Canadian Made ~ How To Treat Your Feet! Awesome Sheepskin Slippers & Cashmere Merino Blend Socks
If you are looking for natural, warm sheepskin slippers, these are an excellent choice, and can be ordered online from Egli’s Sheep Farm in Saskatchewan.
I came close to ordering a pair of Ugg sheepskin slippers, but did not want to wait for them to be shipped from Australia, or the US.
Plus I have seen so many knock offs of UGG products over the years, and never really liked the brand that much anyway, other than the fact they use sheepskin.
I much prefer to order from Canada if possible, as part of the support in buying local, and also in encouraging the growth of Canadian SME’s.
Canada makes some great products. Canadians tend to be detail oriented, and pragmatic, so we lean toward quality of workmanship. We have also experienced our fair share of cold weather.
Also there are many brands advertised as sheepskin on sites like Amazon, but they only have a sheepskin insole, and the rest of the slipper is synthetic.
The other factor to consider is the sole. I did not want a stiff plastic sole that makes noise when you walk. So it took awhile to find the perfect pair of real shearling slippers, that are not 80% outsourced with just enough wool to make the claim of being shearling. Or made in China, with advertising to claim they use wool from Canada, Australia or NZ, to make them sound more authentic.
Nothing beats genuine sheepskin slippers. The wool allows your feet to breathe, and the natural lanolin in the wool moisturizers and protects your feet.
Years ago I did some diabetic teaching, and during that time took a couple of diabetic foot care courses. The principles surrounding foot care applies to all age groups, and those with, and without foot problems.
For those who have healthy feet, you want to keep them healthy. We all know how much we take our feet for granted, because we hardly notice them until we get a blister. One small blister is hard to ignore.
Conditions like plantar fasciitis are made worse by the cold temperatures, because the cold causes the tissues in the joints to contract, which pulls on the nerve endings and increases the pain. This applies to most conditions of the feet, including heel and arch pain.
For those who have reduced sensation in their feet, they may not notice a blister until it is quite severe. For that reason, all those who do diabetic teaching tell people to inspect their feet every day, to make sure there are no blisters or other injuries.
For people with any sort of vascular insufficiency related to diabetes, pregnancy, heart disease, edema, prior trauma to the legs or feet, neurological disorders, etc. foot care is crucial to maintaining mobility.
One of the things the instructor warned us not to use on anyone’s feet, are those drug store packages of foot care items, like the ones you see for callouses, bunions, and other foot problems. She said more people, especially diabetics, have lost a leg from using those sticky home remedies, than will ever be realized.
She went on to explain the foot stickers for corns and callouses, are dangerous for those with reduced sensation in their feet, because they tend to wrinkle, and bunch up inside the shoe, thus increasing the likelihood of injury, or making an existing injury worse.
If you use insoles for boots, it is far better to get sheepskin, or wool felt insoles, as opposed to the foam ones you see in drug stores, usually in the same section they have all the other foot related items.
The instructor wisely told us to advise people to use fluffy sheared wool to apply to pressure points, and areas prone to injury or blistering. She even had small bags full of wool for us to take home.
In addition to the warmth, breathability, lanolin, and lack of friction to the feet, that is part of wearing sheepskin sippers, they envelop the whole foot.
In my opinion, it is important to find sheepskin slippers that cover the sides and top of your feet as well. It is the optimal type of slipper to buy.
If you do the research, you will soon find the price range for all sheepskin slippers ranges between $100 – $150, and you will also notice that not all sheepskin slippers are created equally. The more natural, the better, including the outsides, and the soles.
I was using the term shearling and sheepskin synonymously, but there is a difference between the two. Apparently shearling is made from lambs that have been shorn once, and sheepskin is made from shorn sheep. However it can be confusing, as there are different varieties of each. Yet the descriptions of both are very similar. So I guess you would have to be an expert to know both the similarities, and the differences.
And yes, it is best to wear them without socks, because all friction is avoided, and the foot gets the benefit of the lanolin.
