Monday 15 October 2018

Slippers

Have I missed something?   In one of the newspaper magazines this week-end there was a whole page of slippers for the winter.   The cheapest was just over twenty pounds, the most expensive between seven and eight hundred pounds.


What use are slippers I ask myself.   As far as I am concerned they have but one, very important, probably the most important of winter, use - to keep my feet warm and to be comfortable.

Does it not seem to you, as it does to me, that even contemplating the fashionableness or otherwise of such a lowly fashion item when there are thousands of children starving and where even in our country foodbanks rear their ugly heads in most towns, is perverse?

30 comments:

Rachel Phillips said...

Slippers are important to me in the house and finding a pair that is right is crucial. There are many factors to be considered particularly sole type, lining and safety in the house and sufficient strength to go outside if necessary. How ever much people are suffering in the world, and donations to charities can be made as a contribution to alleviating this, our own lives still remain important and should not be ignored.

Penhill said...

Did you read the accompanying article where an entrepreneur had cynically sat down looked for a gap in the market and made a fortune out of slippers that people hadn't known they needed! It was ever thus I suppose.

justjill said...

Supermarkets cheap as chips. Do the job quite well. And extremely cheap. Yes I too find these articles offensive pushing us to spend lotsamoney on fashionable items when everyone else appears to be struggling. To just live and eat and heat. What a world we live in.

Ruth said...

I just ordered a pair of sheepskin slippers, not cheap, (not fashionable either!) but I know they'll last me the rest of my days, and will fit my daughter if I should check out sooner rather than later. My conscience dictates that I contribute that amount plus to our local charity supplying the needs of the poor. I have more than I need of just about everything but years! Slippers are a necessity in the cold winters - any synthetic material causes my feet to sweat, which doesn't happen with sheep wool linings. I agree, though, that our consumerism is something we should control, and I like to think that most of us are trying, while also trying to be a positive influence on those who aren't.

Mary said...

Black NIKE pool slides are my favorite to wear in the house - very comfy and practical. Non-slip, cushioned footbed, easy on/off, and can wear straight into the garden then rinse off if they get a bit muddy. In colder weather I slip on a pair of socks. I actually bought the men's version last time, sized down a bit, because they come with a black NIKE logo rather than the in your face white one. I paid just $15.00 on sale in a local store.

I have seen beautiful sheepskin or suede slippers but would never consider paying over a hundred dollars for them!
Keep your tootsies warm this winter Pat.
Mary -

Christina said...

I haven't seen the magazine article you mention but I can imagine it very well. I share my mum's Birkenstocks that are well made with a comfortable footbed (she leaves them here between visits, don't tell). That or wooly socks but that can be a bit risky on our smooth wooden floors. You are right, it is shameful that anyone should spend a ridiculous amount of money on something that needn't be a status symbol. Have a lovely week.

Heather said...

The prices of some quite ordinary items are bordering on the obscene. I have very broad and rather swollen feet so find it hard to find suitable slippers. To my amazement the most comfortable and best fitting ones come from Sainsburys at under £10 a pair. As they are so cheap I bought two pairs hoping that alternating them will make them last longer. They are machine washable too.

Hilary said...

Like many other things in our present day, yes, perverse. Too many people taking too much inconsequential stuff, way too seriously.

angryparsnip said...

I use men's "deck" shoes safe sole, mesh type upper. Great outside and inside. I do have a slipper wool type, expensive but I found them on a great discount , this will be my 4 year of using them. So I got a very good deal.

cheers, parsnip and badger

Tom Stephenson said...

I have finally given in to slippers - well, sheepskin bootees really. I bought mine in Germany for 18 euros, so I don't feel too bad about starving children. The £450 Crockett and Jones boots I have (three pairs) are another matter which I refuse to discuss, like all the charity work I do on the quiet.

Pipistrello said...

That is just crazy talk!! The summer-time absurdity is that the rubber flip-flop which once cost mere pennies became a branded footwear object that commands $30 in Australia, and nobody seems to have noticed they're exactly as before. I'm sure some might argue that since you can spend so much of your life in your slippers, the old mattress-is-an-investment argument, you may as well make them expensive and special ...

cocoya said...
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Gail, northern California said...

We had a discussion this afternoon about a measure on the ballot to finance a new firehouse. Believe it or not, the one the firefighters are using right now has been condemned.

One of the ladies fluffed up her tail feathers and declared, "I'm not voting for anything that's going to raise my taxes!"

I was stunned. Water, sewer, fire protection. These are precious commodities, basic services, people. It would cost her $38 per year. Good lord, some women pay more than that monthly to get their nails done.

