Slipper socks styled to look like high-top trainers – the kind of project that gets requested repeatedly once one person in a household has a pair.
Yarn and hooks
Written for Red Heart Super Saver: one skein each of Buff (A), Soft White (B) and either Delft or Pumpkin (C). Hooks in 5 mm (US H-8) and 6 mm (US J-10).
Three colours is what sells the trainer look: a body colour, a white for the sole and toe cap, and an accent for the trim and laces. Getting the white in the right places matters more than which colours you choose for the rest.
Why two hook sizes
The smaller hook works the sole, which needs to be dense to wear well and to keep its shape underfoot. The larger hook works the upper, which needs some give to go on comfortably.
Do not substitute a single hook. A sole worked at the larger size will wear through quickly and stretch out of shape.
Fit
Measure the foot heel to longest toe and match the sole to that measurement exactly. Crocheted slippers relax with wear – a pair that fits perfectly when finished will be loose within a month, so aim snug rather than comfortable at the start.
Shoe sizes are not a reliable guide. Measure.
Making them last
The sole is what fails. Working it with a doubled strand, or holding a strand of sock yarn alongside the main yarn, roughly doubles the life of the pair.
Acrylic is the right fibre here despite everything – it survives repeated machine washing, which slipper socks need more than most handmade items.
Non-slip
Crocheted soles are slippery on wood and tile. A few lines of puff fabric paint across the ball and heel of each sole will grip well and survive washing. Apply it to the finished slipper and let it cure fully before wearing.
The laces
Crocheted chains work as laces and look right. Make them longer than seems necessary – they shorten considerably once threaded and tied.
