The Silliest Thing I Own (And The Warmest)
The Silliest Thing I Own (And The Warmest)
York · 10 October 2026
Warm feet, a little sloth holding on, and no more skating across the kitchen floor. That's the whole review, really — but let me tell it properly.
Two things happen to me every winter. One: my feet are cold from October to April, whatever slippers I buy. Two: our kitchen floor turns into an ice rink the moment I'm wearing socks on it — and at 67 I've become rather more careful about that than I used to be. Malcolm has heard me squeak crossing that floor more times than either of us would like.
Then I spotted the Selvine socks on York Boutique's site — a British label I order from often — and laughed out loud: chunky knitted socks with a little 3D sloth wrapped around each ankle, arms and all. There are twelve animals to choose from (cats, a fox, a Highland cow, even a capybara, whatever that is). I ordered the sloths, mostly as a joke.
The joke backfired: they're the most used thing in the house. The knit is genuinely soft and thick — my feet have been warm through every cold snap so far — and here's the clever bit: they have non-slip soles, which is why I now cross the kitchen floor like a woman with nothing to fear. Comfort and a bit of safety, dressed up as a joke about a sloth.
I bought them as a joke. They're now the most used thing in the house.
They're listed at £60 and sell for £19.95 — about a third — because York Boutique sell direct from their own site with no middleman. At that price I went back for the Highland cow pair for my friend Margaret, who cried laughing and then wore them home.
I'll admit I did check before ordering that I could send them back if they were thin, scratchy rubbish — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free — but they are the opposite of rubbish, and one size fits most feet comfortably (there are two sizes, so Malcolm isn't left out).
With Christmas coming I'll say this plainly: if you need a present for someone who's impossible to buy for, a small animal that hugs their ankle and keeps them warm and upright is, in my experience, a guaranteed success. Order early — the popular animals will go.
Selvine | Animal Pattern Socks
£60.00 £19.95
- Soft, warm knit with an adorable 3D animal on each ankle
- Non-slip soles — steady on smooth floors
- Twelve animals, two sizes — the easiest gift of the season
- Free delivery · 14-day returns
Janet Foster is 67 and lives in York with her husband Malcolm and their dog Winnie. She is not a writer — just a reader who likes to share what actually works.
This page is a paid advertisement for York Boutique.