The popular saying is that slippers originated during the Meiji period in Japan. Actually, slippers originated earlier in India. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhou Qufei, an official who served in Guangxi, recorded two types of leather slippers worn by local people: one was made of leather as the sole, with a small pillar in the middle with a one inch long head and a bone bud, which was clamped by the toes for walking, and the other was made of cross shaped red skin placed on the leather sole, allowing the feet to penetrate and walk. The shape of these leather slippers is exactly the same as that of Arhat's feet in the painting at that time. Zhou Qufei also described the red slippers worn by the ancient Chinese in southern India, which were the same as those worn by Arhat in the painting.

The original slippers were mostly made of wood, also known as "clogs," "slippers," or "guadaban.". Guadaban'er is usually made of hard wooden boards, and often uses canvas, leather, or plastic straps as foot loops. Wearing clothes and walking will make a "quack, quack" sound. With the development of the times and the uncomfortable wearing, this type of clog is no longer seen in households in urban areas. According to Dongfang Shuo's "Suo Yu", "During the Spring and Autumn period, Jie Zhi pushed the fleeing scholar to hide himself and died holding a tree. Duke Wen sighed over the wood and thought it was a clog." It can be seen that the "slippers" that were originally recorded in history were only for mourning the deceased and had nothing to do with leisure.

"Guadaban'er" was first popular during the Northern and Southern Dynasties in China. Xie Lingyun once renovated it, so it is also known as "Xie Gong clogs". There is a Tang poem that goes, "Wearing Xie Gong's clogs, climbing the Qingyun Ladder," which refers to this type of wooden clog. The passionate young master Jia Baoyu in Dream of the Red Chamber often wears these wooden slippers. As for how clogs drifted from the folk to Japan, it is unknown. From the perspective of the common people, there is an unofficial history that says that wooden clogs are used everywhere in rainy weather, and the same goes for the people of Fujian. The people of Guangdong, regardless of whether it is sunny or rainy, whether it is men or women, all tiptoe around. By the Qing Dynasty, during the Guangxu and Xuantong periods, men and women in Shanghai often enjoyed dragging them in summer, which has become a modern phenomenon.

In the 1950s, the first pair of plastic slippers was introduced in France, marking a revolutionary movement in the history of slippers. China also produced plastic slippers in 1960. Today, plastic foam is the main material for making slippers. Foam slippers are cheap and durable, making them more approachable.

Driven by the trend of advocating nature and environmental protection, slippers made from natural materials such as leather, wood, bamboo, and straw have become popular in China. Currently, slippers are characterized by coolness, health, safety, and fashion, with the emergence of concepts such as air-conditioned slippers, shower slippers, beach slippers, health slippers, fashion slippers, and living room slippers. These colorful slippers, like leisurely and elegant landscapes, create a romantic and passionate summer atmosphere.

For the slippers themselves, they are unobstructed and can be easily fitted to the feet, undoubtedly liberating the feet; No matter how well the shoes fit, they are a form of pressure and restriction on the feet, and even if you're not careful, they can cause foot odor. In real life, slippers not only free people's feet from shackles, but also seem to liberate their spirits from the extremely stressful work and life.