Slippers in Menswear

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If you ask the average person to envision a slipper they’ll usually picture the typical fluffy bath slipper. Yet, there are more refined versions of the slipper that occupies a distinct place in classic menswear.

Table of Contents
  1. What is a Slipper?
  2. Types of Slippers
Agnelli in slippers with burgundy socke and grey flannel suit
Gianni Agnelli , ever the rule-breaker, in burgundy leather slippers

What is a Slipper?

Traditionally, slippers have several characteristics that help identify them. The first is that you must be able to slip them on and off without any sort of fastening, as the name suggests. Another feature of slippers is that they’re generally soft with minimal structure and a thin sole, so you can’t walk over rough ground or even hard sidewalks for any length of time with them; if you do, you’ll have aching feet and your soles will wear out in a hurry. 

Monogrammed velvet slippers of Truman - note the HT is engraved upside down
Monogrammed velvet slippers of President Truman – note his initials are engraved upside down

Thus, unlike shoes, slippers are made primarily for indoor use. They don’t allow much mobility except what’s required to totter around the house.

A Brief History of the Slipper

It is said that women in the harems of the Ottoman Turks were made to wear slippers because with them they could not go far if they escaped. And, as reported by The Costume Historian, an 18th-century poem by Dr. William King jokes that when a husband goes out too much, his wife will “give him slippers and lock up his shoes.” Although these examples suggest slippers are a means of domination and control for either sex, they can also be a status symbol, since the wearer clearly doesn’t engage in much physical labor while wearing them.

Ottoman Turkish slippers
Ottoman Turkish slippers

There are some suggestions online that the slipper was invented by a man named Alvin Slipper in 1922, but this is highly doubtful since the term has been used since 1478 to describe a similar type of footwear. Since the 16th century, silk, velvet or leather versions have been worn by wealthy Europeans.

Victorian mens slippers
Victorian men’s slippers were a status symbol

Slippers tend to be associated with the East and, in fact, they were worn as far back as 4700 BCE in China. The modern Eastern association of slippers probably relates most to the Asian practice of removing one’s outdoor footwear upon entering a house  Slippers are meant as a sign of the separation between the inside and outside worlds, having a strictly indoor function. Slippers also appear in other ancient cultures. For example, a Roman burial from 220 AD unearthed in Wiltshire, UK contained a skeleton wearing slippers, which were already a sign of high status. The other burials were wearing heavy shoes or boots.

Types of Slippers

Though many forms of slippers exist for men, let’s take a look at the category of fine men’s slippers.

Mule-Style Slippers

Men's Leather Mule Slippers
A pair of $50 mule-style leather slippers from Samuel Windsor in the UK

For purposes of classic menswear, there are essentially two broad varieties of slipper. Perhaps the most common is one with an open back and only a front enclosure for the foot; this is known as a “mule” in modern terminology but were formerly called pantofles, which is similar to what they are still called in the Romance languages. This kind of slipper can be made in a variety of materials, including leather or velvet, and are stereotypically worn by dads in flannel robes reclining in their easy chairs reading the Sunday newspaper. Because they are backless, these slippers are impractical for outdoor use or any sort of extended walking. You generally won’t find them in menswear boutiques because they are inexpensive, very casual and easily mass produced rather than luxury items that require a great deal of craftsmanship. Therefore, we won’t say much more about them.

Woodcut print from  showing mule-style slippers
Woodcut print from The Costume Historian showing mule-style slippers

Closed-Back Slippers

The second sort of slipper is one that has a closed back, resembling more of a shoe or loafer. You’ll sometimes be hard pressed to recognize the difference between a closed-back slipper and a loafer. Both are laceless and cut low, so they sit below the ankle bone, and both have a separate sole, unlike moccasins and driving shoes in which the leather of the sole is essentially part of the upper. Often the term “slipper” is applied to soft, unstructured loafers, perhaps with a lower profile and a more streamlined look; the difference is really a matter of semantics.

