Mel - Wool Slipper – The Natural Shoe Store

MEL LOW-TOP SLIPPERS

Comfort is one of our top priorities: both in terms of creating the coziest slippers for our feet, and giving our customers comfort in knowing what they’re buying isn’t harming our planet. This means we’ve made them in the most responsible way possible.

As always, it all starts with the wool – a long-lasting material and a completely renewable resource. We then take this magical material and transform it into the handmade, woolly, comfy slippers you know and love, using an age-old technique. Our skilled artisans use a traditional art form called wool-felting to make these slippers, using only water and soap. Since they’re made by hand, each of them has a beautifully unique look and feel.

Every pair is finished with natural latex soles and adhesive sustainably harvested from rubber trees, to make these shoes eco-friendly from top to bottom.

Natural wool

We make our felted wool slippers the traditional way: by hand using only 100% New Zealand wool, soap, and water. This gives them that light coziness that makes anywhere you wear them feel like home.The more you love and wear them, the more they mold to your feet – giving you an individual fit that’s as personal as our time-honoured manufacturing process perfected by our team of artisans in Nepal.

Padded insoles

Made from wool felt for added durability, these insoles are also padded for ultimate comfort and removable for convenience and a custom fit. The wool’s natural moisture wicking and antimicrobial qualities also help to reduce sweat and odour, keeping your feet feeling fresh wear after wear.

The first pair of insoles comes with your slippers. Replacement insoles are available in a variety of colours. We recommend changing insoles regularly for added comfort and hygiene.

Latex soles

Harvested from rubber trees, the latex in these soles is a renewable material known for its pliability, resilience, and grip. The soles are also hand-sewn along the edge of the slippers for extra protection against wear and tear and to avoid uncomfortable seams for maximum longevity and comfort.

Care FAQ

For optimal care, we recommend handwashing Baabuk slippers. Washing machines, aggressive soaps, and chemicals/alcohols may damage the natural soles.You can simply clean the wool with a damp cloth to remove any dirt or dust. Do not put slippers near any heat source to dry, as doing so may damage the natural latex sole.The sole can be effectively cleaned using bicarbonate of soda and an old toothbrush. For detailed instructions on cleaning the sensitive latex soles, please refer to our video tutorial.

If your Baabuk slippers have gotten wet, simply remove and dry at room temperature. Avoid putting them in a dryer. The wool will not get damaged by water and will not shrink, as the raw material has already been washed and felted.

We recommend using insoles to increase the longevity of the slipper and provide extra comfort. But they’re not necessary – all slipper styles can be worn without insoles.

If you choose to wear your slippers with insoles, we recommend replacing them after prolonged use for optimal hygiene and to increase the durability of the slippers. Find replacement insoles here.

The wool that many of you remember is the one from our grandmothers that were itchy and unpleasant to wear. However, wool is a natural fiber that comes in different thicknesses and can be extremely comfortable. For example, cashmere is a wool fiber that is very soft and fluffy. To make the Baabuk shoes, we use a very fine wool fiber that is thick enough to be resistant and durable - and of course, comfortable!

Wool may be traditionally known for its use in heavy winter sweaters, but wool is actually a great material for all temperatures! The same property that keeps you cozy in the winter also keeps you cool in the summer. There are natural crimps and air pockets in the wool that keep the cold out during the winter and also keep the heat out in the summer, whilst still allowing the skin to breathe, and hence feel cooler. As wool does not conduct energy, it doesn’t transfer heat or cold through the material and hence keeps the wearer (both sheep and humans) at a comfortable temperature.