If you do choose to wear them with socks, or seek the perfect socks for your lifestyle, another excellent Canadian company, called Great Canadian Sox Co. makes a range of socks, to include a most comfortable blend of cashmere, and merino wool, at a reasonable price.
100% cashmere socks are very expensive, and are often sold as bed socks, as they do not last long if worn for everyday walking. Therefore the merino wool blend with the cashmere, makes for a comfortable softness, combined with durability.
Some sock sellers will claim their socks are merino wool when they only have 11% merino wool. Or they will advertise them as cashmere, with only 5% cashmere, and the rest nylon or polyester.
Also some 100% merino wool socks, such as Icebreaker, make their socks with tight tops, which is not ideal for anyone with cold feet, or vascular insufficiency. Tight socks around the lower calf are not very comfortable in my opinion. But like most things, it is a matter of personal preference.
It is best to read the fabric content labels. The Great Canadian Sox Co. sells Vagden (not vegan) socks that are 55% merino and 30% cashmere. They are durable enough to wear for everyday walking, and are not too thick. They quickly become favourites, and you may not want to wear any other brand of socks during the winter months, once you try their cashmere and merino wool socks.
One of the key things for those with vascular insufficiency, diabetes, or just perpetually cold feet, especially in the winter months, is that warmth, in addition to the comfort it brings, it is also healing.
It is the reason people use heating pads, hot water bottles, saunas, hot tubs, hot spring mineral pools, and other therapies that warm the whole body, the extremities, or certain parts of the body.
The warmth increases blood supply to the area, and thus helps the muscles to relax, as well as promoting healing.
Thankfully I don’t have diabetes, but did get an injury to my achilles tendon in my youth, which required surgery. Plus, I naturally have cold hands and cold feet, even indoors, and especially in the winter.
In long term care, they use sheepskin pads to help prevent bedsores, and sheepskin booties to help prevent heel sores for those who are bedridden.
There are many reasons to put your feet into a pair of real, genuine sheepskin slippers. I have always been a big fan of wool, and sheepskin on your feet during your hours at home, or sitting at a desk, makes so much sense.
At one point I even thought of putting a space heater under my desk to keep my feet warm, but the sheepskin is a much better idea, because you keep them on if you go to check the mail, or walk around. Plus you don’t have to increase the use of electricity.
I read many reviews on Amazon, before stumbling upon this website in Saskatchewan. Many of the reviews on Amazon described certain brands as having noisy, and stiff plastic soles. Others said there were uncomfortable ridges, or seams inside the slippers. And some complained they were either too floppy, and falling off, or else to difficult to get your foot into. I wanted to avoid those issues.
Therefore I ended up avoiding Amazon, and ordering from a sheep development website called Elgi’s in Saskatchewan, and found the perfect pair.
The soles are made of suede leather, with a slight texture so they are not stiff or slippery. Flexible leather soles are a big selling point for me, almost as important as the shearling itself. I like to be able to move the bottoms of my feet when I am sitting down, without a rigid, and unnatural constraint.
They stay comfortably and securely on your feet, even when getting up and down off a step ladder. The fur around the edges keeps your entire foot warm. There are no seams, binding, or uncomfortable ridges. They are comfortable from the moment you put them on.
After trying a few brands of slippers, to include wool felt, and hand made wool, these are by far the best overall. The company also sells a wool felt slipper with a wide toe box. They would be great for travel, as they are more packable. They are also very comfortable and loose fitting, without falling off. For the budget minded, the wool felt are an excellent choice for $28.00.
Once the order was processed, they arrived in three days. I will definitely give this company a five star review. No more cold feet! The Great Canadian Sox company also sells organic cotton socks, which are hard to find these days. In fact they have a range of socks to cover your feet for every kind of activity.
So whether you are sitting at your desk, or embarking on a winter hike, ski trip, or snowmobiling – treat your feet, and your whole body will thank you!
See the links below for the foot-worthy details: