Overlooked in our wardrobes yet the footwear we wear most often, slipping into our slippers signals we are home, it’s time to relax.
But the comfort and consolation of slippers comes into their own at other times too; after a hard day, a long week or during tough times.
Nobody knows this better than journalist and writer Rosamund Dean.
In January this year, Rosamund left her job as an editor at Grazia magazine for new adventures, celebrated her wedding anniversary…and discovered she had breast cancer.
Since then, she has charted her journey blitzing breast cancer in powerful posts on Instagram; and in her joint column with her husband Jonathan in Sunday Times Style magazine, which describes how her diagnosis and treatment has affected them and their two children, Ezra and Eden.
To continue our celebration of slipper season, we asked Rosamund, a slipper superfan, to share her life in slippers; from the novelty Minnie Mouse pair she wore in the 90’s, to the comforting role slippers currently play during her cancer treatment.
Headshot photo credit: Alexandra Cameron.
Do you wear slippers all year round?
All year round! I love being cosy, even when it’s warm. Plus, with small children in the house, you never know what you’re going to step on when you stumble out of bed in the morning (a piece of Lego under a bare foot is no joke).
How important are slippers in your life?
They’ve become increasingly important in recent years, since there have been times when I have absolutely lived in them: maternity leave, lockdown and cancer treatment. I wear them more than any other pair of shoes, so it’s important that I have a pair I love.
Which is your favourite pair of slippers and why?
For me, it’s the sheepskin moccasins in sand and pepto pink - they are classic, beautiful and so cosy. I’m thinking of upgrading to the boot for winter.
What makes a great pair of slippers?
I love a slipper that really hugs your foot and doesn’t feel as though it’s about to fall off when you go upstairs. But equally, I need to be able to slip my feet into them easily when I get out of bed. The sheepskin moccasins are perfect on both fronts, and make getting out of bed so much easier.
How would you describe the experience of putting your slippers on?
It feels like coming home. When I was in chemo for breast cancer, I was in and out of hospital so often that home was very much a sanctuary, away from the needles and antiseptic smell of the chemo ward. Getting my slippers on was the sign that I could relax and focus on getting better.
Do you have any early slipper memories?
As a child of the 90s, I was a big fan of novelty slippers. They were hideous, sweaty, highly-flammable creations. And, looking back, it was actually quite bizarre to slip my feet into Minnie Mouse’s head.
Do you have more than one pair?
Not yet! I tend to wear one pair to death before buying another. But I dream of being the person who curates a slipper wardrobe (slipdrobe?).
Tell us about some of the interesting places/times you have worn your slippers?
I always take my slippers on holiday, the photo above is of me and the kids in Puglia recently, and have been known to turn up at friends’ houses with my slippers in a bag, so I can really make myself at home.
Enjoyed this and want to read more? See A Love Letter to Slippers from Super Fan, Catrionna Innes.
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