In and out of slippers in style
BY CHRISTIAN PECHER
Just be relaxed and keep the slippers on when you go out, suggests the London label mahabis, which offers slippers with separate outer soles. Comfortable slippers in a lovely Scandinavian design are thus transformed into stylish outdoor footwear and vice versa.
Who says functional wear only works for outdoor garments? Why is clothing not conceived in an adaptable way that allows for it to be worn indoors as well as outdoors? Shoes are especially well suited for this kind of transformation, this is the basis of the idea for the mahabis slipper. The company based in the British fashion metropolis has completely revised the concept of the slipper and asked why it should not be possible to take the relaxed indoor comfort to the outside. As more protection, a safe treat and robustness are needed for outdoor footwear, the soles required outdoors are different from those indoors. But why change the whole shoe if all you need to do is separate the shoe from the sole, asked mahabis, and went to work on the idea. The result is a multifunctional, unisex slipper of noticeably high quality. The British idea is realised in a Portuguese factory whilst the soles are made in Italy. The slippers are just as comfortable and easy to wear as their simple and high-quality look suggests. You slip the shoe into the sole and fix it with a popper at the heel – done. This courageous simplicity represents confident attention to detail. A shell made of material similar to neoprene at the heel offers a choice of being folded in or put up for additional protection. When dirty, the shoes can be washed gently and then air-dried. The slippers offer good grip, are suitable for everyday use, stay comfortable and on top of that earn admiring looks. Admittedly, the mahabis slipper is not just practical. It is a fashion item and aims to look good, just as we do. To add variety, mahabis offers shoes and soles in eight colours, which can be combined as you wish, with enough options for most occasions. There are two basic styles: a warmer one with a woolly fleece for changing weather conditions, and a breathable one, free of wool, for the summer. The soles can be added to either model. Respective models for children are also available. “Luxe” represents a premium range, with uppers made of leather. mahabis answered a typical question asked by product designers: How do you change a well-known product by adding a higher value? You have to rethink the concept from the ground up. And you will get a shoe. For now, mahabis slippers are only available for purchase online, directly from the manufacturer.
This article was published in The Produktkulturmagazin, issue Q1 2017. Picture credit © mahabis
