Susie Bubble. Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images
The pandemic brought with it a more relaxed attitude to everyday dressing that has, nearly five years on, stuck. Footwear, in particular, has remained distinctly flat: be it the never-ending obsession with ballet pumps (mesh, sparkly, or straight-up), the widespread appetite for It-trainers or the affirmation that slippers (trendy ones with sturdy soles, of course) are appropriate beyond the confines of our homes. If you live in a city, you’d be hard-pressed not to spot multiple Bostons, Crocs or Uggs on an outing to the shops – especially on a Sunday. Few would bat an eyelid. And now that January has finally rolled round, best believe there’ll be more in the wild. (Rihanna has already been spotted in a pair of Palace X Ugg Tasman slippers in New York.)
As well as the humble go-tos, the recent runways have made way for several luxury takes on the slipper which, given their investment price-tags, can be defined as “fashion slippers”. The Row’s towelled hotel slippers, from pre-fall 2024, have been one of the most literal takes, while Jonathan Anderson debuted a more practical slipper vision at his autumn/winter 2024 show. Every model wore shearling-lined booties or suede slippers that tapped into his inspiration for the collection: the British sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, which starred old-aged pensioners in Yorkshire for whom slippers were a mainstay. Styled with sculptural minidresses, slips and tailored shorts, Anderson’s exuded contemporary cool, making a strong case for slippers as a feasible fashion statement. And erring more on the shoe side, Miuccia Prada interspersed supple leather, logo-stamped mules amidst combat boots and loafers at her Miu Miu showcase, styled with longline coats and silk dresses.
Prior to these new iterations on wearable slipper-shoes, Gucci has found resounding success with its backless, shearling-lined leather Princetown loafers – tagged with the signature horsebit hardware – launched as part of Alessandro Michele’s autumn/winter 2015 collection (there are also styles without shearling, which are much less slipper-y). Consider the aforementioned examples your cue to live in slipper-shoes this January.
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
