Show me your slippers and Link Up

I'm talking fearlessly today about a taboo subject. Slippers!  The focus is the type of slipper worn indoors. To see someone in their slippers, in their home, is to see them somewhat vulnerable.

I was intrigued to read about an entrepreneur who developed a trendy slipper, the Mahabis.  He had Googled flip flops and followed it with a search for slippers, and found many, many more people were actively searching for slippers.

The Mahabis slipper was then born. What makes it different is the "outdoor" sole which enables the wearer to go from house to dustbin with ease.

Slippers are not in general a young person's thing. When I surveyed the millennials in my office, very few wore slippers.  One young colleague does wear Mahabis, as does her partner.

Putting together the shopping guide was quite an eye opener. All the upmarket brands sell slippers, including the "outdoor"" type, which can be very expensive. In the last year or so it's become fashionable to wear slippers outdoors.  This very afternoon, I saw a young mother in fluffy mules which looked exactly like slippers. But she was out shopping.

I tend to buy cheap slippers - mules - from either Marks and Spencer or Next. I wear them for a few months and then bin them. Here's a selection of slippers (and the feet of someone who doesn't wear them) from my family. Can you spot my slippers?  Leave your answer in the comments below.

One of my colleagues also buys cheap slippers but he has a young dog who savages them, so it makes sense. That's his slipper - and dog, Dollie - above. Another colleague has shared her "hausschu":

Strange facts about slippers 

The first slippers were worn by the concubines of a rich sultan in 12th Century Vietnam. Wearing slippers kept the concubines captive. Having only soft, slippery, thin-soled slippers on their feet meant the women could never survive escape through the rocky terrain outside the harem.

So a sinister start for the slipper.

In Japan, everyone has one pair of slippers for roaming around the house, and another for trips to the toilet. Remembering to change out of your loo shoes once you have answered the call of nature is vital. According to Inside Japan: “Accidentally forgetting to take off the toilet slippers after leaving the WC is pretty much the most mortifying thing you can do”.

Judy Garland's red slippers

There are only four remaining pairs of the famous red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz. One of these pairs went to auction in 2011 with a guide price of $2-$3 million. When they weren’t sold, a group of angel donors – including Leonardo DiCaprio and Steven Spielberg – clubbed together to buy the slippers and donate them to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science.

A second pair were stolen in 2005 and a Wizard of Oz super fan has offered a $1 million reward for information regarding their whereabouts.

Shopping for Slippers 

What are your slippers like? Or do you never wear them? Do tell!

Sharing with #ShareAllLinkUp at Not Dressed as Lamb and #WeekendBlogHop at Claire Justine.

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Fashion, Lifestyle