4 Considerations for Choosing the Best Slippers
Sep 14 , 2021
Tags - How to Choose the Best Slippers
Slippers are one of the most important shoes for our day-to-day lives.
Often, the shoes we wear outside of home become uncomfortable after a while and after a long, hard day at work, there’s nothing better than coming home and changing into our slippers. Because they can finally rest, breathe and recover before another hard day tomorrow.
However, slippers are much more than just a comfortable shoe to wear inside, if the perfect pair is not chosen properly it can lead to foot health problems in the future.
Whilst everyone can benefit from wearing slippers at home, there are few foot problems that make having slippers a must have, such as:
- Bunions
- Ingrown toenails
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles heel
- Overly high arch
So, it’s definitely worth paying attention to these 5 considerations in mind when choosing your next pair of slippers.
1. Sizing
Typically, people will choose a pair of slippers based on their usual shoe size.
But because slippers usually come with quite a lot of lining, it can mean there’s not enough space for your feet, forcing you to push into them and leave you feeling uncomfortable.
For this reason, it’s recommended to size up when choosing a pair of slippers. The whole point of slippers is to keep your feet warm and feel naturally comfortable, so if your usual size fits then of course, stick with that.
2. Material
Most slippers out there are made out of soft materials, especially the inside as it's designed to protect the feet. But sometimes, this can leave your feet feeling too hot and sweaty, so if your feet tend to get hot a lot then you won’t want to pick a pair with a thick lining.
Other materials for slippers include leather, which are usually thinner but great at keeping your feet cool and fresh.
Some slippers are made from terry cloth - the same material as towels - which is perfect for keeping feet neither too warm or cold and are super easy to clean.
Surprisingly, velvet can be used to make slippers and because of how soft it feels, it can be very pleasant on the skin; it should be saved for winter months though because it can get too warm in the summer.
More commonly, cotton and suede are used for making slippers and whilst they’re both great, slippers made from these should not be worn outside or they’ll just get ruined.
Last but not least, wool is the most common material used for the inside of slippers, that’s great for winter but not so much for summer as they don’t let the feet breathe, causing them to sweat.
3. Flooring
What kind of flooring do you have at home? Depending on whether you have carpet, wood or stone will affect what kind of soles your slippers should have.
For instance, for slippery surfaces, you’ll want to choose slippers that have more traction with rubber outsoles. This will keep your feet cushioned, stop you from slipping and protect the floor from any scratches.
On the other hand, if you have a softer surface like carpet then thin soles will work just fine.
Essentially, the harder the floor the thicker the sole should be.
4. Other
Whilst size, material and flooring are important, there are a couple of other things to keep in mind too.
First, are your daily activities. What do you need your slippers for? For example, are they for gardening, washing up or general chores? Perhaps even just for lounging or for when you’re cooking. Think about where you’ll be wearing them - i.e. leather in the kitchen would be ideal to repel any oil spillages.
Second, is to decide whether you’ll be wearing socks with your slippers or not. Unlike outdoor shoes, slippers are not always worn with socks and so it’s a good idea to measure your feet barefoot, or take extra thin socks (i.e. stockings) with you before trying them on.
This last one may sound weird, but the time you go shopping for slippers is important too. As the day goes on and you’ve spent more time on your feet, they’ll naturally begin to swell.
Positively, slippers are made for tired feet and the best time to try these on will be after a long day, when your feet are in their most exhausted state to gauge its true fit.
Final Thoughts
Of course, other factors like price, colour or design will play a part in helping you choose but the most important thing for you to do is consider comfort; ensure there is adequate heel support, shock absorbing soles and good arch support.
Above anything, your slippers should be properly fitted so you may need custom orthotics to insert inside your slippers to achieve the best fit.
Please contact us today to find out more.
In the meantime, check out our extended range of
You may also like: