In a moment that many travelers can relate to, a passenger on their way to Europe discovered a key wardrobe oversight only after arriving at the airport—they were still wearing slippers.
The misstep was noted in a post on Reddit shared by u/cafe-em-rio in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit on October 13.
Featuring a photo of their foot clad in only a sock and a slipper, the title of the post said: “On my way to Europe for three weeks, realized once at the airport that I forgot to put on my shoes.” The relatable disaster resonated widely, with the post racking up over 67,000 upvotes,
The traveler’s blunder comes at a time of booming international tourism. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the first quarter of 2025 saw nearly 300 million international tourists, up 14 million from the same period in 2024. The agency cited “robust and sustained travel demand” this year, despite economic pressures and global tensions.
With international terminals crowded with eager jet-setters, last-minute sprints to the gate are nothing new.
The visual of the slipper-clad passenger at the airport sparked sympathy, laughter, and a wave of shared travel blunders from fellow Reddit users.
“Well that’s just hilarious,” wrote u/BG3restart. “Luckily for you, shoes are readily available for purchase in all countries in Europe.”
Another user, u/couchpro34, said: “I almost did this on the way to work the other day… But at least you’ve got a good excuse to buy new shoes now!”
Others offered a mix of comic relief and hard truths about the cost of airport shopping. “You’re in luck! They sell shoes at the airport for only four times as much as outside the airport,” noted u/Budget_Llama_Shoes.
Some users chimed in with similar experiences, making the original post feel less like a solo embarrassment and more like a shared rite of passage.
U/Severe_Issue5053 wrote: “Haha I did that when I went to work… realized I had my flip flops on once I got there.”
Another commenter, u/Tipsy_Danger, recalled an even more personal oversight: “I once diligently over-packed for Hawaii to attend a destination wedding… Got there and realized that the only thing I hadn’t packed was underwear.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system.
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