Off the subject of over-priced slippers but you hit a raw nerve, Weave.

Cro Magnon said...

I have bought slippers in the past, but only for a few €'s. I loved them as a small child. Mine were a sort of brown tartan, with a bobble on them. If only I could find the same again.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

I was given slippers as a gift and they are very comfy. However, I prefer just socks. I don’t think we are horrid people for wanting things for our own comfort but I also think that we should be charitable with our time and money to help those who are not as fortunate.

Derek Faulkner said...

I've never really been a slipper person, I tend to use a pair of thick wellington boot socks if my feet get cold indoors in the winter. I'm amazed that some people give so much thought and indeed money, at a simple thing like a pair of slippers.
The thing that gob-smacks me is that some people pay hundreds of pounds for a pair of denim jeans with holes ripped in the knees and legs and wear them as a fashion statement. What next, buying shoes with holes in them!

thelma said...

Reading through the weekend magazines that come with the weighty papers, and the clothes, including slippers now, are obscene prices. But as you thumb through the prices, the only thought that comes to mind is the fact that you never see them around. Celeb slippers, what next!

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I shall continue to slouch about in the same pair I've had for six years until they decide they've had enough of me.

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the veg artist said...

I don't think slippers are a simple or trivial thing, and agree with Rachel in that our own lives, and bodies, matter. I wear Birkenstocks in the summer and sheepskin boots in the winter, indoors! The house I live in has cold concrete floors, and even though there is lining under the carpets, they are still cold. Several of our floors are tiled.
Perhaps it doesn't matter when we are young and healthy, but as we get older I believe out feet should be looked after, at all times. Slippers are just not firm enough to provide support for long periods, so OK for the evening, but not for those of us who are home all day, every day.
The price of things is a separate point, and one I admit to having problems with as well, as the £10 in my head is still the £10 of 20 or 30 years ago.
One way of looking at this is thinking about prices in percentage terms. How much of our income does something cost compared to years ago? The ££££s look more, but often aren't in comparison.

Carol Caldwell said...

I have never worn slippers. I wear flip flops all summer (March to November in fact) and then boots for the winter. Indoors I wear flip flops in summer and the socks I am already wearing under my boots in winter. I do understand that socks can be slippery on certain floors though. I think we must all wear what is comfortable for us.

lynda said...

I just saw an ad for a Burberry quilted jacket for $950 ......thought that was over the top, too.....

liparifam said...

Slippers are a necessity for me; in my younger years I loved going barefoot or wearing socks in the house, but as I've gotten older, my feet have become more of an issue and now become quite painful if I don't have some cushioning at all times. Having said that, I search for the lowest price I can find on the style I prefer (little cushioned ballet slippers by Isotoner), and wear out one pair before buying another. They cost about 10 pounds...

Dave said...

I'm a slipper person but slippers that are too comfy and with a good sole tend to be used outside rather than in the house, which defeats the object.
Following on from my comments yesterday I meant to add that you have an interesting and well written blog and as you say blogging is a good discipline in having to write something. I suspect that many people once they have left the workplace get out of the habit of writing.

Joanne Noragon said...

It costs too much to modify one of my shoes to compensate for my short leg. I just couldn't do that for a slipper, too. My shoes are on all day and night.

Derek Faulkner said...

Slippers seem a tad unnecessary here on Sheppey today, such a glorious, almost summer's day. Clear blue skies since dawn and very warm, unbroken sunshine. We need some rain but boy, days like this in October are pretty good.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Interesting comments here - seems we all have an opinion on the subject - I love it when folk
really think about the subject and then answer in such numbers. Thanks so much.

diana said...

I love slippers but would never pay such a dear price for a pair. I try to tell myself the expensive brands are providing work for some person but alas most of the profit I fear goes into some designer's bank account...it's all about the label.

jinxxxygirl said...

Late to the comment party Pat bu i refuse to feel bad for spending my hard earned money on myself... however and whatever i choose. Now i personally would never spend that much on a pair of slippers.. i think an acceptable slipper can be had for much much less.. Nor am i one to give readily to charity.. I'am more apt to give of my time than money.. And if thats not enough then so be it.

liparifam said...

Also, in response to Lynda - a good Burberry coat, taken care of, will last a lifetime and can even be passed on afterwards, so even though I would never pay that much for one, I can see that it would pay for itself over time. I actually bought a second-hand Burberry trench coat on eBay for about 1/5 of retail cost. It is older, but a classic and in perfect condition. It has the extra zip-in lining, and is the warmest, most well-made coat! I just love it! I always look on eBay for bargains on expensive things as I don't mind buying something that has been lightly used but is in great shape...