Once strictly confined to the home the humble slipper has found itself the most coveted fashion accessory in Hollywood.
Perhaps as a backlash to the crazy six-inch heels trend, the comfortable footwear has become the go-to shoe for meetings, lunches and gasp even red carpet events.
The ballet flat, which for years has been the flat shoe of choice for the world's A-list, has been relegated to the back of the closet.
Yes, actress Bonnie Wright dared to wear a pair of the flat, velvet house shoes to the premiere of Mud at the Cannes Film Festival last week.
Despite the hefty pricetag, the $750 a pair, gold-studded Christian Louboutin slippers drew plenty of criticism from fashion critics, who believed that the style was totally inappropriate for such a glamorous, black-tie event.
The 21-year-old's faux pas occurred just days after she attended another event in the French city wearing a pair of navy Prada flats - shoes also better suited to the home than a film premiere.
While the shoe might conjure images of Hugh Hefner lounging in his Playboy mansion in a velvet smoking jacket, slippers now have major street cred.
Style-setters Nicole Richie, Ashley Olsen and Kanye West were the first stars to jump on the slipper bandwagon, attending launches and events in designer versions of the fleece-lined footwear. Comfort is the new cool, according to designer Kai Aiyub, who believes the footwear's popularity evolved from the "pyjamas" trend showcased by stars such as Rihanna and Salma Hayek in recent months.
"I think comfort is the next evolution, and this is a very wearable trend," he says.
"A few people are second-guessing it, but it's a matter of seeing it on a lot of celebrities and models and eventually consumers will embrace it."
Jimmy Choo, Charlotte Olympia and Alexander McQueen are among the high-end designers offering deluxe versions of the footwear, once known as "grandpa slippers".
Now fashion-forward Aussie women are slipping into the style, with stores such as boohoo.com and Sportsgirl offering designs for under $50.
Boohoo.com's Sarah Heaton said the slipper was so popular because not only was it super comfortable, but women could get the celebrity look without spending hundreds of dollars.
"Trends change so quickly and celebrities are wearing different things every other week," the footwear buyer says. "So buying something not too expensive means they can buy another item in a couple of weeks when celebrities move onto a new trend."
The fad has received a bit of flack, but Aiyub says every trend will have its critics. "While some think Ugg boots and Crocs look stupid, another person will think it's the best thing invented," he said.
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