"Dressy" slip-on sneakers/shoes

November 9, 2023 11:35 AM

Hey all, Looking for some "dressier" (i.e. can be worn at office job that is on the casual side of business casual) shoes/sneakers that are slip-on, comfortable, and good for walking. Under $50 would be a plus but willing to pay more for quality/attractiveness. Hoping they are sneakers that just look a little dressier, not loafers or something.
posted by bearette to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (13 answers total)

Not sure if you need mens' or womens' sizes, but I find Sketchers to be great for this. Higher than your price point but they last a long time.
posted by nkknkk at 11:50 AM on November 9, 2023 [2 favorites]

If you are female presenting and don't need arch support, Rothys are perfect for this and with black Friday sales might drop to your price range. (I'm wearing these in a NYC finance firm right now and they are extremely comfy).
posted by larthegreat at 11:50 AM on November 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

Similar to Rothys, Allbirds are SO comfortable and easy to slip on. They're more expensive than you prefer, but you can find them on eBay at a fraction of the original price. I love using eBay for expensive shoes.
posted by hydra77 at 11:57 AM on November 9, 2023 [6 favorites]

Came to recommend Allbirds. I absolutely love mine, so comfy and they are even machine washable
posted by sevensnowflakes at 12:15 PM on November 9, 2023

The search term I've found for this is "chef shoe" -- they're slip-on, generally leather-like, and they have nice treads and are designed to be standing in all day.

I have a pair of these Sketchers that I like (you can find them cheaper elsewhere, like Kohls); the part against my achilles tendon is a little tighter than I like but they're very comfortable. If you really want to get cheap, I had a good pair of no-name-brand ones I found at WalMart for like $25 that lasted me a year.
posted by AzraelBrown at 12:18 PM on November 9, 2023

Clark's shoes used to be like that but it's been a good 15 years since I've had a pair. Skate shoes can come in designs that look fairly dressy. I've got a pair of Vans that have a brown suede upper and another pair that's all black and as a result is a bit hard to tell what kind of shoe it is at all (the suede ones weren't great for actually skateboarding on which is why I bought the all black ones). I tend to leave my laces a bit loose so all of my shoes become slip-ons as long as there's a shoe horn around.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:29 PM on November 9, 2023

Masc-coded, pricier than you asked for, but:
https://us.ecco.com/ecco-mens-helsinki-2-apron-toe-slip-on-500154.html?dwvar_500154_color=01001
I live in these. They read as just on the casual side of dress shoes, but they're rubber soled, with good support, I can stand and walk in them all day. They're pretty dang durable, too. After a couple years mine start getting too ratty to wear to the office, but they never fall apart, they just get downgraded to informal shoes.
posted by agentofselection at 1:05 PM on November 9, 2023

Whatever neutral-color sneaker-type shoes you wear, they can read less sneaker-like with bow-less hidden lace techniques, or no-tie laces (example, example), in the same neutral.
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:36 PM on November 9, 2023

I was gonna suggest Eccos too, although I prefer the sneakers -- specifically the Soft 7 in a dark color with matching flat silicone laces (I got the laces from Amazon) instead of the default ones. I find the flat laces plus the leather make the shoe appear less casual, but they are very comfortable and I've had my current pair for several years now. I think I found my first pair at like Marshalls or something like that.
posted by sm1tten at 7:02 PM on November 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

I forgot to mention that the flat laces make them slip-on. I have worn these in both smart casual and casual offices, as well as travel in them regularly.

I also have the Allbirds Tree Breezer flats and agree they are great looking plus washable, but wouldn't choose that specific style for walking a lot.
posted by sm1tten at 7:14 PM on November 9, 2023

Sanita clogs
posted by slidell at 7:53 PM on November 9, 2023

I get compliments on my (very comfy) Taos sneakers all the time at work. These are on clearance right now: https://taosfootwear.com/products/court?variant=37798364283045
posted by mollymillions at 8:43 PM on November 9, 2023

My most slip-onable shoes are also Taos- they are a little on the pricier side but my satisfaction with the comfort and style is commensurate with cost in a way it has not been with other brands. Their site is worth poking around on.
posted by wormtales at 4:37 AM on November 10, 2023