Tobi Shokunin, Japan’s elite specialized builders in the sky. Mainly working in high places, Tobi Shokunin are construction workers that are marked by the distinctive style they developed and carry with pride.

Construction workers might not be the first thing that pops into your head when listing fashion trendsetters. Or are they? Carhartt started out as a brand designed for ranchers and construction workers, while cargo pants weren’t exactly made for lucrative purposes. Heavy duty workwear has its ways to expand into a variety of fashion movements.

The outfit of Tobi Shokunin is unique to say the least. Its most prominent feature being the tobi trouser. Baggy pants to a point below the knees, where it abruptly narrows at the calves, designed to put it into footwear like jika-tabi.

The extra fabric of the tobi pants serves various functions on the construction site. It creates maneuverability while moving swiftly around scaffolding, provides protection for sparks, and even snaps in the wind while nearing an edge.

Today the attraction of the tobi pants ventures beyond the work site. While still being proudly used by Tobi Shokunin, the pants grew a following among streetwear fans, inspiring brands and designers like Yohji Yamamoto and WTAPS.

Construction works and scaffolding can be found around every corner in Tokyo. So spotting the tobi trousers in their natural environment is an inescapable task.