Slippers that wear like shoes.
April 28, 2016 10:57 AM Subscribe
Recommendations for men's slippers that have foot support like sneakers?
Mr. Machine and I grew up on opposite sides of the shoes on or off divide, and we think the compromise may be men's slippers that have as much foot support as sneakers, but definitely look like slippers.
Details:
- He wears a 10.5 to 11 men's.
- His feet are narrow and high-arched.
- We have hardwood floors, so non-marking soles are required.
- We have steep steps, so some kind of traction on the bottom is required.
- Buying a pair of sneakers/outdoor shoes and changing into them is less than ideal, because after a lifetime of being trained by my Chinese first-gen, wipe-the-floor-by-hand, mops-never-get-your-floor-properly-clean mother, seeing people wear things look like real shoes indoors HORRIFIES ME. HORRIFIES ME.
- Budget is $250 or less.
Bonus: anybody have experience about whether these seem like a good fit? Mr. Machine has some of their Wicked Good slippers for the winter and likes the warmth, but they don't have the best arch support and are too hot for our Midatlantic summers.
Mr. Machine and I grew up on opposite sides of the shoes on or off divide, and we think the compromise may be men's slippers that have as much foot support as sneakers, but definitely look like slippers.
Details:
- He wears a 10.5 to 11 men's.
- His feet are narrow and high-arched.
- We have hardwood floors, so non-marking soles are required.
- We have steep steps, so some kind of traction on the bottom is required.
- Buying a pair of sneakers/outdoor shoes and changing into them is less than ideal, because after a lifetime of being trained by my Chinese first-gen, wipe-the-floor-by-hand, mops-never-get-your-floor-properly-clean mother, seeing people wear things look like real shoes indoors HORRIFIES ME. HORRIFIES ME.
- Budget is $250 or less.
Bonus: anybody have experience about whether these seem like a good fit? Mr. Machine has some of their Wicked Good slippers for the winter and likes the warmth, but they don't have the best arch support and are too hot for our Midatlantic summers.
We're a NO SHOES INDOOR EVAR family and my mom has a pair of house crocs for exactly this purpose. She loves them. It fixes the mental disconnect problem of outside shoes for house shoes because my mom would never be caught wearing crocs outdoors with real clothes.
I myself have a lady version of LL Bean slippers like the one you linked (in suede though), and I like them a lot.
posted by phunniemee at 11:11 AM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
I myself have a lady version of LL Bean slippers like the one you linked (in suede though), and I like them a lot.
posted by phunniemee at 11:11 AM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
I was going to suggest crocs as well.
They're:
Non-Marking
Comfortable
They don't look like real shoes
They have decent traction
And come in a variety of styles, some are even lined with fuzz
Well wiithin your budget
posted by FallowKing at 11:13 AM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
They're:
Non-Marking
Comfortable
They don't look like real shoes
They have decent traction
And come in a variety of styles, some are even lined with fuzz
Well wiithin your budget
posted by FallowKing at 11:13 AM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
Vionic slippers have great support and are comfy and better looking than Crocs.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 11:16 AM on April 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by a humble nudibranch at 11:16 AM on April 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
Romika men's mules are an option to consider.
posted by drlith at 11:21 AM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by drlith at 11:21 AM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have struggled to find slippers for years and finally gave up. I bought a pair of slip-on shoes that are moccasin-inspired enough to read like slippers. They have non-marking soles and provide great support, with the caveat that I have low arches and wide feet. Here's the link to what I bought - Ecco Moc 2.0
posted by Naib at 11:29 AM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Naib at 11:29 AM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have these. They are tremendously comfortable. There is not foot support like you'd find in a running shoe, for example, but there's more than you'd expect from something that looks so plain. I find they're more supportive than some of my real shoes. I love them very much and wholeheartedly recommend them.
posted by kevinbelt at 11:37 AM on April 28, 2016
posted by kevinbelt at 11:37 AM on April 28, 2016
Our family wears Birks inside. Actually I have two pairs- one side, one outside.
posted by Ftsqg at 12:00 PM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Ftsqg at 12:00 PM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: My houseshoes are Birkenstock sandals in the summer & Haflinger wool clogs in the winter. I've never found anything else that provides enough support.
