ONAIE Sheepskin Slippers Review

Reviewed by Deborah Banasko

As soon as Autumn starts my body seems to give up on me; dry skin and permanently cold hands and feet. I live in my slippers at home from pretty much now until Spring, but I have never tried sheepskin slippers as they’re always something that I associated with my mum or grandma. I was open to having my mind changed!

The slippers arrived really quickly, wrapped in tissue paper and tied with pink string. I was a little surprised that they didn’t come in a box given the price although I suppose we should be more aware of wasteful packaging. It would perhaps have been nice to have the option if you were giving these as a gift.

The ONAIE slippers are for ladies. They are 100% sheepskin and made in the Polish Highlands, with 100% wool lining and sides. The outer sole is 100% leather. A great feature for me is that they are hand washable rather than just surface clean only. I have three children and there’s always someone spilling something sloppy on me. The website gives detailed care advice on how to correctly hand wash them which is fantastic.

They have exposed hand-stitching and according to the website take around an hour for their craftspeople to make, using techniques handed down from generation to generation. There’s always something reassuring about a bit of history and quality assurance!

There are numerous colour options, all following the same basic embroidered pattern design, but there is a colour option to match all tastes (and night wear). I received the Giulia design with fluffy blue trim and a black front. The design is unusual and a bit “folky”, and not the usual Granny-floral or typical brown/beige that I associate with sheepskin slippers.

It’s not a design that I would choose for a very young person, but the website photos displaying each design perhaps don’t do them justice as I do think most adults would find them quite quirky and funky in the right colour.

In fact, the “about us” section of the website has some small professional photo-shoot type shots of the slippers which present the design in a much better light, so if you’re unsure, I’d suggest you look through these for a bit of reassurance and inspiration on which colour to choose. It’s a shame that there aren’t more of these in the “shop” section of the website, as I think it would sell the product better.

The website is easy to navigate, as despite being made in Poland they are purchased through a company based in London, founded by two sisters. They also offer a satisfaction guarantee which to me, always speaks volumes about their confidence in the product.

The slippers don’t come in half sizes, which isn’t too unusual, so I asked for the best option to fit a size 4.5 UK and they sent a 5 which was just perfect.

They cushion the feet beautifully and the fluffy ankles keep the warmth in and wrap the feet in a toasty little duvet. They are simply gorgeous to wear. Thank goodness they have leather soles as I have a tendency to slip in the kitchen with plastic soled slippers (there’s always water spilled somewhere due to dogs or children).

They are priced at £35 full price which I think is great value for such quality materials and manufacturing, and a good price point for a Christmas gift.

Something that I was a little disappointed about was that, as the slipper size wasn’t printed on the inside, it had been lightly written in biro on the sole. This feels a little typical of a market stall purchase and I think perhaps a nice printed sticker would complement the quality of these slippers better, especially when considering them as a gift. They aren’t a market-cheap product, so this was a bit of a shame.

Slippers are always a fantastic gift idea for cold-footed adults at Christmas, and my mum has Raynaud’s disease (poor circulation) so cosy handcrafted high-quality footwear are perfect for her. There are probably a few people on my Christmas list that I can tick off with a gift of ONAIE slippers.

I would give ONAIE slippers 5 stars out of 5; high quality, comfort and value.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £35

For more information or to buy visit www.onaie.com.