The area I grew up in it was not uncommon for lower income black women to where fuzzy slippers out in public, to the store ect..
Kinda like wearing pj bottoms I see some lower income white people do where we live now.
The sandels Obama is wearing remind me of house slippers in a Malaysian/Asian home.
IOW You take your street shoes off at the door and slip into your house sandel/slippers.
But I bet ya’ll knew that. : )
You have been spying on me when I go out to the mailbox. shame on you. :O)