Slippers for All Occasions
When Cinderella lost one shoe while fleeing the ball to beat her midnight curfew, she was probably making a statement - shoes are glamorous, but really uncomfortable footwear even in dance halls. Designers of footwear may not admit it, but this iconic fairy tale may have inspired them into inventing those slip-on moccasins, slippers and sandals, and spiking up the design to make it not only comfortable but also a trendy and attractive part of every apparel.
The word "slippers" used to give us the image of leisurely walks at the sandy beach in rubber slip-ons, or lazily lounging around the house in sandals made of cushiony material with the rabbit-ears design - the types that we take for granted though they faithfully show the test of time and natural wear-and-tear until they just fray around the edges already until we buy the next pair.
Nowadays the word "slippers" alludes to almost-everyday-anywhere footwear. The comfort of merely slipping it on and off, and the carefree feeling of exposed toenails that could take that much-needed breather from the uncomfortable confines of leather or rubber shoes are really helping boost the popularity of slippers over shoes. Now that awareness is up about the discomfort of wearing those spiked heels and pointed-toe shoes that eventually take its toll on poor, poor feet, even the most glamorous and trend-conscious men and women tend to cater to exposing more feet and toenails with flip-flops and strapless footwear to give their feet that relaxed and pampered feel and look.
Not satisfied with the casual image of slippers, the footwear designers went a step further - you will now see bridal slippers in catalogs! While retaining the traditional rubber material and the thonged design, it is colored a pristine white to match the motif of weddings. More pad to the soles are injected for that added comfort. The design improved, too, from traditional thongs and top-open ones to strapless sandals that adhere to the feet with special non-sticky skin adhesives. Slippers like these are stylish and fashionable for those delicate-looking feet of the bride.
With the advent of this trend in footwear, more and more people are now thinking that, yes, feet also deserve to have an occasional foot scrub and relaxing spa. Feet look more and more glamorous and are given that much-neglected-but-much-deserved care and attention.
