Designing a Slipper Line for Levi’s
A new category for Levi’s: nine slipper styles, outsoles, packaging and a gift fixture. I designed the line, laid out the 32-page book that presented it, then printed and bound it myself for our meetings.
Earlier workFrom my years as a hands-on designer at Randa, before I moved into leading the team.
- Trim
- 8 × 8 in, square
- Extent
- 32 pages
- Layout
- Adobe InDesign
- Production
- Printed and bound by me
At a glance
Challenge
Slippers were a new category for Levi’s, and a way to show RAA could carry the brand head to toe.
What I did
Designed nine styles, six outsoles, packaging and a gift fixture, built from what our headwear team already made.
The book
32Page book, laid out in InDesign, then printed and bound by hand for our meetings.
The Levi’s guy, on his downtime
RAA already designed Levi’s headwear and cold weather accessories. Slippers were a natural next step, and a way to show Levi’s we could carry the brand head to toe.
I built the line from what our headwear team was already developing each season: sherpa linings, stretch, specialty knits and Levi’s signature details. That kept it believable for us to make, and it made the slippers look like they belonged next to the rest of the Levi’s accessories line. The book opens on that point of view before it shows a single shoe.
Nine styles, from scuff to mid top
The line runs from easy convertible mocs to sherpa-lined mid tops, with a premium suede tier on top. Every style got its own spread in the book.
Line detailAll nine styles at a glance
| Style | The idea | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| P. 10 | A classic moc that folds down into a scuff | Suede convertible heel counter with embossed Two Horse logo, denim binding |
| P. 12 | Drop in or slide in, two ways to wear | Fold-down suede counter, whip stitching, fleece lining |
| P. 14 | Slim, lightweight glide | Double elastic gores, stretch neoprene heel with grab loop |
| P. 16 | Slim sole with vulcanized heritage | Ergonomic seaming, stretch gores, leather trim |
| P. 18 | All-day wear | Vulcanized-inspired sole for support and durability |
| P. 20 | Chukka styling in cozy fabrics | Side venting, sherpa lining, embroidered logo |
| P. 22 | A minimal mid top | True-grip textured sole, sherpa lining |
| P. 24 | A drop-back clog | Winter-weight wools and plaids, textured sole |
| P. 26 | The elevated tier | Genuine suede and premium materials on favorite silhouettes |
Click a style name to open its spread in the book above.
What’s inside counts, and so does what’s underneath
Slippers live or die on the lining and the sole. I set four lining families (sherpa, fur, fleece and seasonal patterns), each tied back to Levi’s pieces people already know, like the sherpa-lined Trucker jacket and the knit beanie. Then I drew six outsoles, each with an inlaid Levi’s Housemark: a textured rubber sole, a chunky boot sole, three sneaker-inspired soles, and one with the Golden Gate Bridge drawn across the sole as a nod to San Francisco.
Built to sell as a gift
The book treats slippers as a gift, so the packaging had to sell them on the shelf. The window box uses a batwing cutout that shows the whole style and a preview of the custom sole. A second, telescoping box opens fast for gifting. The book closes on a fixture that puts slippers next to Levi’s leather goods, seasonal accessories and gifts, so a retailer sees one complete gift statement instead of a single new item.
The book was part of the pitch
I designed the line and the book together. Every style follows the same two-page system: a hero drawing with construction callouts on the left, then colorways, swatch dots and a lifestyle strip on the right. Section titles sit on a red rule in Levi’s red, and the first and last pages are solid red so the book opens and closes like a Levi’s product.
I laid it out in InDesign at 8 inches square, then printed and bound the copies myself for our meetings. A printed book lets people page through a line the way they would shop it, which a slide deck on a screen can’t do.