Slippers vs. loafers
Italian shoemaker Belsire’s slippers and loafers are quite similar, both leather slip-ons with soles and a low heel (compare to the obviously different driver)

Indeed, the lesser-known Aurland and Wildsmith loafers, both developed in Norway, were either originally intended for indoor use of called “slippers” at some point. Belgian loafers, developed by Henri Bendel in New York in the 1950s, are a loafer style that straddles the slipper world. Those made by Baudoin & Lange in London have been celebrated widely online for their comfort, but their soft, unstructured style and thin soles makes them optimal for wearing in the house or office and less suited for pounding the pavement all day. So, when looking at loafers, you can consider the ones that are “ultralight” in soft suede with thin soles to be hybrid slippers to be worn accordingly. Of course, there are few hard and fast rules these days, so you can wear slippers outdoors if you can endure them.

Simon Crompton in Baudoin and Lange Belgian Loafers
Simon Crompton of Permanent Style wearing Baudoin & Lange Sagan Belgian loafers. Note the soft structure and thin soles.

Opera Pumps

Paradoxically, although slippers (and slipper-like loafers) are most often casual shoes, there are highly formal versions. Part of Beau Brummell‘s revolutionizing of menswear was his simplification of dress. His uniform of a blue coat, buff waistcoat, off-white linen shirt with white cravat, buckskin trousers, and dark riding boots is the most talked about development, but in the evening, he wore the same blue coat with a white waistcoat, black pants, striped silk socks, and black slippers.

A pair of Regency gents at a ball wearing slippers

A pair of Regency gents at a ball wearing slippersSlippers were already worn at the time, but, consistent with all of his style moves, Brummell’s innovation was making it less ostentatious.

Buckled mens shoes from the Regency period were the precursor to modern slippers
Buckled men’s shoes from the V & A Costume Museum collection from the Regency period were the precursor to modern slippers

He removed the silver buckle on the vamp of earlier slippers and replaced it with a simple black bow. Such slippers were worn to the opera, to evening parties and to balls. They were no more durable than the typical indoor slipper, but the well-dressed gents of high society would usually arrive at such events in carriages or sedan chairs and would not need to do much outdoor walking.

Opera pumps worn casually
Two vintage ads from Instagram user ptenopedilos showing opera pumps worn casually, the latter among daring students in 1916.

In the 21st century, the association with evening events remains, and we call these slippers opera pumps. Opera pumps today are typically black patent leather with a grosgrain silk bow across the vamp, designed to match the silk of tuxedo lapels and the bow tie.

Dinner jacket with black silk socks by Fort Belvedere and opera pumps aka court shoes
Sven Raphael Schneider wears a dinner jacket with black silk socks by Fort Belvedere and opera pumps

Their venue is primarily evening formal wear: an option with black tie and required with white tie, thus keeping with their original purpose and association with the highest level of formality. They have been worn by daring sorts during the early 20th century in much the same way as loafers but not so much these days.

Bernhard Roetzel in black tie
Bernhard Roetzel in black tie and opera pumps

Opera pumps are unique in appearance among masculine footwear. Some say they are feminine because “pumps” usually refer to women’s shoes. and because they are worn with sheer black socks or hose. Those who are aware of the history of pumps will think otherwise.

The Albert Slipper

The most famous and unmistakable closed-back slippers are Albert slippers, named (like the Prince Albert tie knot) for the royal consort of Queen Victoria. During the Victorian era, men began to appreciate the need the need to keep the dirt out of their homes and exchanged their boots or shoes for slippers when they came inside. Prince Albert was one such man, and, of course, the fact that he lived in various palaces added extra incentive for him to keep the floors and rugs clean. He can be seen wearing slippers in various well-known portraits since 1840, though in these cases he is wearing what looks like shiny opera pumps, which are still de rigueur with court dress to this day.

Two portraits showing Prince Albert in slippers
Two portraits showing Prince Albert in slippers

The more casual Albert slipper, on the other hand, is traditionally made in black velvet. Interestingly, the leather version of the Albert slipper is technically known as the Churchill, presumably because they were favored by Sir Winston in the next century. The Albert slipper can keep your feet warm, so they are most suited for cool season wear or living in a large, poorly heated Victorian home. Alberts can feature the same grosgrain silk ribbon of an opera pump, but more often the vamp is either plain or features motifs made with embroidery.

