Tabi sizing and how to measure for Margiela boots

Maison Margiela lists 65 women's Tabi items on its Canadian site without a single fit note on whether to size up. Neither the Tabi ankle boot nor the Tabi Ballerina tells you to size up or down.

The ballet flat and the ankle boot share the exact same measurement table. What changes between them is the heel height, which sits at 0.8 cm on the flat and 6 cm or 8 cm on the boots.

Quick facts

• On within: 5 Maison Margiela pieces and 55 MM6 pieces in Toronto, read 26 September 2026
• Tabi Ballerina price: CAD$1,225 with a 0.8 cm heel
• Tabi ankle boot price: CAD$1,715 with an 8 cm or 6 cm heel
• Size 8 foot length: 24.7 cm on the Canadian site table
• Size 7 foot length: 24 cm on the Canadian site table
• Return window: 30 days for full price pairs with prepaid return slips

Why sneaker sizes mislead on the split toe

The split toe was introduced in 1988 for the first Maison Margiela collection, inspired by a 15th century Japanese sock design. The house cut the leather to follow the natural contour of the foot.

For the first show, the soles were dipped in red paint so the boots left split toed footprints on the white runway. The house built the original design on a wide cylindrical heel mirroring the diameter of the human heel.

The Canadian site conversion table pairs IT 38 with US 8, UK 5 and JP 25. If you want a wider context across European labels, read what a 38 is, and whether designer shoes run big or small.

Flats and boots share the same centimetre row

The Tabi Ballerina costs CAD$1,225 with a 0.8 cm heel and an upper made from 100% ovine leather. The Tabi ankle boot costs CAD$1,715 with an 8 cm cylindrical heel and 100% lambskin leather.

Both pages print identical foot lengths: CA 6 is 23.3 cm, CA 7 is 24 cm, and CA 8 is 24.7 cm. Half sizes sit between them, with CA 7.5 at 24.3 cm and CA 8.5 at 25 cm.

Wear the black ankle boot with raw hem jeans in washed grey, because the straight crop lets the split toe show without stacking fabric. To compare conversions across other labels, check the designer shoe size guide.

The house prints your foot length in centimetres, which settles what the forums debate.

What the Toronto shelves held on 26 September 2026

On 26 September 2026 within held no Tabi styles you could try on in Yorkville. It held 5 Maison Margiela pieces at Utopia on within at 132 Cumberland Street, priced from $500 to $900.

Those pieces were Replica sneakers, including a 9.5M at $900, a new size 43.5 pair at $800, and two EU 41 pairs at $700 and $900. You can browse all Maison Margiela on the Toronto shelf before heading to the shop.

At 7 St Thomas Street, WDLT117 on within holds 55 pieces of MM6 Maison Margiela from $249 to $2,295. Their footwear includes Anatomic Ankle Boots in black for $1,350 in EU 37 and 38. You can see every style on MM6 Maison Margiela on the Toronto shelf before visiting.

How to measure and what to check before buying

Measure your foot in the evening by standing flat against a wall on a piece of blank paper. Mark your heel and your longest toe, measure the distance in centimetres, and match that number to the house table.

Full price pairs come with free returns within 30 days of delivery using the prepaid return slip or in boutique. Discounted items are final sale.

When your box arrives, try the shoes on a clean indoor rug so the soles remain unmarked. That keeps them eligible for return if your measurement was off.

Common questions

Do Margiela Tabi boots run small?

Maison Margiela prints no fit line on whether Tabi boots run small or true to size. Both the boot and flat pages print the exact same foot length measurements for sizes 35 through 42 without advice to size up. If your foot measures 24.7 cm, take an Italian 38.

How do Tabi ballet flats fit?

Tabi ballet flats use the exact same centimetre measurements as the ankle boots. The house prints the same foot length row on both pages and no fit line, with only the heel height changing to 0.8 cm. If you wear an Italian 38 in the ankle boot, take an Italian 38 in the Ballerina.

Are Tabis the best shoes for bunions?

No Maison Margiela page we read for this note mentions bunions. The house says only that the split toe design was cut to follow the natural contour of the foot. That statement describes the shape of the shoe and makes no medical claim.

Do tabis run large or small?

Neither, by Maison Margiela's own pages. Maison Margiela prints no fit note on the Tabi ankle boot or the Tabi Ballerina. Both print the same foot lengths, so size by centimetres: 24 cm is a CA 7 and 24.7 cm a CA 8.

What size should I get for Maison Margiela Tabi shoes?

Get the size that matches your foot length on Maison Margiela's size table. CA 6 is 23.3 cm, CA 7 is 24 cm and CA 8 is 24.7 cm, with half sizes between. Measure standing, in the evening, heel to longest toe.

Is a 38 a size 7 or 8?

An 8. Maison Margiela's Canadian site pairs an Italian 38 with a US 8, a UK 5 and a JP 25. It fits a foot that measures 24.7 cm.

What size tabi footwear should I wear?

Wear the size that matches your foot length in centimetres on the Maison Margiela Canadian table. On that chart, a 24 cm foot takes a size 7 and a 24.7 cm foot takes a size 8. Stand flat against a wall on paper in the evening to measure from heel to longest toe.

Why are tabis controversial?

The controversy comes from the split toe shape, introduced in 1988 inspired by a 15th century Japanese sock design. For the first show, the soles were dipped in red paint so the boots left split toed footprints on the white runway. The house cut the leather to follow the natural contour of the foot, built on a wide cylindrical heel mirroring the human heel.

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