which for me is pine. The Japanese way of cutting up a tree trunk into blocks which are left to weather and dry out in store, before being cut into the geta shape which includes the Ha all in one piece is not very practical for home geta makers. Although that is the traditional method, it means that the wood grain must run along the length of the geta for comfort and beauty. Therefore the grain in the Ha is also running from back to front. This is a weakness and often you will see the rear Ha reinforced with dowels to try and strengthen them. With my method, which is commonly used by home makers, the Ha are simply blocks of wood attached to the main foot piece, either by screws, and/or glue. This method allows the maker to have the block of wood having the grain run vertically. This is much stronger and also wears down less quickly than having the grain run horizontally, so no need for dowels. Modern PVA glue is actually stronger than the wood, so if great force is applied, the surrounding wood will split rather than the joint itself.

See you this year 29th December...... ปีนี้ 29 ธันวาคม เป็นเวลาสามวัน

Those in Thailand all live in tourist villages but have no valid ID so have little freedom. In Burma there are similar places I believe, but i've never visited there. They also still live in their own communities as before, but are in areas still under military oppression in Shan State and Karen, Karenni areas. Certainly their younger generation in Burma are less inclined to continue the traditions.

extra normal thank you

It is widely believed that the custom of neck rings were extinct in Burma. People underestimate how much that may be hiding in the mountains. It was forbidden for girls to wear neck rings from 1963 to 2008. However, the ban was not respected in their home rule in Burma and not in Thailand where has lived women with neck rings since the 1880s.

Rose Htwe

I like to keep to the traditional placement of the Ha. If the heel is level with the edge or slightly overhanging there is no discomfort. If the heel is too much inside the Geta are the wrong size.

Ilove Everyone i am alright with tradition. but speaking modern style, convenience, and being able to get used to it easier, it would be better to put both teeth a bit further forward on the shoe so that you can have both good posture, and practice a healthy walking style in them.

Modern style doesn't interest me. I am old enough to prefer traditional methods. With the Ha placed traditionally a slight overhang gives me the right line of weight and balance coming down the leg through the ankle and straight onto the rear Ha. I stopped wearing normal shoes and just wore my Geta for a couple of years. The wood is hard but still softer than the road. I found my health improved, previous back troubles cleared up, and I now just go barefoot which is more natural.

သာနားပါတယ္ ကယန္းမေလးရယ္

Yes maybe.... I have not studied Korean history but know they have much in common with Japan.

Ilove Everyone If you search for "Baekje(백제) namakshin(나막신)" in Korean, it can be found. It complete twins. And Joseon Dynasty or similar shoes to ethnic minorities of China has been discovered.

+owendudeson Four years on and he is now getting rather frail and doesn't tattoo anymore.

Awh that's so sad!

The Akha people sell these in many tourist locations, but I only filmed them.

+Ilove Everyone can u sell 1 to me?

+Hugh Casement We should not care what others think of us as long as we are causing no harm. Geta are fun, cool and healthy. I now wear mine less often, preffering to go barefoot. Both geta and barefoot are similar to getting a foot massage and my previous back problems have gone away.