Wearing Slippers in the Street: Praise of Laissez-Faire?

From the living room to the street, there is only one step... which slippers, clappers, mules and other types of slippers have happily taken. Is it a claimed slipper spirit or an aesthetic revolt in progress?

In the street, it is now common to meet people wearing slippers or similar. But not just any shoes! We see stuffed Birkenstock Boston, fluffy mules, Ugg Tasman model, Gucci slippers with hair... And this, whatever the weather. Why on earth would you want to step outside in slippers? For Vincent Cocquebert, author of the recent La Civilisation du Cocon (Éditions Arkhê), this rise in homewear worn outside is symptomatic of a "desire for home everywhere”. Since the confinement of 2020, a form of radicalization of this "civilization of the cocoon" has taken place: the economic or climatic perspectives being objectively distressing, a real curling up has taken place in the homes. It is the triumph of the soft toy accessory, we take our bubble everywhere".

Is this a sign of a softening of style? For Vincent Cocquebert, "the brand's fetish means that what was perceived as sloppiness is becoming a mark of distinction. In an increasingly harsh world, the slipper is soft, the ultimate shoe for our self-care society. C.Q.F.D.

Genealogy of the fashion slipper

When, in 2014, the English designer slipped on the catwalk a clog like a priest's sandal embellished with fur, it was a riot. Fashionistas flocked to Birkenstock, which then experienced a big return of hype (LVMH acquires in 2021 the majority of the capital of the German brand, Editor's note). It was the birth of the "ugly shoes" trend, which saw the most unlikely creations become fashion totems. In the wake of this star tap, let's list the Princetown lined mule by Gucci, which appeared in 2015, a real unexpected hit.

Bruckner, theorist of the slipper

At the end of 2022, the essayist Pascal Bruckner protests against the "shrinking of our lives" between sofa and wifi connection, in Le Sacre des pantoufles (Éditions Grasset). For him, this "sedentary tyranny", which forces us to withdraw to the house, is quite simply a renunciation of the world: "The house, nowadays, is not a simple shelter, it has become a space in itself, cozy and connected, which supplants the globe. Everything, or almost everything, can be delivered to our home. Why then leave the cocoon and expose yourself?" Contemporary sadness of the Deliveroo generation?

The spa mule, totem of self-care

Who better than Kim Kardashian to encapsulate our era? In 2022, the billionaire influencer appeared in flip-flops, pedicure style (Balenciaga, $450), or in mule shoes, Yeezy (the brand of her ex-husband Kanye West). A few years ago, it was her, closely followed by Justin Bieber, who launched the trend of white spa slippers worn in the street. No doubt, the inner sphere is invading the outer.

The Dude, the nonchalance

Long before the explosion of homewear, there was a man who favored comfort above all else: the hero of The Big Lebowski, the Coen brothers' film (1998). Played by Jeff Bridges, this lazy king, called The Dude, only goes out in a robe and tired slippers. For him, it's an existential statement: he goes through life in his pajamas out of conviction. A visionary.

The savate, "it shoe" of a teleworking world

In France, according to Kantar, the shoe market represents 371 million euros. At the time of confinements, between 2019 and 2020, it even increased by 9%. This winter, with the rise in energy prices, we bet on a peak in sales of stuffed slippers, quite practical when the thermostat displays the regulatory 19 ° C and the Zoom meeting drags on. The story does not say whether, in addition to the turtleneck, Bruno Le Maire wears slippers at the Ministry of the Economy.

At Disney, a "glass" slipper

Glass or vair? The controversy is known. In the Disney cartoon, released in 1950, Cinderella wears transparent slippers that have made many dream. Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale, reprinted in numerous versions in regional languages of France and then by the Grimm brothers in the 19th century, speaks of "glass" slippers - a material that is not very practical for dancing, but which is above all marvelous. It was Balzac who, in his novel Sur Catherine de Médicis (1830), mentions "vair", in reference to the fur of a small squirrel. Hence the debate. More comfort, but less fashion.

The charentaise, Gen Z's favorite

Who would have thought it? The world's nerdiest slipper has finally become trendy. In 2017, it was Gwyneth Paltrow who revealed on Goop that she was a fan of this traditional slipper, born at the end of the 17th century in the Rochefort region, and made from the felt scraps used to make military uniforms. Long synonymous with grandpa's look, this slipper, ideal for slipping into his clogs, is now prized by Gen Z, who love its retro cocardier look. It has even received in 2019 the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) label, a first. To choose your slipper, it is better to buy made in La Rochefoucauld, in Charente, of course.

The tap dance, the sporting spirit

In the middle of the 2000s, we discovered a new specimen: the geek in poolside tap dance. His name is Mark Zuckerberg and he will soon conquer the world. He was the first to take the plastic version of the indoor shoe out of the 50-meter pool. After him, this semi-rigid savate will forever be united with the sock. For better or for worse.

The dance shoe, the new cool ballerina?

After years of fashion purgatory, here comes again this small flat shoe which knew its glory hours in the years 2000. Hated by Gen Z, it has been rehabilitated thanks to Miu Miu who, last year, released a pink satin version with an elastic band on the instep - like when we did ballet, circa 1986. Huge hit. Singer Rosalía and trendsetter Bella Hadid adopted it, and the pretty shoe was the most desired model at the end of last year, with + 1,100% of keyword searches, according to the fashion platform Lyst.com.