In 1988, at Martin Margiela's first-ever show in Paris, models walked a white runway in boots with their soles dipped in red paint. Every step left a split-toed footprint. The brand says it took a traditionally flat shoe and turned it into a heeled boot. That was the Tabi, and the house calls it its first shoe design.

The idea came from a 15th century Japanese sock, and the original was cut to follow the natural contour of the foot, on a wide cylindrical heel. Today each pair is made by hand, with 11 artisans and a single white stitch to finish. Margiela himself said of the boot, "it has never been copied." I love that line, and it is why I want to be careful here. This Maison Margiela Tabi dupe edit is not about the original. It is about other labels that share its one defining detail, the split toe, in their own shapes.

Start in October with the ballet flats, since they work with everything in a fall closet. The Steve Madden Calico comes in black leather, a bone mesh and a blush satin, so you can pick the mood. The Jeffrey Campbell Equina has a deep V throat and a rounded split toe, and the Pit Lane in wine is high-shine leather that I would put under straight jeans. The Matisse Mason in red has a small bow and reads sweet and a little odd at once.

Before you buy, look at the toe split itself. A good one is rounded and sits where your big toe actually lands, not a notch cut into a pointed shoe. Walk across the room in them, and make sure the toe does not pinch.

The Tabi story did not stay with flats. The house itself has made loafers, cowboy boots and a stiletto pump from the same split, so boots and heels are fair game for any look-alike too. What changes is how the split sits on a shaped sole.

For ankle boots, I would look at the Steve Madden Caro in black leather, which has a cylindrical block heel, the closest nod to the original's wide, round heel. The Maeve booties have a stacked 2 inch block heel in leather, and the All Black Chelsea style in black adds a zip and a short block heel. For a slouchier mood, the Jeffrey Campbell Off Script boots in taupe suede pull on and fall in soft folds, and the Herring Scrunch in black suede stops mid-calf with a nearly flat sole. The Steve Madden Calora is a flat knee-high, which I would wear with tights and a skirt this month.

Then the dressy end. The Sandy Liang slingback has a low block heel, a split toe and one faux pearl, and the Bibi Lou ballet heels in burgundy have a small bow and a 1.25 inch heel.

Fitting test: stand with your weight on the front of the foot and check that the split does not gape or open on the sides. Leather and suede should fold at the toe, not crease sharply. What I would skip: a very thin, flimsy shaft if you plan to tuck jeans in, since it will slump at the ankle.

A strap changes how a split toe sits, because it holds the foot back and lets the toe do the talking. That is why Mary Janes are the easiest place to try the shape if flats feel too plain. Vogue notes that Mary Jane versions are worn with dresses or tailored trousers, and I would do the same.

The Jeffrey Campbell Preakness is a black leather flat with a buckled side strap. The Saturna keeps the black but has a satin finish and wraparound laces, which I would wear with ankle socks and a pleated skirt. The Thousand Miles mixes leather and fabric with a rounded split toe, and the All Black pair has double buckled straps. Steve Madden's Calara is a ballet-style Mary Jane in black leather with a buckle, and the Charles & Keith Aether in burnished brown has a lace-tie detail and an instep strap, a good one for dark denim and a camel coat.

Mules are the lazy answer. The Jeffrey Campbell Lights Out is backless leather with a V throat, and the Steve Madden Tino is a flat slip-on. I would pair either with a long trouser hem that just skims the split.

Buying test: check that the strap sits across the instep without digging in, and that the buckle holes leave room to adjust. For mules, slide your heel back and forth to see whether the foot stays put. What I would skip: a stiff strap with a hard edge, since it will rub by lunch.

Sporty split-toe shoes have their own history. Vogue points out that Nike's Air Rift is one of the best-known descendants of the Tabi, so that is where this section starts. It makes sense to call them an alternative rather than a version of the Margiela shoe: same split, very different attitude.

The Nike Air Rift in celestine blue is a pale blue sneaker with double buckled straps and a chunky sole, and the cream one has airy netted uppers and an Air-cushioned midsole. The Breathe version is silver with black dots and a hook-and-loop strap. For something less technical, the Jeffrey Campbell Planeta is a black suede and leather low sneaker with a strap, and the Thalion is a brown Mary Jane sneaker with an ultra-low sole. Steve Madden has a lace-up South in black leather with a ruched heel, and the Frankie in black mesh slips on over a gum rubber chunky sole. The Bronx Sammie is lace-up black leather with a ruched heel and a removable insole.

I would wear the Rift-style pairs with cropped, wide trousers and thick socks, and the leather lace-ups with a slip dress and a long coat. Test: press the toe box with your thumb while the shoe is on and make sure the split gives without pinching. Check that the strap sits flat. What I would skip: heavy mesh in a downpour, since it lets water straight in.

Wear any split-toe shoe with the wrong socks and the whole idea falls apart. The house itself sells socks made for its Tabi, and the V&A notes that two pairs of socks were designed to be worn with the shoes, one thick wool, one plain gray cotton and wool. So socks are part of the picture, and here they are an easy first step.

The Free People Cotton Tabi socks in black are 70% cotton and 30% nylon in a crew shape, and the Lurex pair is 95% nylon with 5% metallized fibre, a little sparkle for a flat or a pump. Steve Madden has a black and white pack of split-toe crew socks. The Nike Everyday Plus crew socks in white are ribbed with a black Swoosh, with Dri-FIT tech, cushioning and arch support, made to go with Rifts or sandals.

Then the two shoes that wrap this up. The Steve Madden Cyra is a ballet-style black leather shoe with a low block heel and split toe, and the Juliette is a stiletto pump with a rounded split toe, my pick for a night out with a slip skirt. The Nike Air Rift in mesh and in black, cool gray and white show the sporty side again, with a strap and an Air sole.

Test: pull the sock on and check that the toe seam is flat and the split is deep enough to separate the big toe without pulling it sideways. What I would skip: socks that are too thick for a narrow flat, which will push your foot out of it.

I would begin with the shoe I would wear most, which for me is a black leather flat or Mary Jane, and check three things: a rounded split, leather that bends at the toe, and a strap or throat that holds the heel. Then I would add socks, because the shape reads better with them.

After that, boots for October and a sneaker for weekends. Margiela once said people kept asking for the Tabi and did not stop. I get it. A single split toe, in your own shape, is a good place to stop asking. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Rothy's Shoes and Sam Edelman Flats.

Since the split toe has a gentler cousin, I also wrote about tabi flats and why they feel easier to wear.