The Homelanders

Interested in inspiring and unconventional homes?
Take a look at my new blog The Homelanders . I go searching for homes to feature and get the low-down on what inspires the people who create them .

Loving Houseshoes to Death

lately i've been hearing stories from houseshoe wearers or friends that are dobbing them in that some people like to wear there shoes outside. Ive been told that houseshoes have been to the movies and out to dinner. They have even been seen walking down the street.
I have asked for some photographic evidence so be can out these travelling houseshoes and there wearers. I find it all very amusing and am guessing that they find there houseshoe slippers so comfy that them and there feet can't bear to be parted from them.

Taking Shoes Off Indoors

For many cultures not wearing shoes indoors isn't a new thing.
In Japan and many other Asian countries it is considered rude and disrespectful to wear outdoor shoes indoors. Stemming from practical necessity in order to keep tatami matting and bedding that sits on them free from outdoor dirt - it has now become a tradition.There are also green issues that come into play as well as more esoteric reasons around creating a comfortable, calm environment.
At Houseshoes we have noticed the growing trend in western cultures for adopting the habit of removing shoes and putting on lightweight slippers at home. As the world becomes more global in its outlook cultures are cherry picking the best traditions from others to incorporae into there lives. Once people experience the difference wearing houseshoes slippers
Over the next few posts I am going to address some of the reasons both practical and cultural as to why people put on a pair of house slippers when entering the home.

Do You Take Your Slippers With You?

Do you take slippers with you when you travel?

Sometimes the small comforts from home can make long trips more relaxing and enjoyable.

Having on a pair of slippers when away from home not only creates comfort but a barrier between you and some pretty dodgy surfaces. Now Im no clean freak but Im no fan of walking around in my stocking feet on airplanes - especially when you consider the kind of traffic the on board toilets get.

Its another reason I love my Houseshoe slippers not only the comfort factor while "in Transit" but knowlegde that i can throw them in the wash at the other end reviving them for another go.

Happy travels

Carmel

Skid Free Slippers

Skid Free Slippers
One of the most commonly asked questions of Houseshoe slippers is are they skid free.
We are happy to advise that yes they are great for almost any floor surface with a natural grip even surfaces like polished concrete.
They are a great buffer between you and cold and dirty floors while being lightweight enough for you to feel unencumbered by heavy ungainly slippers.

Winterland Festival
We will be at the Winterland festival at Carriageworks with our Houseshoe slippers, Thursday, Friday night and all day Saturday. If you like good food, markets and music come on down.
It is the first year it has been running and so far its looking pretty good. If you want more information on who is playing when and whats on offer follow the link to the site below.
Hope to see you there
Carmel
http://www.carriageworks.com.au/?page=Winterland

Channel 7 Artists Wearing HouseShoes

A while ago I recieved a request from Channel 7 for some HouseShoes slippers to give to some of their stars.Thinking that they would be perfect while in hair and make-up or as with Dancing With The Stars crew to provide comfort from the torture of tight shoes in between workouts.

Included in the group that requested the shoes is the pregnant Dannii Minogue who im guessing would be loving taking a load off by slipping on some HouseShoes. I have been wondering if she secretly had the on under the judges desk.

So far we have had some great feedback from Melissa Doyle who was very thankful and was glad her comfort was being considered.

Shoes in da House

Anyone who has tried to find us via Google would have discovered we have a namesake in the form of a hip hop producer from Detriot who goes by the name of House Shoes.

Working on his own stuff as well as collaborating with other artists he produces some great tracks - with alot of thumping bass. Some of the 'choice" gangsta language in the tracks could been lifted from the script of the TV series "The Wire". Im a big fan of The Wire and will be adding a few of House Shoes tunes to my i-pod.

A couple of reccomended tracks : Cop Sumthn and the Phil Collins Do over mix

Check the shoes out at his myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/djhouseshoes

Just shows you never know how your fans find you

Carmel

Superfine Merino Houseshoe Slippers now online

Great news we now have our new Merino Wool House Shoe slippers up online ready for purchasing.
Warmer than the cotton to keep you content in these chilly months.We recommend getting the Merino if you live in a cold house or colder climate.They can be treated the same way as the cotton and should last a few years of decent wearing.
We use the same fabric as that used in the Icebreaker range of thermal outdoor wear.

Superfine Merino Fabric is a wonder fibre that has been developed using modern manufacturing and processing methods to produce a fabric that has the warmth and natural qualities of wool plus incorporating the benefits of synthetic fabrics.


Below is a list of what the fabric offers the wearer.

