SIMPLE STYLE
SLIPPERS
the sublime comfort of slippers! What other footwear offers such ease? They are the friendliest, the most accommodating of shoes. No cramped toes or need for plasters with these lovelies; no tottering about on heels or need to get your feet ‘sandal ready’. Slip on a pair and you enter a world of warmth, forgiveness and kindness. Slippers say ‘home’ like no other garment. They signify the contentment that comes from kicking off your work shoes, shutting the door and having no intention of going out again for a very long time. They are the footwear of choice to envelop your feet on Christmas morning as you shuffle down to open your presents.
There are naysayers, of course. In recent years, there have been reports of a drop in slipper sales, attributed to underfloor heating and fitted carpet. People have been seen walking around the house in bare feet or socks. Imagine! Don’t they know the dangers of stepping on a piece of Lego without the rubber sole of a slipper to protect them? Aren’t they aware of the convenience of putting the bins out, or popping into the garden to snip some herbs, without having to change into actual shoes? French shoemakers are credited with the invention of the slipper (the pantoufle) in the 17th century when they turned cut-off pieces of felt into soft shoes. These became known as ‘the silents’ as they were worn by servants to pad discreetly around their masters’ bedrooms without disturbing them. Other nations have their own variations: Arabian slippers have turned-up toes so nomadic people didn’t trip over rugs in their tents, for example, but I think we can proudly say that Britain has embraced the slipper like no other.
It’s true that our traditional slipper – as worn by a butterscotch-crunching elderly gent – could be considered a symbol of surburban domesticity. The sort of Christmas present sourced from the back pages of a Sunday supplement and derided. But things have moved on. Now we can enjoy the cosiness of a sheepskin bootee, or the stylish comfort of a felt mule. These are presents that anyone would welcome on Christmas morning and wear for the entire day. It’s true that slippers are rarely sexy but who needs sexy when you are padding around the living room in your pyjamas with a cup of tea, your family around you and a pile of presents to unwrap?
“They are the footwear of choice to envelop your feet on Christmas morning”