Albert Slippers are an option with your dinner jacket at home
Sven Raphael Schneider favors his custom velvet Albert Slippers with the Fort Belvedere logo for entertaining at home

This is an opportunity to showcase your individuality and personality with a monogram or rakish decorations like a skull and crossbones, crowns, or stags’ heads. Other features include a whole-cut upper (made from a single piece of material) and a quilted interior including the footbed.

Various Prince Albert Slippers for Men
Various Prince Albert Slippers for Men

Albert slippers come in different colors as well–burgundy and navy blue being two popular choices. In this way, they can be paired with a matching velvet dinner jacket, which is the perfect way to wear them if you are hosting a dinner party at your home. The velvet lends them formality, while their nature as slippers brings in a casual vibe. Some men wear velvet slippers with a dinner jacket outside the house or even just on the street, usually sockless. This can give you an air of sprezzatura worn with a pair of jeans and a cotton sport coat for local jaunts, but if you’ve got a dinner jacket on, you need to wear thin socks.

Marcus Troy in Albert Slippers
Blogger Marcus Troy wearing velvet Albert slippers casually with red chinos and a navy jacket

For a sockless option that elevates your look at home, you can try your Alberts with a dressing gown or a smoking jacket to channel Hugh Hefner and the lifestyle of lounging around that he projected through his famous uniform.

Indeed, the Albert Slipper first took off in popularity alongside the fashion of wearing a smoking jacket in the mid-19th century, so there is a long precedent for wearing them this way.

Albert Slipper Options

Averaging around $300 and ranging up to $500 or more for an item intended primarily for indoor use, the Albert slipper is certainly a luxurious indulgence. If you want a department store source, Brooks Brothers sell them at the low end with Ralph Lauren featuring a pair at designer pricing ($650 for their minimalist plain black Collis slipper).

Much better deals can be had at British specialty makers like Bowhill & Elliott (around $200) while most of the Jermyn Street shoemakers will have some models for sale. Crockett & Jones will even make a custom pair for you starting at £230 though you have to wait 8-10 weeks.

Del Toro velvet albert slippers in wine red
Del Toro velvet Albert slippers in wine red

For the greatest selection of fabric colors and designs, two options are American brands Del Toro ($325) and Stubbs & Wootton ($500), the latter featuring a range of irreverent and fun embroidered designs.

How to Wear Slippers

Put them on your feet, you may reply sarcastically, but slippers today often make public appearances on the feet of many a well-dressed man.

The choice is wholly up to you, but we favor the classic approach of leaving our slippers at home. There are so many other interesting pairs of shoes to wear out and about; why not enjoy this one style of shoe at home?

Conclusion

However you choose to wear them, slippers are a worthy addition to your collection. Start with a pair of Albert slippers for the most use, selecting embroidery that suits your personality. Before you know it, you’ll start dressing up at home, at least on Sundays!

Do you wear formal slippers? Inside or out? Formal or informal? Share in the Comments section below.

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Reader Comments

  1. I have a magnificent pair of fleece lined slippers styled as loafers that I wear when entertaining at home so I can be comfortable mingling with the guests, especially at the holiday parties with many guests and standing a lot.

  2. I have quite a collection of hand-crafted velvet Albert slipper all with either custom motifs or my monogrammed initials, which I consider mandatory. I often wear mine outdoors and often to formal occasions. Although not the choice of many, especially if in bold colours, I can attest that they are extremely comfortable, quite exclusive and hence, they stand out and have earned compliments in most places to which I’ve worn mine.

  3. Most of the slippers depicted in the article are simply not masculine in style. The opera pumps in particular give me the creeps as these silk bows just look plain effeminate. At least they are still made of leather – but why should a man ever feel the urge to wear velvet footwear? And even if I did: why should I embroider them, say, with a crest, an emblem or my initials? I know my initials and all who know me do as well, so it looks rather affected, at best.

    I would never wear slippers in public as they have that connotation of what the Germans would call “spießig” – which could be broadly translated as “petty bourgeois”. And wearing any kind of footwear without socks (as shown in one of the pictures) should be a strict no-no in any case – unless you’re returning from the beach – or a shower cubicle. And as for Hugh Hefner: he never looked elegant, just like a spent old man in pyjamas who had ceased long ago to make any effort to dress properly.

