Back-to-Preschool Shoe-tacular: Padraig Cottage slippers

Today's post is not really a review, it's more of A Few of My Favorite Things kind of post about some really unique footwear for small children and adults, too: Padraig Cottage slippers. We stumbled upon these slippers two summers ago while on vacation in Scotland. Nadia had just turned 6 months and was all about taking off her shoes, and it was impossible to keep a blanket on her constantly squirming feet. Unfortunately, the weather in Scotland is not all that fabulous, even in June, and we had to play the never-ending game of pick up the shoes, put them back on, pick up the shoes, put them back on. On one particularly cold and windy afternoon while my mother-in-law and I were out strolling around Edinburgh, I saw these cute, little, what I thought were Scottish, wool slippers in a shop window. I was desperate to find something to keep Nadia's freezing little toes warm, and what better than something Scottish and wool, right? Nadia's grandma bought her a pair, we ripped off the tags, stuck them on her feet, and spent the rest of the day gloating about what a great find they were. Nadia could not get them off her feet, no matter how hard she tried. Later that evening when we got back to the hotel and were showing the slippers to my husband, we happened to take a better look at the tags. The slippers weren't Scottish after all, they were Canadian! At first, I was a little disappointed that we weren't going home with a Scottish souvenir, but after Nadia outgrew her first pair, I was very thankful that I could easily purchase new ones much closer to home.

So, what is it about the Padraig Cottage slippers that I love so much I just had to have a pair for myself also? I love that the tops are made of wool, especially since we get lots of use out of them here during our long Chicago winters. The wool is breathable which is nice for the warmer fall and spring, and it stretches easily around the foot. The inside of the soles is lined with this luxuriously soft sheepskin. It's so soft and cushy and also very warm to protect us from the cold floors in our home. The soles are made of leather which are very durable and provide great traction all while being flexible for developing little feet. The children's slippers are so simple to get on, and have this amazing feature that pretty much guarantees that they don't fall off. At the ankle, there is a little cotton shoestring piece that weaves its way around to the back and then ties in the front. I've found that it is just long enough to wrap around an extra time and then tie in a small bow. The fact that there is no long strings hanging off means that curious little fingers have a hard time figuring out how to get it untied. The extra wrap around also means I can get it tied on pretty tight which means that they don't slip off, either! I know I've mentioned before that I don't like shoes that tie, but these are an exception. There are no laces that have to be pulled tight and then loosened. It's simply a tie and untie process. So simple, and it makes for such a secure fit.

Nadia wore her first pair of slippers around forever. She learned to crawl in them, and then walked in them everywhere. To the park, to classes, literally everywhere we went, although we did avoid wearing them in the rain or snow. The sizes are a little unusual. There is a newborn size which is SO cute. We've actually purchased quite a few pairs as gifts. The next size is a size 3 which is supposed to fit from around 3-18 months. You might think this is a ridiculous age range, but because of the way the slipper is designed, they really do fit for that long. The wool stretches and the sheepskin liner forms and reforms around the foot. Nadia never tripped around in them, and wore them for two falls, a winter and a spring before we finally had to buy a new pair around her 2nd birthday last year. With the newest pair, she promptly removed the shoelace and now puts them on and off herself. No tying, but it doesn't matter, they stay on anyway and were indispensable last winter on our painfully cold tile floors. Isaac started wearing his first pair this week as we had a couple of more fall-like days. None of his other shoes stay on as well, and the added bonus with these awesome slippers: there's no need for socks! We just put the booties on and run.

I mentioned that I, too have a pair of Padraig Cottage slippers. Yes, it's true. While they do make the original slippers in both men's and women's versions, I actually have a pair of the Celidh slippers which I adore, despite their somewhat grandmotherly look. I am one of those moms who requires that all shoes be off in the house, yet I have this bizarre opposition to being barefoot. What this means is that I end up wearing slippers all day, every day. Thanks to the breathable wool and the open back design of my Celidh slippers, I've been able to wear them year round. They've taken a beating for sure, but I think that they're going to make it until Christmas when I will certainly be asking Santa for a new pair.

All the Padraig Cottage slippers are machine-washable on the gentle cycle, but you shouldn't dry them. We washed Nadia's several times and they still look great. We got so many compliments on Nadia's unique footwear, especially when she began toddling around in them. The bold colors meant that there was no need to try to match them up to an outfit. They were cute with jeans and cute with dresses in their own odd, eccentric way. Padraig Cottage began making their slippers over 29 years ago, and still are making them by hand with all-natural materials. They are firm believers in quality and craftsmanship and it really shows. We've purchased many pairs both for ourselves and as gifts, and I'm sure we'll be buying many more. They are available online for purchase directly from Padraig cottage, but you can also check out the store finder to see if they're available at a store near you.

**Note-It took me forever to do this post because I got caught up reminiscing about how totally cute and fat little one-year old toddlers are. Not that Nadia's not cute now, but the chub is all gone from her almost 3-year old body, and she's also learned how to talk back. :)