Hey, Winter Warriors!
The temperatures have been low for a while at this point of the winter which means it’s been slipper-weather for a while now. I’m wearing mine right now! And I was very grateful to get this new pair of slippers from my mother for Christmas this year. They’re extremely comfortable and they got me wondering how long people have been wearing such luxury footwear.
The name ‘slippers’ comes from the verb ‘to slip’. The earliest record of slippers was is in the 1100’s when the writer noted that he saw someone wearing this interesting footwear in current day Vietnam. While slippers spread across to every culture throughout the world, they originated in the east and took another 300 to 400 years before any mention of them in the West.
A custom developed around slippers in Eastern culture that called for visitors to remove their shoes and put on slippers when entering someone’s house. This custom became especially recognized in Japan. In the late 1800’s, special slippers were invented that were designed to pull over shoes as Western friends of the Japanese were not accustomed to removing their shoes.
European slippers of the mid-16th Century brought about a whole new level of style to the indoor footwear. The material used was leather, silk, or velvet. They often featured patterns that would match an outfit. And the slippers would be adorned with jewels, ribbons, and bows. They flaunted a panache and glitzy kind of style for those who were privileged to a wealthier means of living.
Queen Victoria’s reign which began in 1837 rang in what we now call the Victorian Era. During this time, her husband, Prince Albert, inspired the ‘Prince Albert Slipper’ which boasted a quilted silk lining and leather outsole on this velvet slipper—very fancy! Its style has remained and is still worn today!
We offer slippers here at Everything Summer Camp for your travel comfort as well as at home! Check them out by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John