Live Tradition of Making and Wearing of the Szeged Slippers

Slippers became a part of women’s week day and holiday wear and men's week day wear in the 19th century.

Taking over civilian wear and the streets cobbled after the great flood in 1879 both facilitated the spread of the slippers. The way they are made and decorated provide their uniqueness and their special Szeged quality.

The traditional Szeged slippers were ‘one of a kind’, because only one last was used for making both the right and the left sipper. The right and left versions were shaped while they were worn. As slippers were made by bootmakers, not shoemakers, fitting the parts of the slipper was made as it boot making (inside out while wet).

The upper part of festive slippers for women could be made of leather, velvet, silk or fabric decorated with flitters and beads. The Szeged slippers are still part of the new wife's clothing at Szeged weddings and they are also used by folk dance groups nationwide. Their modernised versions are more and more popular in everyday life.

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