As a young kid who loved the great outdoors, I tended to bring a lot of it back in with me. If I had a nickel for every time my Mom said, “Take off your shoes and stop tracking dirt into the house,” I would be a millionaire. I never once listened to her; it just wasn’t a custom in my house to take off my shoes at the door. It wasn’t until later in my life that I learned about Japanese house shoes and the reasons why people wear them.
In Japan, the wearing of house shoes has been an important custom for centuries. It is as natural to them as it is to Americans to shake hands when you meet someone. People in Japan believe it is a sign of respect, a custom you are expected to follow any time you enter someone’s home.
Here are the reasons why it is important to wear house shoes at home
- Keeping your house clean
Imagine not having to constantly sweep or mop your floors. Your shoes track in what’s outside and scatter it throughout the rooms of your home. With house shoes, you take your dirty shoes off at the door and slide your feet into a clean pair of house shoes. This will allow you to sweep, mop, and vacuum less often, opening up more time to do the things you love at home.
- House shoes keep your feet healthy
Letting your feet breathe from being in shoes you have been wearing all day will not only decrease your chances of getting a fungal infection, but also helps keep that funky smell out of your shoes too. Additionally, the house shoes can actually help prevent dry, cracking feet. What more could you ask?
Topdrawer's Japanese House Shoes
- Keeping your feet warm
Do you get cold feet? House shoes are a wonderful way to keep your feet warm and toasty throughout the year. Some medical journals have cited that having cold feet can cause people to get sick. When your body loses heat, it begins to restrict blood flow, this can affect your body’s ability to fight infections.
- Express your style at home
House shoes have come a long way in the style department. There used to be a one-size-fits-all, same color, same silhouette situation which led everyone to own the same awful slipper in America. Today house shoes have evolved into a plethora of shapes, styles, colors, patterns, and fabrics. The seemingly endless variety will allow you to create your own individual style. Who wants to be boring when you are in your own home?
By making this little change in your daily routine, you will begin to see the great benefits of owning a pair of house shoes. With all the stress going on in your life, try comforting yourself with a pair. It might just bring a little joy to your world. Get Yours Now.
Written by: Andrew Jessup (Director of Store Design and Visual Merchandising at Topdrawer)