I gave my husband a pair of slippers as one of his Christmas gifts. He’d needed a pair for a while and had been walking around in red wellie socks for several months looking like a movie extra in Dr. Zhivago, one of his favorite films.
Finding them was no easy task. He is particular about his feet and while they are not big, he prefers a looser fitting shoe with a bit of extra width. I found Clarks, King Switch slippers in a nearby town and they’ve been perfect.
Too perfect, in fact.
Before I say any more, I want to let you know that I have John’s permission to share this next part.
Lately, John’s been going on walk-about in his slippers. It began one night about a week ago when he set off on foot to meet me and some friends at the pub. He noted privately to me that he was running a bit late as he’d walked half-way there before realizing he was wearing his house slippers. We had a little laugh about it and went on with our evening.
A few days later, John dropped me at my evening spin class and went off to do some shopping. When we got home later that evening, I noticed he was carrying a bag of groceries in one hand and his slippers in the other. On his feet were hiking shoes that he keeps in the back of the car for impromptu coast path walks which confirmed what I knew before I asked, ‘Did you go out in your slippers again?’
He said yes with a slight bit of exasperation and after I had a laugh, I said, ‘You didn’t wear them into the store, did you?’ He said he went into Asda to pick up a few things and went up to their shoe area to see if they had a canvas shoe he’d bought in the past. He’s been looking for his size for some time and when he didn’t see it, he decided to try on a different style to see if it might be a good substitute.
Looking down to take off a shoe to try on one of the new ones, he realized he was still wearing his slippers and said, ‘Oh, bugger!’ Then he remembered that he had just done the grocery shopping at Morrison’s and said, ‘Double bugger’ before hurrying back to the car to change.
I asked him if he saw any of our neighbors while he was out as it’s unusual not to run into someone we know. He said no and that they’d probably gone the other way after seeing him coming down the aisle in his slippers. He said they’d probably thought, ‘Poor old chap’ if they had seen him, although as quickly as he likes to move through the store, I’d say it’s unlikely anyone had a chance to notice his feet.
We had a pretty big laugh over the visual he would have presented shopping in slippers. After that, I wondered what makes Clarks slippers feel so different than his previous ones … I gave them a good going over and after talking with John, decided it must be down to two areas.
It turns out that the solid no slip soles on Clarks slippers along with the firm bit across the top contribute to the solid shoe-like feel.
Clarks King Switch Slippers – Internet Photo
I told him if they were as comfortable as he said they were, I was going back to the Clarks store to buy a few more to tuck back for when these wear out. He jokingly said he might try them on the TMB the next time we walk it.
That would be an interesting test … 105 miles through the Alps in his slippers. What would people say?
I never forget to exchange my slippers for shoes before leaving the house … I wonder why?
Gifts Of The Journey 
Ha ha, I like this image!
After an afternoon filming a video with a couple of friends, I once chased someone about ten minutes up the main road of the town I live in before realising I didn’t have any shoes on because I had been dodging the water pistols we were fighting with. I then had to walk all the way back home barefoot. That was back when I was younger, though — these days I walk barefoot as often as I can get away with it, even on rocky ground! It’s a bad habit, I confess.
I used to go barefoot all the time too, Miriam, but my feet freeze here so slippers have become very important.
Ahh, but one quickly adapts to the cold… and I suppose I’ve always lived here so I got used to it. Dancing barefoot in the snow… always fun.
So funny, I tell my hubby off for wearing his slippers to pick me up in the car, just incase he has to get out !!
What kind of slippers does he wear, Anne?
Hey, no need for embarrassment. Wearing your jimjams out for comfort and such is all the rage I hear. Besides, anyone with a pair of Uggs could be wearing slippers, too.
Ugh! I hate Uggs, Mariellen!
They remind me of when Britney Spears was wearing them with short shorts and suddenly teenage girls were doing the same.
http://hollywooddame.com/2009/10/01/britney-spears-show-target-her-belly-buys-a-parakeet-–-photos/
When Dan was about 4 we had to rush off somewhere in the car. When we got home, and I was helping him get out of the car he said, ‘Mum you look like an ugly old hag’ I was so gob smacked I didn’t ask what he meant, it seemed brutally obvious.
Later I plucked up the courage to ask him what it was that made me look like ‘an ugly old hag’? He said it was because you were still wearing your slippers!
Kids.
I’d sure like to see a photo of your hag slippers, Sarah. I can’t quite picture it. 🙂
It is really an adorable story that could totally happen to anyone in our family as we all love our comfy house shoes. And those soles look made for outdoor wear.
They are great soles, Jenny. I’d recommend them. Clarks has other styles if you’re not into the velcro bit.
Hmmm – I picked a certain blogging person up at the gym tonight – guess who had a sweatshirt on inside out and back to front ? 🙂
Okay! 😀 That must have been a bit of karmic payback for having such a laugh about you and your footwear. I know the women at the check-in counter must have had a little laugh after I asked about what to wear to the Pilates class. They probably thought, ‘ Wear your clothes the right way, you Crazy American, … can’t even dress herself properly!’
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I wouldn’t worry too much UNLESS he starts wearing his pajama bottoms out too. People do that here, and not just teenagers! The other day I saw a middle aged woman in the grocery store wearing pink fleece pajama pants with teddy bears on them…REALLY!? I’m all for comfort, but doesn’t pride come into it somewhere?
Yes … well, wearing his PJs out would be funny as he doesn’t own any. I’m with you, I think after a certain age, jammies ought to be worn at home not in public.
I adore your slippers, by the way.
Thanks, Lani. They’re the most comfortable slippers I’ve ever had. You can get them here: http://www.moshulu.co.uk/ladies/ladies_slippers/malia_2.htm
I once went swimming with a group of ante natal ladies. I got a few strange looks when I went in to the pool but thought nothing of it until I came out and went to get changed. I had put my swimming custome on at home as I was running late and I had forgotten to remove my underwear before getting in to the pool. So I had to go home with wet underpants on….
I am so laughing out loud right now, Sylvia. That story is golden! Thank you for taking time to comment.
I should explain for my American readers that ‘antenatal’ is what we call ‘ prenatal ‘ in the US. and instead of swimsuit or bathing suit, you will frequently hear them called swimming costumes here in the UK.
Driving a car can leave your heels looking quite dog-eared so, I used to have a pair of weather beaten, bleach-stained slippers that I would wear on the drive in to work. And then one day I forgot to put my heels in the car. There I was in a gorgeous mint green dress and hose wearing these nasty, ratty looking gray-black slippers. I tried to keep my head up all that day despite the giggles I heard as I passed by.
So funny! I can´t see that happening here, though. It´s either winter, and you wouldn´t go far in slippers when it´s minus twenty outside. Or it´s spring, and very wet and soggy. Or it´s summer, and too hot to wear slippers inside, outside or anywhere. Possibly in the fall. Maybe. For about a week.
My most embarrassing moment was in 1986, when I had bought a compact camera that once you´d come to the end of a roll of film, rewound it automatically and then popped the lid open. When this wasn´t happening, I took it to the camera store and handed it over to the guy to help me. He looked at it and then looked at me. “There´s no film in this”, he said. I would have laughed it off easily now, but at twenty, I was red-hot embarrassed. The guy was slightly hot, too, which at the time added to my humiliation.
Realizing while out and about that I was wearing two different sandles… Oops!
Cute story Elizabeth! I can just see the look on your husband’s face when you asked if he’d been wearing the slippers in public again!
That’s hysterical. I say “Wear your slippers in public proudly, John. You could be a trend-setter.”
Elizabeth, leave yours at home. 😉