    I wear slippers only in a strictly private context at home and although my slippers are different from those highlighted in the article, I would change them immediately for a pair of proper shoes if a visitor called. I have stout, hand-made slippers made of thick felt, from the rather chilly “Erzgebirge” in Saxony, traditionally worn by miners and farmers as they keep out the cold and for a while even rain and sleet. But my favourites are traditional slippers from the Black Forest (where I once lived for a while) made of straw, so-called “Strohschuhe”. However, if you google images of “Strohschuhe” you’ll see: they are rustic in character and suitable for outdoor use as well and have not much in common with camp looking velvety and wimpish slippers. :-)

    1. It may surpise you to learn that the Venetian Gondlieri, a type of man who hardly can be accused of being a softie, in the performance of their duties generally wear a special type of slipper called a “Furlana” that is sinisterly similar to the Albert Slipper, the only notable difference being that Furlana’s sole is made with recycled bicycle tyres that ensure suffcient grip on the polished surface of their Gondola.

      Furlane are sold in venice and hav a cost of 25-50 Euro depending on finish.

      1. Dear Dr. Noseital,
        thank you for the interesting information, I had never heard of the “Furlane” before, but from what I have just read on the internet the name “Furlane” is derived from the local dialect, meaning “from Friuli”, as that is the region where they are still being handcrafted today. And they are marketed by a company called “Piedaterre” in Venice.
        But Furlane remind me of some type of almost forgotten footwear, called “altar slippers”. In the pre Vatican II days of the RC Church you might have seen altar boys/altar servers wearing red, black or green velvet slippers pretty similar to the Albert slipper/Furlane. One of the reasons for their use was that no audible footsteps would disturb the sacred silence during holy mass. I am too young to have any valid memory of that, but I have been to Tridentine masses of Catholic traditionalists namely in France where altar boys still wore them. But I have also seen them in use in Anglican worship at some High Church parishes of the Anglo-Catholic tradition.

  4. Nice job. And particularly timely as the weather gets cooler and we spend more time inside!

  5. What an excellent and informative article Ralph! You really are a font of rare knowledge satorial.
    I woukd like to find quality Albert slippers in tartan, any ideas?
    Cheers

  6. Very interesting article.

    No, I don’t wear slippers. And I hate the ones with the little bows. Cute on a 5 year old girl but they look silly on a grown man.

  7. Do note that Giovanni Agnelli, depicted in the picture, is not wearing a pair of “slippers”, rather he has on a pair of Italian made “mocassini”, a type of summer shoe specifically designed for out-wear that later gave birth to the car-shoe.
    Also, note that Italian properly attired gentlemen have always paired charcoal or grey suits with leather-color or burgundy shoes and belts, a practice that personally I abandoned in the 90s, but that across the period 60s-80s was rampant.

    The odd thing Mr. Agnelli seems to be doing is pairing summer shoes with what appears to be a mid-weight suit (possibly a Huntsman cut in the 70s, if one is to judge from the abundance of fabric of the trousers), quite a faux pas even for the style iconoclast as he enjoyed being (look at the watch that he wears on the shirtsleeve, possibly to tease some wannabe into copy him, which they did in large number…)

  8. I gave up on slippers, they don’t last and they make my feet sweat. At least in the price range i can afford. So I bought a pair of navy Sketchers slip-ons with a knit fabric upper. I have been wearing them instead of slippers for a couple of years now. Comfortable and long wearing compared to slippers.

  9. I endorse the closed back leather upper RTW Crockett Jones Savoy slipper. Plain and stylish with a reasonable price – quality balance.

  10. Curious. You never acknowledge the great Italian shoe designer, Marsell. Their Strasacco slipper line is far more contemporary-MASCULINE than these tiresome velvety bogs of antiquity. Also, you NEVER acknowledge Ferragamo. Very shaky ground to trod and never mention a legendary shoe designer. Seems untenable to presume expertise regarding sprezzatura and be so clumsily vacant and passively hostile to the Florentine nobility.

    1. Thanks for your comments Mr. Ferragamo. These are definitely very fashion-centered brands, in many ways now the antithesis of the traditional or classic style upheld by The Gentleman’s Gazette. I appreciate your hyperbole nonetheless!

  11. Dear Rapha and Chris,
    Another great article and yes, I wear slippers in the office only – I have two beautiful pairs from AceMarks and they are very comfortable in the office and stylish.

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