How slippers left the comforts of home to become a status symbol

The school run has long been a pragmatic parade; a fashion collection inspired by delay and fatigue but still an interesting barometer of what feels acceptable before the discerning gaze of a first-row parent.

Akshata Murty , wife of Rishi Sunak, did the paperwork to wear slippers to take her daughters to school. It wasn't a distracted mistake on the way out: Murty's slippers were adorned with chain detailing, shearling and a £570 prize from JW Anderson, the designer who recently outfitted Rihanna for her Super Bowl performance .

Not all school run outfits can compete with this. But slippers worn as shoes are becoming increasingly popular. Like sneakers, leggings and pajamas before them, slippers are no longer just home wear, but are now playing a new role in the modern wardrobe. "The rise of casual footwear dates back 15 years now to the dreaded Ugg," says Alice Enders, research director at Enders Analysis, a media insights firm. "And then the pandemic shutdowns reinforced the casual wear trend."

Slippers as indoor shoes have always been a sign of sophistication and class. Prince Albert popularized the pump-style slipper for men as formal wear and the influence of continental society was present in Turkish slippers and French feathered boudoir mules. While the rug slipper will forever be associated with Coronation Street's Ena Sharples and comic book favorite Andy Capp. New styles disrupt the traditional idea of ​​the slipper.

Mules were the first slippers to take to the catwalk. The Gucci Princetown Mule - a shoe with a leather sole without backrest and filled with fur first appeared in the Spring/Summer 2016 collection, but has been a style mainstay ever since.

Lucy Maguire, Editor-in-Chief of trends...