Merino Wool

Merino content 100% natural, sustainable, renewable and biodegradable.
Moisture management
Moisture is absorbed and released to assist with next to skin dryness.
No Odour
Merino resists odour build up
Thermal Control
Helps you keep cool in summer and warm in winter.
Machine Washable
Can be washed in cold or warm water.
Comfort
By selecting superfine merino House Shoes you have chosen sensually soft and comfort to wear against the skin.
Easy Care
Durable, strong and resilient
Animal Welfare
The Superfine Merino used in House Shoes is traceable back to the source - a guarantee of
animal welfare.
Insulation
Merino’s natural crimp helps trap small pockets of air, which provide excellent insulation while the garments remain light and flexible. Superfine Merino House Shoes have a double layer for extra warmth.
Fire Safe
Naturally fire resistant.

Growing Pains
Struggling to keep up with demand for the House Shoes it was time to take action and invest in some machinery to help out with the binding of the shoes. By far the most time consuming part of sewing the slippers process has now leap frogged ahead with our new binding machine - as well as putting a smile on our sewers faces. Not only speeding up the process and putting an end to a long list of back orders it gives a much better finish.
Seeing into the future I can see that this machine will soon be making way for an even better version to keep production up with demand. But thats for another day.
Carmel

Babyology

We are pretty happy to be getting props from parenting and kids blog Babyology. We initially resisted moving into childrens slippers as we thought it was a bit of a crowded market. We were wrong if sales are anything to go by.Help from magazines like Babyology gets the word spread and more people get to find out about our slippers,

thanks Babyology

Carmel

Tweet Happy
Wow, I'm not even a tweeter but got some great feedback via twitter from the guys at seduce clothing today.
"We HEART houseshoes.com.au xx"

I have to say it was a bit of a buzz, I emailed back to thank Monica at Seduce and she replied
"I just wish I could wear mine into the office! Haha x" I say why not, those hard working fashionista feet need a little pampering sometimes.
We love this kind of feed back so keep it coming.
anyway back to production - we are finding it hard to keep up with the demand - but loving it. I spent the day chasing around new machinery to speed things up a bit, a shiny but secondhand industrial binder is coming our way.

Carmel x

HouseShoes Style Editors Pick

The May issue of Women's Health features HouseShoes slippers as the Style Editors "I'm Loving..." pick. We gave Talia a pair to try so she could give an informed opinion,
Here is some of what she had to say.....
"These cute, ultra-comfy slippers are made from a super flexible double layer of stretch cotton that moulds to the shape of your feet.The soft foam sole is made from industrial waste, diverted from landfill. Isn't that nice? You can even chuck 'em in the washing machine."
I couldn't have said it better myself, Thanks Women's Health.

Dont forget Mum

Mothers day is May 9 and we think HouseShoes are the perfect gift for Mum.

Ordering now will ensure that they arrive before Mothers Day.

Flying Essentials

There are a few things I always have with me when taking a long haul flight anywhere. My trusty eye mask , a neck support and my pair of HouseShoes slippers.

Once I board the plane the ritual begins - to make that small space I will inhabit for the next 20 hours as comfortable as possible.The shoes are the first thing to come off, replaced by my HouseShoes, the thought of spending hours on a plane no longer seems so bad.I put all my other comforts in easy reach (books, mags, water) and assign any unnecessary belongings to the overhead.

The HouseShoes give my feet the support they need while not being tight in anyway. They are great for walking around the cabin in as well as going to bathroom. I am always comforted in the knowledge that I have them between me the bathroom floor.

I find that creating rituals can alleviate discomfort and turn something quite tedious into a pleasant event.

Now where's that drink ...

Happy travels Carmel

Finding the Right HouseShoe For You

Firstly, find out whether your shoe size is a small, medium or large in a HouseShoe (our size chart will tell you). If you border two sizes there are a couple of things you may like to consider:
Do you like a snug fit?
Will you be wearing thick socks with them?
If you have either wide or narrow feet you may wish to go up or down accordingly.
Remember the cotton has great stretch so will mould around your foot give or take a few sizes.
Never panic though ...... we want you to get the maximum comfort you can from your HouseShoes so if the fit isn't right send them back and we will replace them with a better size for you.

Australian Made Cotton

HouseShoes slippers are made from cotton/spandex (10%) cotton made in Australia. As a small company it has it advantages as we can generally order on demand - so no long waits for stock. It also feels good to be supporting local industry, pluse the quality is fantastic with little or no colour variations. Standardknits our suppliers have just started to produce Organic stretch using vegetable dyes. In the future we hope to include some of these cottons at HouseShoes.