‘Europeans can’t believe we Irish maraud through our homes in outdoor footwear’

Slippers are traditionally the saddest of all the footwear.

I don’t mean the novelty versions – footwear in the form of giant pandas, dinosaur feet, minions, etc – but the time-honoured grim, mingy, spirit-killing kind, made of flammable quilted polyester with soles so flimsy you can feel the floor braille-apologising through them.

A few times I’ve had to produce said sorrowful pair for a hospital visit and they promptly time-travelled me back to the 1950s, to small mean mustard-coloured rooms, lonely suppers of a solitary chop and evenings of quiet desperation.

However – I suppose hygge is to blame – I more and more want "House Shoes". (Europeans can't believe that we Irish maraud through our homes in our outdoor footwear, traipsing all the unpleasantness of "out there" in with us.)

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I could wear the aforementioned novelty slippers but because they’re all about the “statement” toe which is usually an entire stuffed toy, I’ve taken a tumble on the stairs more than once.

Which brings me to Fitflop slippers!

You know about Fitflops? They appeared on the scene about 10 years ago, in the form of flip-flops, with a super-cushioned, pressure-diffusing ergonomic sole where the heel is lower than the toe. This fools your body into thinking you’re permanently walking slightly uphill, thus toning thighs and bums, doing beneficial stuff to our joints and providing arch support.

Most importantly, they have pompoms! Which, of course, makes them seem heart-liftingly friendly

The Fitflop slippers are constructed on the self-same magic Fitflop sole. They’re lined inside and out with fluffy, thick, deluxe shearling and are so insanely comfortable, they feel like hugs for my feet, yet are reassuringly sturdy with hard non-skid soles just in case I was misfortunate enough to have to leave the house in a hurry. (I’m thinking fearfully of bin night.)

Most importantly, they have pompoms! Which, of course, makes them seem heart-liftingly friendly, to the point that sometimes I imagine they’re my pets. It’s almost as if I could share a laugh with them - unlike traditional slippers, which are freighted with dashed hopes and raw sorrow.

Speaking of dashed hopes, however, I have to tell you that these little fellahs don't come cheap – €100, I'm afraid. However, two things might soften the blow: until next June, 20 per cent of the price is being donated to Habitat for Humanity.

And as I write,Fitflop are offering 20 per cent off your first order.