Whether you call them slippers or house shoes, there is just no denying we have an attachment to the warmth and comfort they deliver.

Especially when the days get shorter and the evenings get colder! In fact, I have "seasonal" slippers to suit the temperature all year round.

The word "slippers" comes, of course, from the verb "to slip". As in - slip on your feet. Most think slippers originated in the East but it turns out that almost every culture has had a form of comfy foot gear to wear around the house.

The earliest recorded reference to a slipper was
in the 12th Century - in Vietnam

A Song Dynasty Officer described two different types of slippers with thongs between the toes.

The earliest reference to slippers in the West was about 1478.

Slippers were an important feature of harems. Slippers were worn indoors to protect the expensive Persian rugs. As well, a concubine would not get far outside if she chose to escape as her slippers would have been insufficient for outdoor use on slippery rocks and hard roads.

The Japanese consider slippers to be a social obligation when entering a home. One must shed one's outdoor shoes and don a pair of slippers for indoors as a sign of respect for the home and for tradition. To assist Westerners, who weren't used to this tradition, slipper covers that could be pulled over shoes were invented.

Believe it or not! In Japan, they also had "toilet slippers"
- used only for going into the bathroom.

Our Zooties for Cuties are a fun and funky collection of slippers crafted by hand from felt, using locally sourced sheep's wool.

Zooties Footwear guarantees lots of laughter and fun for everyone. Delight your children or grandchildren with their choice of "foot friendly" animal or indulge your "young heart" with a pair of adult-sized comfy slippers.

These are just the most whimsical and delightful slippers we've ever seen. Which is why we call them "Zooties Cuties"!

{{cta('a7dd4d3c-27df-498b-b528-c5affd5ec28e')}}

Soft, yet sturdy, adorable animal footwear includes a wide range of "foot friends" to pick from. Whales and sharks, penguins and peacocks, ladybugs, raccoons, giraffes, bunnies and many more! There's a Zootie to suit every imagination.

Slippers come in a wide variety of styles

But we think our {{cta('d23aa7a5-7933-4698-835c-69e8e67ff8e4')}} are the most fun!

Slippers have a long history and there are many tales associated with them. For example, Cinderella didn't actually lose a glass slipper. In fact, there are hundreds of variations of this popular story. In fact, the slipper was likely meant to be gold or silver, sometimes jeweled as well. The story of the "glass" slipper was an error in translation.

Source: Flickr, Creative Commons, Listed for Reuse

Until fairly recently, those who were granted an audience with the Pope were expected to kiss one of his red Papal Slippers.

Papal Slippers worn by Pope Benedict
Source: Wikipedia, Creative Commons, Listed for Reuse

{{cta('a705c42d-a594-42d1-b6fc-ead4f0243b54')}}

{{cta('56a265bd-1796-495c-be7f-1d51f64d3b47')}}

{{cta('bb1fba3b-ae10-44c6-971d-754d0006e7b9')}}

{{cta('cd65c1e9-71a2-46c7-ae3f-eea7eb406a0b')}}

MEET THE ARTISANS

Silk Road Bazaar is a representative of marginalized artist groups located in Kyrgyzstan and throughout Central Asia. They connect with artists who are far from the capitals, who have limited market access, or who do not possess modern marketable skills but have carried on traditional craft culture. Following the proverb, ‘the best way to know a man is to walk a thousand miles in his shoes,’ Silk Road believes that to know who we are working with and to understand their lives, we ourselves need to live like and with them. They live amongst their artist groups for an extended period of time, and during that time they help them become self-sustainable by developing their designs, management techniques, quality control and computer skills. All designs and collaborations are original works of Central Asian artists and Silk Road Bazaar brought to you by Zawadee!

And here's your biggest and most valuable tip if you're a retailer!

Help your customers make the most of their holiday budget by offering them fun, delightful, unique slippers that will suit the entire family. At prices that will make you smile!

{{cta('bc7d498d-84f7-4e3f-96c9-89935a41e4cd','justifycenter')}}

If you don't have the time to register for wholesale access, just call us at ...

1.844.677.7780

We'll make an appointment to come out to see you to show you some of our high quality products and terrific wholesale prices.

Find a product isn’t selling in your retail environment?

To get your own (full blown!) wholesale catalog account with order capability, it's easy to apply. You can peruse our terrific products and wholesale prices at your leisure!