Sleepers

Sleepers co-founder and creative director Nina Granerød, a fashion designer and Central Saint Martins graduate, leads the brand’s creative vision through a Nordic lens she describes as modern Nordic minimalism. ‘We follow a less-is-more approach rooted in Nordic design traditions,’ she explains.  

‘Clean lines, a muted palette, and a stripped-back aesthetic are essential. We love the city, but we’re just as at home in beach towns or places completely off the grid. Sleepers is designed to fit both, making it easy to move between a mindful, active life and a more urban setting without overcomplicating things.’ 

‘The idea for Sleepers traces back to 2001, during a surf trip to Sri Lanka where we first encountered natural rubber flip-flops. We wanted to create an alternative to fully synthetic flip-flops, designed with a modern, clean aesthetic that works as well in the city as it does on the beach. To get there, we drew on our backgrounds in fashion and our close connection to the ocean.’ 

Seasonality and movement are central to the brand. Co-founders Frode Grønvold and Tor Marius Engen come from professional skiing backgrounds and move between skiing and surfing through winter and summer. For Nina Granerød, her relationship with the ocean takes shape through winter bathing, while yoga and daily movement remain consistent practices.  

This seasonal approach to movement informs the brand’s collections: while the construction of the shoe remains unchanged, each iteration revisits the idea of the flip-flop itself, keeping a familiar form open to experimentation by questioning defining aspects like the shape and thickness of the sole, the feel and texture of the thong strap or the range of colours.  

‘Our designs are effortless – modern, comfortable, minimal, and fun,’ says Granerød. ‘I don’t believe flip-flops should be too serious. We have to leave room for some fun.’