On the way home from a summer festival or fireworks display, do you take off your geta (wooden sandals) and just put them straight into the shoe cupboard? Actually, that’s the moment when geta are most likely to get damaged. If you shut them away while they’re still holding sweat and moisture, you might be in for a surprise next year when you take them out and find dark stains or mold. Caring for geta really just comes down to one small step right after you take them off, plus knowing the right way to wipe the base and the hanao (the thongs) depending on their material. Let’s walk through the specifics together.
The first small step to take right after you take them off
Once you’ve taken off your geta, try not to put them straight into a box — start by airing them out in the shade in a well-ventilated spot. If you put them away right after wearing, they’ll sit there still holding moisture, which can let mold grow, and sometimes the marks don’t come out even after wiping. The basic care recommended for geta is simply wiping them with a cloth wrung out firmly. Make “air them out in the shade as soon as you take them off” your rule of thumb, and it will cut down on trouble later on quite a bit. For care of the kimono or yukata (a light cotton summer kimono) itself on days when you’ve sweated, it’s also worth checking the article on sweat care for yukata and summer kimono.
The basics of wiping away dirt, by base finish
The base of a geta actually feels and behaves differently depending on how it’s finished — and, between us, this might be the hardest point to tell apart. The shiraki (plain wood) finish, which makes the most of the paulownia wood itself, is the most natural finish: a fine clay powder (tonoko) is applied, then the surface is polished with privet wax and a technique called ukizukuri to bring out the sheen. It feels wonderful against bare feet, but it does tend to pick up footprints easily. The yaki (scorched) finish, on the other hand, is made by burning the surface and then polishing off the soot, which brings out clear wood grain and tends to be worn more casually. The shiraki type is basically meant to be worn with tabi socks or similar, and if you wear it barefoot for a long time it will gradually darken — worth remembering if you often go barefoot in your geta.
For geta or sandals with a painted finish — clear lacquer, black lacquer, scorched lacquer, and so on — the basic care is to wipe with a cloth lightly dampened with lukewarm water. If dirt is hard to remove, wiping with a cloth lightly dampened with diluted neutral detergent will clean it up. Paulownia geta dislike moisture, so avoid getting them wet as much as possible; if they do get wet and dirty, wipe them with a firmly wrung-out cloth and then let them dry in a well-ventilated spot. Just remember the flow: clean off the dirt, air them out in the shade, then store them somewhere well-ventilated with low humidity.
Key points for caring for hanao, by material
Once the base is taken care of, turn your attention to the hanao next. This is another area where handling really differs by material. For zori (flat kimono sandals) made of synthetic leather or urethane, it’s recommended to wipe away dirt with a firmly wrung-out cloth and then wipe the whole thing well with a dry cloth. For enamel or leather zori, a method is recommended where you put a small amount of enamel-specific cleaner on a soft cloth, spread it out well, and then buff with a clean cloth. Enamel is sometimes called “patent” material these days, but the approach to care is the same — and it’s actually a material that generates a lot of care-related questions. Since dirt tends to get left as-is, our recommendation is to wipe it off the same day you notice it, rather than letting it sit. With paulownia geta, dirt on the hanao can leave stains or cause the shape to warp, so it’s best to avoid getting these wet too.
If you’re still deciding between geta and zori in the first place, the article What’s the difference between geta and zori? A gentle guide to choosing for yukata and kimono may also help.
A checklist before storing them for the off-season
When putting them away at the end of the season, there are a few things worth checking. First, clean off any dirt, air them out in the shade, and then store them somewhere well-ventilated with low humidity. Putting them away while still dirty or damp can lead to discoloration or mold, so be careful. For long-term storage, it’s also recommended to use silica gel or a dehumidifying agent to keep humidity down in the storage space, and to clean and brush them regularly to remove dust and dirt. However, avoid putting moth-repellent in with synthetic leather zori. The gas from moth-repellent can sometimes cause discoloration or deterioration. If you’d like to review your overall approach to storing kimono and accessories, the article How to Store Kimono: A Practical Guide to Tatoushi, Moth-Repellent, and Humidity Control is also worth a look.
When the hanao loosens or breaks, here’s a guide to repairs
Even with careful use, the hanao can loosen over time as it stretches. Re-adjusting how it’s fitted, or repairing peeling on the top or sole, can be handled by a specialist footwear shop. These days many hanao are glued on rather than fitted by hand, so if no artisan work has gone into it, re-fitting itself may not be possible — it’s worth knowing that old hanao or zori can sometimes break when they’re removed. On the other hand, things like sole peeling on zori, cracked hanao, discoloration of the vinyl top surface, urethane zori or imported geta (with rubber covering the entire sole), and items with mold present are cited as examples that can’t be repaired. It may come as a surprise that not everything can be fixed. Traditional footwear shops that handle geta and zori are becoming fewer, but specialist shops are still there to take on requests for replacement or adjustment.
Summary
Caring for geta becomes much easier to picture if you think of it in four stages: airing them out in the shade after taking them off, wiping according to the base’s finish, caring for the hanao according to its material, and taking humidity precautions for off-season storage. You don’t need any special tools — a wrung-out cloth and a well-ventilated spot are all it takes. Just set the geta you wore today somewhere shaded for a bit after taking them off — that alone will mean you can take them out again next year still looking good.