Why Felted Wool Slippers are the Best Slippers for Cold Feet

The best slippers for cold feet are made of felted wool.

Wool felt is the perfect insulator and has been keeping people warm, dry and healthy for thousands of years. Wool's natural properties not only insulate, but they breathe and wick away moisture. Keeping feet dry is vital to maintaining a consistent, warm temperature in the slipper.

No other slipper material offers the benefits of natural wool when it comes to keeping feet warm. Synthetic materials like faux shearling, memory foam, and even cotton can hold onto moisture and make your feet colder. The best slippers and best house shoes for cold feet are made of wool and they will make life SO much more comfortable!

Cozy up in wool felt and keep your feet warm and happy

Does this sound familiar? It's late October, the leaves are changing and so is the weather. It's not long before your feet become perpetually cold. It’s only made worse by those beautiful wood and stone floors we love so much. Lets face it, the Fall and Winter, and who are we kidding, probably half of Spring are just COLD. If you have Raynauds or poor circulation, this time of year is pretty much just suffering. Great news! There is a solution! We have discovered the secret to keeping cold feet comfortable, here is the scoop:

If you’ve been buying slippers made from synthetic materials, shearling lined, sherpa or even cotton you may be tempted to ignore slippers as a potential cure for your cold feed. But here's a fact: The best house shoes for cold feet are made of wool. Learn more about the benefits of natural wool slippers

Shop Men's wool slippers

Why is wool the best house slipper for cold feet? Well there are some characteristics of wool that you may not know about. In our age of technical, synthetic fabrics many people are quick to disregard wool as being too scratchy, or too sweaty or even too traditional, but nothing could be further from the truth. Wool, you see, was the original performance fabric.

Before Dryfit, before polyester, before cotton was being spun into yarn, humans made clothing out of wool. In fact, in 1700’s Europe it became illegal to export sheep as their wool was so valued and necessary to society. Today, astronauts on the International Space Station wear wool lining under their space suits. So what is so special about wool? 

Wool wicks and evaporates moisture

At a molecular level, wool is animal hair that is made of keratin, a complex organic substance formed by amino acids. Different types of keratin make up everything from fingernails, to human hair to animal hooves. As a fiber, keratin has some very impressive properties. It is lightweight yet durable and can absorb up to 15% of its weight in water. This is how wool keeps your feet from getting sweaty and smelly inside a slipper. It pulls moisture away from your feet, absorbing it, then wicking it away to the outer layers to evaporate into the air. 

Wool slippers wick away moisture naturally.

Shop Women's Astoria Wool Slipper

A dry foot is a warm foot. This is why mountain climbers and hikers wear wool socks. Wool slippers with their thick, multi-layered construction are essentially wool socks on steroids. Many sporting goods companies have used wool as the inspiration for their performance fabrics, but even with all the modern technology we can, no synthetic fabric can quite match the natural wicking ability of wool.

Wool is a natural insulator

When thick wool felt is created using water and friction, air pockets are formed which contribute to its already impressive insulating properties. Did you know that one of the greatest insulators is air? Why is that? Here’s a quick science lesson review: it’s because air cannot efficiently transfer heat or energy. When warm air gets trapped, it tends to stay warm. Due to the porous fiber structure of the wool, and the air pockets created in the felting process, a wool slipper becomes a lean, mean, insulating machine!

Bonus Lifehack Tip: Toss your Nootkas wool slippers in the dryer for 2-3 minutes on high. The wool fibers will retain the heat like an oven and make your feet warm and toasty instantly, and will keep them that way! 

FAQs

Why is wool the best material for cold feet?

Wool is a natural insulator and the process to make wool felt creates a dense, insulating, thick fabric that retains heat, breathes to maintain a constant temperature, and wicks away moisture, keeping your feet warm, dry and happy.

Won't wool slippers make my feet get sweaty?

Because the wool breathes and wicks, moisture can easily escape keeping your feet warm and dry. If wool slippers do get sweat inside them, they will quickly evaporate this moisture if given a couple hours to dry.

Do wool slippers get smelly?

Natural wool is an anti-microbial fabric that not only prevents moisture from accumulating, but also inhibits bacteria from spreading, thereby reducing any odors.