Slipper Thursday: Frivolous Fad or Forever Fashion?

Wyndham Mills (‘24), left, and Ganesh Bhojwani (‘24) / Credits: Tisha Nikolayev

Thursday could be considered the most mundane day of the week, but not at Walls. Here, Thursdays are for slippers.

Wyndham Mills (‘24) and Ganesh Bhojwani (‘24) started Slipper Thursday back in May. Mills was looking for an excuse to wear her brand new Ugg Tasman slippers and recruited Bhojwani to join her, as the duo liked wearing similar outfits for fun.

Bhojwani was initially met with ridicule. His friends made fun of his slippers, saying he looked like a “bum.” Bhojwani had a clever response, “I was like, ‘What do you mean? It’s Slipper Thursday." His friends “thought that was hilarious.”

The next Thursday, Bhojwani’s friends showed up to school sporting their own slippers. From there, Slipper Thursday blossomed into a grade-wide affair, “It just kept growing,” Bhojwani said. “Before we knew it, we had a movement going.”

Many different types of shoes qualify for Slipper Thursday. The list includes Crocs, Uggs, flip-flops, Chacos, and even traditional Indian wedding shoes. “It’s up to personal interpretation to an extent,” Mills said.

Initially a class of ‘24 tradition, Slipper Thursday soon spread to other grades. Kai Henrikson-Brandt (‘25) enjoys rocking his pink crocs for the occasion. “I’m a fan. I think it’s something kind of fun to do. Walls doesn’t really have spirit, so it’s something.”

Statistics teacher Pedro Zara has noticed that Slipper Thursday can become a disruption in class. He cited a particular situation in which a student allegedly “grabbed” another student with their toes while wearing slippers. “Toe grabbing is not [...] okay,” he said. Despite that incident, Mr. Zara said he would still consider participating in Slipper Thursday.

The future of Slipper Thursday is up in the air. The founders of the movement have big dreams. “I want Slipper Thursday to be something that’s beyond us.” said Bhojwani, floating ideas such as a shoe drive.

As for passing on the legacy, the pair are considering preserving the movement under the leadership of a trusted junior. Bhojwani and Mills also hope to bring Slipper Thursday with them to college, albeit privately. “I think it’ll be always something that I carry with me,” Bhojwani said.

To the founders, Slipper Thursday represents so much more than an excuse to wear a certain style of shoe. Bhojwani explained, “I want Slipper Thursday to represent community and people coming together.” Though it may be “silly to some,” to Bhojwani, the tradition is “beautiful and impactful.”

Reflecting on Slipper Thursday, Bhojwani said, “when you look at … what we’re leaving behind — the seniors’ little quirks — little things like Slipper Thursday is how we’ll be remembered.”