Shoes, socks, barefoot, or slippers in the house? What should we wear indoors?

Shoes, socks, barefoot, or slippers in the house? What should we wear indoors?

Shoes, socks, barefoot, or slippers in the house? What should we wear indoors? The question of what to wear or not may appear insignificant at first, but it is actually a familiar and important matter that relates to our lifestyle and values.

In Japan, where we reside, it is an ancient cultural practice and a sign of courtesy to remove shoes inside Japanese homes and refrain from using outdoor footwear indoors. This has the advantage of keeping the rooms clean and preventing stains on the tatami mats.


However, a new question arises: what should be worn (or not) inside the rooms? Some individuals wear socks, while others opt for slippers. There are also those who prefer going barefoot by taking off their socks. This choice may vary depending on the season and the family environment, including the presence of tatami mats.

Nevertheless, it is uncommon in Japan to wear slippers on tatami. This is because it hinders the authentic texture and comfort of tatami and can potentially damage the mat's woven surface. Hence, in households with numerous tatami floors, it is unlikely that many people spend time wearing slippers.

What about countries other than Japan? There are various cultural differences to consider. It is fascinating to compare these practices among different regions. In warmer southern countries, people often spend time barefoot or occasionally wear sandals. In cultures where shoes are worn both indoors and outdoors, individuals might continue wearing the same shoes indoors or opt for socks. Additionally, the decision to remove shoes can be influenced not only by culture but also by personal preferences, individual and family lifestyles, and religious reasons.

In Japan, most families strictly enforce a no-shoes policy indoors, necessitating visitors to remove their outdoor footwear. However, some cultures consider it impolite to ask guests to remain barefoot or in socks. Therefore, many Japanese households provide slippers as a gesture of respect and hospitality.

Slippers may seem insignificant, but they play a significant role. What do you wear in your own room? What do you avoid wearing? In a way, it may be a trivial question, but in reality, it is an intriguing topic that unveils various aspects of culture, religious values, preferences, and lifestyles within households across different countries.

Our slippers are primarily recommended for indoor relaxation, housework, cooking, and for use in the living room. They are also suitable as indoor footwear for visitors. We hope you find a pair of slippers that you truly enjoy!

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How did the slipper become so common in Japan? | What is Heiwa Slipper?

What is Heiwa Slipper?

In the beginning, Japanese slippers

Thank you for visiting our website. We are an online slipper store located in Japan and very excited to introduce you our various collections of the slippers.

But first, let me explain what we call “slipper” in Japan. Most of the time, in Western countries, “slipper” means “a semi-closed type of shoe, consisting of a sole held to the wearer’s foot by a strap running over (or between) the toes or instep (Reference: Wikipedia)”. They are wearable shoes for outside, most of the time, and sometimes inside as well for comfort. On the other hand, in Japan, when we say “slipper”, we think flat, in-house footwear item, and that is the kind we would like to spread to the world.

As you may know, it is our common practice to take our shoes off when we go in the house to keep the floor clean. Then why do we wear slippers in the house? How did the slipper become so common in Japan?

How did the slipper become so common in Japan?

It is said that the origin of slipper firstly appeared in Japan in the beginning of Meiji era (1968-1912), which was the time Japan was opening its country to the world and having more people visited from outside, especially from Western countries. However, those visitors of course walked straight into the houses or hotel rooms without taking their shoes off. Japanese people worried that the floor would eventually get dirty and the tatami would be damaged. Slipper was devised to deal with those problems and to welcome people who came from different cultural background.

 

Our theme is “Return of Japanese Slippers”

Ever since then, slipper has become common/daily use item all over Japan. However, unfortunately, we barely find slippers made in Japan these days. A lot of them are industrially mass-produced in other countries at lower wages, and sold at a cheap price here. Our theme is “Return of Japanese Slippers”.

We believe slipper can be a bridge to the peace (= “Heiwa”)

Here, we will introduce slippers made with the spirits of Japanese hospitality. We would like to also introduce some slippers made in other countries, in which we try our best to achieve the fair-trade upon importing them. “Benefits for all three sides, for the customer, society, and the vendor” is what we are aiming for.

We believe slipper can be a bridge to the peace (= “Heiwa”).

- Heiwa Slipper