noun
shoe-check token; number tag for deposited shoes
A numbered token given when leaving shoes at the entrance of a public bath, traditional restaurant, or similar establishment. The token is used to retrieve the shoes later.
銭湯で下足札を受け取って、靴を預けた。
I received a shoe-check token at the public bath and left my shoes.
下足番 is the person in charge of shoe storage, while 下足札 is the physical token.
Compound of 下足 (げそく, 'removed footwear') and 札 (ふだ, 'tag' or 'token'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is transparently formed from its components.