Looking after sheepskin.
Twin-faced sheepskin is the most resilient material we use. Treat it well and it will outlast every other thing in your slipper drawer.
Air them, don't wash them. Once a fortnight, leave the slippers on a windowsill or in a sheltered, breezy spot for an hour. The wool sheds moisture and odour on its own.
If they get wet, blot — don't rub. Stuff with newspaper, dry away from direct heat. Never put them on a heater or in a tumble dryer.
Spot clean with cold water and a microscopic amount of wool-safe soap. Always test on the inside of the heel first.
Brush the nap with a soft suede brush twice a season to revive it.
Looking after wool felt.
Pressed wool felt is dense and self-supporting — it doesn't need to be reshaped after wear. It does, however, hate hot water.
Air after each wear. Felt holds shape better with a few hours of recovery between uses.
Spot clean only. Never submerge in water — the felt will shrink and harden permanently. If you must, use a damp cloth and patience.
If the felt becomes shiny on the toe-box, rub gently with the rough side of a kitchen sponge to lift the nap.
Looking after suede.
Hand-burnished suede gets better with wear — but it's a closed nap, so it benefits from a small amount of attention.
Brush with a soft brass-bristle suede brush in one direction, weekly.
Re-burnish twice a year — a microscopic amount of beeswax (from any reputable shoe-care brand) on a soft cloth, rubbed in firmly. Buff with a second clean cloth.
Avoid synthetic suede protectors. They block the leather from breathing and shorten its life.
Looking after merino.
Australian merino doesn't need to be washed often. Once every five or six wears is plenty.
Hand-wash in cool water with a wool-specific detergent. Squeeze, don't wring.
Press out water in a folded towel. Never tumble dry. Lay flat to dry on a second clean towel.
Store folded, not hung. Hangers stretch the shoulder of the sock at the cuff line.
Looking after the lambswool throw.
Shake outdoors weekly. Most "stains" are surface dust that brushes off in a minute.
Spot clean with cool water and wool-specific detergent. Never machine wash.
For deep cleans, hand-wash in a clean bath, cool water, gentle agitation. Roll in towels, lay flat to dry. The throw will need a full day.
Looking after hand-loomed wool.
Vacuum on a low setting, in the direction of the weave, weekly.
Rotate the mat 180° every six months so the wear is even.
Spot clean with cold water. For anything serious, post it back to us — we'll wash and re-block it for the cost of return postage.
A sizing guide.
Our slipper sizes are EU. The chart below converts to AU/UK and US, with a small amount of editorial commentary. If you're between sizes, size down — sheepskin and felt both ease into shape with wear.
| EU | AU / UK | US (men) | US (women) | Foot length (cm) |
|---|
| 36 | 3 | — | 5.5 | 22.8 |
| 37 | 4 | — | 6.5 | 23.5 |
| 38 | 5 | — | 7.5 | 24.1 |
| 39 | 6 | 6.5 | 8.5 | 24.8 |
| 40 | 7 | 7.5 | 9.5 | 25.4 |
| 41 | 8 | 8.5 | 10.5 | 26.0 |
| 42 | 9 | 9.5 | — | 26.7 |
| 43 | 10 | 10.5 | — | 27.3 |
| 44 | 11 | 11.5 | — | 28.0 |
To measure your foot: stand on a piece of paper with your heel against a wall, mark the longest toe, measure heel-to-mark in centimetres. Do this in the late afternoon, after a full day on your feet.
Repair, not replace.
Every CozyStep slipper, throw and mat is repairable in our Adelaide workshop. Sole patches, felt re-pressing, sheepskin re-lining, weave re-blocking — all of it free for the lifetime of the product. The only thing we charge for is return postage.
Email contact@stepcozy.com with a photo and a sentence about what's happening. We'll write back the same week.