Ah, the whimsical tale of Prince Albert and his dainty dress slippers from the Victorian era is the one oft recounted. Picture the regal gentlemen gliding between grand rooms of their opulent abodes or exclusive clubs, their feet cradled by these delicate slippers. ‘You rise from slumber, slip into these beauties, and think no more of it — they simply do their job.’ Though history may paint him as fancy, we jestingly dub it all as rather clumsy. ‘Sorry matey, we have a shoes-off policy here.’ Perhaps, the initial decision to don them was a serendipitous misstep. Now, imagine another delightful blunder — venturing beyond the threshold of your condo with these very slippers! Thus, unfolds the saga of the modern slipper, a tale yet untold. And it is this enchanting narrative we wish to share with you. This is the story of our ‘Street Slippers’.

What is elegance today? People seem to be all at sea. It looks like the world has turned topsy-turvy, the balance has gone out of whack, culture appears to be going down the drain, and the discerning eye for quality and style seems to have lost its sparkle. In the mad dash for comfort, many have thrown grace and sophistication out the window. Yet, must it be so? Can comfort and elegance not find harmony, living together under one roof?

They are the gatekeepers of craft, akin to ourselves, but they hold a rich history of shoemaking since 1874 and their history with slippers began in 1960, dominating the country’s dress slippers market through private labelling. It is highly likely to be a pair by Bowhill if you had a pair of these picked up in the West End of London.

Our collaboration, however, has a different aim. Returning to the history makers who penned the book, we aspire to write a new chapter. These slippers are not reserved for special occasions. ‘You wake up, you put on these slippers, and you don’t think too much. They just work.’ We envision these new Street Slippers as your everyday go-to footwear, as reliable and comfortable as your favourite loafers.

We want the look of a slipper but with the functionality of an everyday loafer that fits our easygoing style and complements our soft tailoring. Here’s what goes into it: thin, delicate soles that hug the shoe’s bottom, giving it a touch of understated elegance. The soft, one-piece upper pattern of the street slipper is carefully hand-cut and hand-lasted, resulting in a smooth, seamless design, differing from the loafers we make. An alteration we’ve done based on the playbook of dress slippers features a shorter vamp, with no sharp turns on the tongue, unlike the traditional Albert slippers, keeping a consistently soft contour. It flows with the natural curves of our tailoring, making it perfect for a casual look. Think of it as a refined slip-on loafer that pairs beautifully with trousers, jeans, and shorts.