The Glerups Slip-on slipper is made from woolfelt and has a natural rubber sole. I tested it for over a year and this is worth sharing. Read the review!
- Weight: 490.5 grams (size 42)
- Size: 35-51
- Price: € 79,00
This review starts about a year ago when I received a press release from the Dutch PR-agency that takes care of the Dutch market for Glerups. I made a small news feature for one of the outdoor magazines that I work for. To shoot the picture a pair of Glerups Slip-on slippers were sent to me and the PR-agency was so clever to ask me for my size. As if they knew I regard the Glerups Slip-on slipper as a like-able product for a review. With this review I have proven them right.
Felt
Glerups is a company from Denmark that specializes in slippers made from felt and the Glerups Slip-on slipper is made from woolfelt, a 100% natural wool product. The process to go from wool to felt is quite complicated and contains more than 60 steps. According to some felt is the oldest known textile. The process from making wool into felt works like this.
Felt making process
First the wool is cleaned. At Glerups they do this totally mechanically because they want it to be a natural product. No chemicals are used in the whole manufacturing process; so also not for the coloring. This cleaning is necessary to get small branches, twigs and other small particles out of the wool so we don’t feel them when using the slipper. Glerups does state that not all particles can be removed and in the firsts weeks of use some might work their way out of the felt. This I like since it gives a nice ‘live with the product’ feeling. Ok, back to the felt making.
After cleaning the wool is washed and carded. Carding makes the wool fibers basically go in one direction and parallel to each other. In this way a web is created. By layering several webs on top of each other and in different fiber directions a thicker material is created. Now steam is used to ‘bond’ the wool fibers together and after pressing the layers the thick felt for the slipper upper is a fact. The proces Glerups uses is already used for many years and since they made a short video on this I included it below.
Outsole
The outsole on ‘my’ review Glerups Slip-on slipper is made from natural rubber. Glerups also has the option for a Slip-on with an outsole made from calf leather. The calf leather is from a European tannery that works according to European legislation, but that does not mean it is chrome free. Glerups states on their website that in the tanning process chrome is used but not the very harmful Chrome6. Also no PCP’s and AZO dyes are used. If you only plan to use the slippers indoors this might be an option, but for indoor en outdoor use I chose the rubber one.
Construction
The felt of the upper is made into the curved shape of the foot. Only in the middle part at the toes there is a small seam visible. In the back at the heel there is a second seam. About this seam later more. The upper and the outsole are sewn together with one big seam that is also part of the design of all the Glerups footwear. The insole in the Glerups Slip-on slipper is of course made of felt too. This is a double layer to provide softness, cushioning and a warm comfortable feeling. The insole is glued and stitched resulting in an integral part of the slipper. Out of the box the whole manufacturing looks very neat.
Glerups in real life Part I
As stated above: I have been using the Glerups Slip-on slipper for more than a year now. I have been using it on a daily basis at home and I took the slippers with me on outdoor trips. I always bring a pair of warm comfortable slippers for walking in and around huts or just with dry weather on the campsite.
The weight of almost 500 grams is on the high side for backpacking but if you travel by car, bike or motorbike it should not be a problem. The Glerups Slip-on slipper is easy to put on and it is cuddly warm. What I do like about the felt is that after a year the sippers are still free of odors. The rubber outsole has proven to be the right choice for me. It provides nice grip on wettish and slippery surfaces, but it is not totally slip free. So take care anyway!
Sizing
The Glerups Slip-on slipper is only available in full sizes. Since I am a 41.5 (7.5 UK) I chose the 42. Smaller is never an option (expect for climbing shoes). The 42 fitted nicely but after a couple of months I noticed that the sizing is influenced by using. The size 42 has grown by a full 1 centimeter by now. In this respect it would have been smarter to choose one size smaller. The result is that I start squeezing my toes to prevent the slipper from moving and that is not too comfortable.
Glerups in real life Part II
There is one thing I promised to get back on: the seam near the heel on the back of the slipper. After half a year of use the seam started breaking; first on the left one and later on the right slipper. Both seams are split wide open by now which means getting in to the slippers is easier than ever but loosing a slipper when walking too. This should not happen. What to do? Send them back and claim it as a warranty? That would mean a lot of effort from my side, transportation by trucks and razing costs. I came to the conclusion that this is not the (my) sustainable way. So I took a thread and a curved needle and I repaired the stitch. With felt this is very, very easy.
Verdict
The Glerups Slip-on slipper is a very comfortable slipper made from sustainable natural materials. Felt is not only comfortable but it also remains odor free. The rubber outsole provides good grip on wettish and slippery surfaces. The rubber outsole would be my advice if you use the slipper also outdoors a bit. If you only use the slipper indoors, the calf leather outsole is an option since it is cheaper. On the downside there is the gaining in size due to wear and the seam on the back that splits too easily. But… is easy to repair if you are a bit handy with needle and thread. Because of this last issue I think the price off € 79,00 is a bit steep and therefor I rate the Glerups Slip-on slipper at 7,7 out of 10 points total.
Information: www.glerups.com
