slippers so the NSA can't read what my toes are thinking!I usually pad around here in fleecy socks with big polka-dots but the hardwood floors of Roseholme Cottage can get a mite chill this time of year. No, seriously: my hands encounter a noticeable thermocline when I'm doing toe-touches during the morning physical jerks. There could be Russkie boomers lurking at ankle height and my sonar would never spot them.
I needed slippers that were warm, easy to step in and out of, and with a sole that could handle stepping outdoors at this time of year, with enough texture to prevent pratfalls but without so much texture that any snow inadvertently picked up wouldn't get scraped off with a quick scuff on the sisal doormats. These deliver. And boy howdy are they toasty snuggly warm.
I went with the dude's slippers in black because they look more carbon-fiber-y and you want your house slippers to be all ninja and stuff, but the more traditional-looking women's ones are muy cheaper in some colors. (I've never thought that house slippers, like bathrobes, were particularly gendered articles of clothing anyway; you rock out whatever's coziest, and if it expresses your essential "you-ness" then, hey, bonus.)
Acorn slipper socks
ReplyDeleteI just laughed out loud. And I really needed that this morning. Grumpy Cat ain't in it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your toasty toes :)
One of the things that attracted us to our house we now own was the hardwood floors. Of course, that was in late spring. We still like them for the ease of cleaning up cat yarf, but...the do get cold. I finally got tired of running holes into my socks, so I bought a cheap pair of slippers. The mistake is that they are the slip on type with no heels...and they turn into death traps on the stairs.
ReplyDeleteThe only problem I'd have would be if the tin-foil lining stops water vapor as well as reflecting the heat. Those of us with sweaty feet just can't handle it if the slippers don't breath. Problem is, even if my feet aren't warm they're still sweating, so breathability is important.
ReplyDeleteOne thing my wife has noticed is that men's wear tends to be better-built than women's wear, at least in terms of durability. Even looking at Sorels (aka, "North Shore Wing-tips) you can see the difference between the men's version (with 3-row stitching) and the womens (with 2-row stitching). When she can she'll generally buy the men's version of stuff (bicycle equipment, for example) because it's sturdier.
I'm not sure why they'd choose to differentiate that way, but it's true of a lot of products.
(P.S.: My slippers a sheepskin-lined leather with rubber soles for EXACTLY the same reasons you note...it's nice to be able to take out the trash in -20F without having to stop to put on boots.)
I had about the same requirments for slippers. Didn't want thorns or rocks sticking in the sole though, snow was not a consideration. I bout the mens moccasin type, fleece lined. Easy on/off because I bought them a size large. Sprayed them heavily with Camp Dry for waterproofing.
ReplyDeleteWe're a Haflinger family. Slippers are very important when it's -15 outside your 100 year old, wood floored, house.
ReplyDeleteThose Columbias look comfy. A few of the cheaper colors might make it into slipper box we keep for guests.
Blackwing1,
ReplyDelete"The only problem I'd have would be if the tin-foil lining stops water vapor as well as reflecting the heat."
The lining (Columbia calls it "Omni-Heat") is perforated for breathability. I twigged to these slippers because they use the same lining as my Columbia parka.
"Carbon-fiber-y, ninja"? I'll bet you typed "Tactical Slippers" and realized it was too big an oxymoron to admit to.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, when my LL Bean slipper give up, I think these look promising. Thanks.
Baya Lined Crocs. So warm and comfy and warm. And you get extra hippie points to go with your Sub cred.
ReplyDeleteI have a housecoat that was ostensiblky a woman's, because I couldn't find a men's that was black. Plus, they had no men's housecoats with a 56 inch chest; apparently all the men who wear housecoats are waifs. I suppose I could wear sweats, but how am I gonna expose myself to jehova's Witnesses?
ReplyDeleteDitto for Haflingers. The podiatrist recommended them for support, I was wearing flipflops around the house due to random cat toys in the middle of the night...
ReplyDeletebut how am I gonna expose myself to jehova's Witnesses?
ReplyDeleteDon't tie the draw string.
og said...
ReplyDeleteI suppose I could wear sweats, but how am I gonna expose myself to jehova's Witnesses?
That's almost QOTD material. Now I have to clean the coffee of my screen.
"snivel gear?"
ReplyDeleteYou must be referring to "kit."
Recently, I cut the tops off some heavy socks that were worn out. I can double up on lower leg warmth, and still fit my feet in my slippers. Now to see if they hold up to occasional washing...
ReplyDelete>One thing my wife has noticed is that men's wear tends to be better-built than women's wear, at least in terms of durability.
ReplyDeleteNot just durability, but also coverage. Just yesterday the spouse was noting that low-cut thermal underwear, or flannel nightgown, doesn't make that much sense. I mean, "Look bewbs!" is all fine and good, but if you're cold enough to be wearing thermal underwear in the house (and we do) it seems like there are higher priorities than looking like something from one of those dreadful American Apparel ads.
Congrats on the nice slippers. I wear a pair of fleece Acorns (rejected by the spouse because they don't cover her ankles) and just bought her some (men's) sheepskin booties that keep the ankle bones (and the rest of the foots) warm. There's a pair of North Face 700 down booties in the house somewhere (bought because gear-whore) but they're too warm to wear indoors despite the floor-level chill.
I was trying to figure out the Haflinger comment and had to do some googling; when someone says Haflinger I think lovely blond/palomino Alpine ponies. Which makes no sense in relation to wood floors.
ReplyDeleteBased on Tam sightings I can believe that running your hands through the full range of travel would result in the equivalent of an SXBT!
ReplyDeleteCool shoes. I needs them now that I have replaced the carpet with hardwoods in most of stately manor.
Thermocline
ReplyDeleteMy partner hasn't been sleeping well, and everything is an annoyance. The switching-on of the forced-air furnace overnight, even with the night-setback making it less frequent, is said to be a cause.
So we tried an experiment of switching the eat off overnight, on one of Indiana's more average nights in terms of January temperature. By morning the indoor thermometer read 46°.
But the interesting thing is that after the heat had been running for a solid hour, I started cleaning up stuff. I picked up a coffee much off the table, and I picked up a coffee mug from the floor next to an easy-chair. The one on the floor was frigid in my hands, though the identical mug from the table a mere 16" higher seemed quite normal.
My best ever pair of slippers for warmth was a pair of 1/2" wool-felt snowmobile-boot liners, with a sole made of neatly-applied duct-tape. Additional sole-tape was applied as needed.
ReplyDeleteThat's just what the NSA wants you to think...
ReplyDeleteYou need a pair of these to go with your Breakfast Bacon.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.etsy.com/listing/108449743/pattern-for-tiger-1-tank-panzer
I got the same ones. Feet stay comfy and the mind control rays stay out. :-)
ReplyDeleteNo slip socks work well on hard floors and keep your toes toasty, but I would not wear them outside.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Non-Skid-Slip-Socks-Hospital/dp/B0099OZ74M
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_kw=novaplus+sock
They look comfy. Just bought a pair for myself. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI would join those who suggest a good set of fuzzy lined slippers, but a few double shots of your favorite liquor will warm your extremities like nothing else. Don't accept the modern science which wrongly suggests it just hastens hypothermia. Maybe if you're trekking across the arctic circle, that's true, but otherwise if you're just trying to be comfortable in a 65 degree house, you can't beat a good pair of slippers during the day and several shots of your favorite ethanol product at night.
ReplyDeleteSubmarine warfare as a germane metaphor in a discussion about house slippers.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of thing is why I read VFTP.