Real stories · No bending required

My back is stiffest first thing — these are the only slippers I can step into without bending down

Feet straight in, no bending, no hands — that's how my day starts now. I'm 67, and my back is at its stiffest the moment I get out of bed. For years the first job of every morning was the worst one: bending down to coax my heels into slippers, holding the bedpost, wincing. Some mornings I just went barefoot onto the cold floor rather than face it.

What I wanted was slippers I could step into the way you step onto a doormat.

Then I found the Polerine from a British label called York Boutique — warm, backless slippers in a soft suede look with a plush fleece lining. I chose the blue; there's black and brown too.

The open back is the clever part. There's no heel to fold or fight with, so my foot simply slides in and the slipper is on — which is why the morning bend has disappeared from my day completely. Once they're on, the cushioned sole and the arch support take care of the rest, and the plush lining means the cold floor never gets a look in.

No heel to fold or fight with — the foot slides in and the slipper's on, which is why the morning bend has gone from my day completely.

At £24.95 — half the usual £50 — they're the cheapest thing that has ever made my back happier.

Three weeks on, I haven't bent down for a slipper once, and Malcolm — whose back is worse than mine — has watched the whole performance every morning with open envy. I did check before ordering that I could send them back if they didn't fit — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free.

If the first bend of the day is also the worst one, do have a look. The Polerine is rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 260 women, it comes in blue, black and brown, in sizes 3 to 10 — and at half price, whole size runs disappear.