Men's Black And White Houndtooth Slippers with Tassel

The Ensemble” post has returned after a fairly long hiatus. Every now and then I like to highlight a particular item of clothing or accessory and put it in context with an entire ensemble and corresponding event / weather conditions.

This time around I wanted to shine the spotlight on my custom made Foster & Son Slippers. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with and working with their business development manager Andy Murphy (you can see his Instagram here) on three pairs of slippers.

He’s a true three-plus decade veteran of the London shoe game, and if like me you’re into shoes, he’s a man you just have to meet (and hopefully buy some shoes from too!).

I’ve not gone 100% bespoke yet, but plan to in the future. The heritage of their brand, and fact that they are only one of two traditional shoe makers left in London make them even more special.

If you want to visit the shoe shop, they are located on the famed Jermyn Street (link to Google map: 83 Jermyn Street)

Made In England – Men’s Slippers

Side by side of mens houndstooth slippers

Yes you can buy off the rack.

Yes you can get some cool Italian slippers.

And, yes you have them right away.

BUT, getting some custom made slippers, made in England, is a real treat that I highly recommend. Not only because I’m English, but because it’s always great to have a hand in designing something yourself.

To me there are two great benefits to this:

  1. You get exactly what you want. Like I did here with some black houndstooth slippers with a black tassel.
  2. There is a story behind them. I recently wore them to a gala event where I got many complements and questions of where I got them. They provided a great opportunity to start up a conversation about London, being English, and talk about some of my sartorially inspired passions.

As for the price they are very reasonable for what you get, coming in at £220 (or roughly $340 USD at the time of writing). You can easily pay more for standard off the rack slippers, of lower quality, and not of your own design. For me it’s a no-brainer decision!

You Need An Event To Go To

As discussed above, it’s not just good enough to have the baddest slippers ever, but to also have an event to attend.

One such event just occurred at The Union League of Philadelphia. Each year they have a Fall Ball, and this year the theme was “The Emerald City”.

Black Tie Event In Philly

I was accompanied by my ever lovely girlfriend, and had the opportunity to connect with some old friends and meet / make some new ones too!

Two couples at Philadelphia black tie event

Final Thoughts On Custom Slippers

For me, with a size 14 US wide shoe I love the sleek and slender lines of a slipper for a formal event, and they add a little fun to an outfit as well.

Further, these custom Foster & Son numbers are of the highest quality construction I’ve seen. Which is made even better by the fact that I had them custom made per my fabric, style, and size.

One potential downside I would however conclude, is that if you are looking to use them for outdoor use (aka not just housebound) then I would look to get some rubber soles attached to them. As the stock leather sole is gorgeous but is easily destroyed!

I personally opt for ultra thin Vibram soles as they are incredibly thin and hard wearing (will cost around $30-40 a pair fitted by your local cobbler. And make sure they are indeed Vibram, as cheap rubber ones will quickly blow out).

Mens houndtooth black tassel slippers

About the Author:

Paul Anthony is the founder and creative director at Bespoke Unit. He has had a life long affair with design, watches, fragrance and clothing. Originally from England, he now lives in the USA splitting time between NYC & Philly. Favoring "British Style", but has an overall eclectic taste.

One Comment

  1. Trevor Matthews November 25, 2015 at 10:46 am - Reply

    Cool slippers!

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