"
. With Dearfoams: The tank helmet connection
Posted Under: Obituaries
I was intrigued by the headline of this obit for Florence Z. Melton, which identifies her as “Creator of Slippers.” Meaning what?
Meaning Melton, and I guess her husband, created Dearfoams. Here’s the story the obit tells. Shortly after World War II, “fashion still had a military look: women wore double-breasted suits with padded shoulders.” Shoulder pads, however, had to be removed when a garment was machine-washed. Melton read about the foam rubber that Firestone had apparently come up with during the war , “as a helmet liner for World War II tank crewmen.” She thought it would be smart to adopt this for use in shoulder pads. Then she thought it would also be smart to adopt it for use in slippers.
And thus: Dearfoams. The obit says the number of such slippers sold by her company and others since 1968 is around 3 billion.
.
.
Kim Fellner's book 
.
A
Reader Comments
Bless her — when I was growing up, it seemed like Dearfoams were the only slippers you could find in department stores. (The shoe departments sold house shoes, which were different.) I only know this because my Mom has always LOVED these slippers.
The last few Christmas seasons, the women’s slipper selection has exploded in department stores and it seems like the no-brainer, go-to gift when you don’t know what to get someone. I think even Isotoner makes slippersnow but they’re all still styled after those old Dearfoams.