Cep’keri (Salmon-Skin Shoes)
Traditional Ainu winter clothing often makes use of animal skins, especially warm, thick furs. The Ainu community on Sakhalin, a large island directly north of Hokkaido, used salmon skin to make shoes known as cep’keri. Salmon skin is a very durable material; the skin is windproof and waterproof, and the scales provide traction on slippery ice. Cep’keri were often lined with dried grass for comfort and insulation.