posted by belladonna at 12:06 PM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by belladonna at 12:06 PM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: For what it's worth, I'm on my fourth pair of the Bean slippers you cite, and intend to get a fifth when these wear out. They do not have arch support, though.
posted by Skipjack at 12:36 PM on April 28, 2016
posted by Skipjack at 12:36 PM on April 28, 2016
Yep, Crocs. The fuzzy inserts are removable and can be washed and they are astoundingly warm.
posted by anderjen at 1:09 PM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by anderjen at 1:09 PM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
Birkenstocks are the German solution to this problem...
posted by The Toad at 1:10 PM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by The Toad at 1:10 PM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
The Figs are also a house crocs family. Crocs. They're nice and ventilated, so if his feet run warm it's not an issue. Non-skid, non-marking, they are supportive enough for my high arches... Crocs.
posted by Fig at 1:45 PM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Fig at 1:45 PM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have Sorel slippers, but more importantly:
Inserts! I'm using Superfeet inserts, but if you go to REI they'll sort you out insert-wise, including some that you or they heat and mold to your foot.
posted by sebastienbailard at 2:18 PM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
Inserts! I'm using Superfeet inserts, but if you go to REI they'll sort you out insert-wise, including some that you or they heat and mold to your foot.
posted by sebastienbailard at 2:18 PM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
My mind was blown when I found out that, in Germany, where they're originally from, Birkenstocks are exclusively house shoes.
Maybe that would work?
posted by Sara C. at 2:21 PM on April 28, 2016
Maybe that would work?
posted by Sara C. at 2:21 PM on April 28, 2016
I think my ex has similar feet to your partner. By the end of a typical day he would be complaining about how his feet hurt, probably because his sneakers weren't quite supportive enough. He absolutely loved this pair of slippers that he got from either Uniqlo or Muji. They were a light greyish tan colour, slipped on, had a decent sole. I wish I could narrow down which store he got them from, but I'm not 100% sure.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 2:45 PM on April 28, 2016
posted by kinddieserzeit at 2:45 PM on April 28, 2016
Alternatively, yes, Birkenstocks as Sara C suggested. They have some styles that cover the toes, but it's pretty common for Germans to wear socks with the sandal ones. I do the latter. It's very cosy, and also quite freeing to break the sandal and sock rule.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 2:47 PM on April 28, 2016
posted by kinddieserzeit at 2:47 PM on April 28, 2016
I have high arches and need a lot of support in a shoe. Crocs don't work great for me, particularly for long periods. Not enough support. They can give me foot cramps if I wear them all day.
Birks, on the other hand, are wonderful.
posted by bonehead at 2:53 PM on April 28, 2016
Birks, on the other hand, are wonderful.
posted by bonehead at 2:53 PM on April 28, 2016
The Croc Santa Cruz's are really comfy. Link They are more slipper, and less shoe. But they are good inside and out.
posted by hot_monster at 3:14 PM on April 28, 2016
posted by hot_monster at 3:14 PM on April 28, 2016
Hideaways by L B Evans are on the cusp between slippers and shoes. Mine are flannel lined for winter, but there are many styles. I got mine thru a dept store, Kohl's or Belk, I forget which, but you can find them online.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:26 PM on April 28, 2016
posted by SemiSalt at 4:26 PM on April 28, 2016
Best answer: I whine about my arches quite a lot, and I find my Haflinger slippers are more comfortable than bare feet. I have ones with an "indoor" sole, a kind of rubberised felt, but the outdoor sole would be better for steps, probably. I can wear them in warm weather, except the very hottest of days (um, that's an Australian hot day).
posted by glitter at 5:43 PM on April 28, 2016
posted by glitter at 5:43 PM on April 28, 2016
+1 Crocs. They are the only slipper that ever worked for me.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 5:59 PM on April 28, 2016
posted by rabbitrabbit at 5:59 PM on April 28, 2016
I have some tan/khaki Crocs, and I wear them to work sometimes when my dogs are barkin'. No one bats an eye, and probably doesn't even see them (business casual .edu IT).
posted by wenestvedt at 7:31 AM on April 29, 2016
posted by wenestvedt at 7:31 AM on April 29, 2016
I love my Cushe slippers ($16!) so much that I've got two pair stashed away for when I wear out the ones I use now.
For me, they're everyday house shoes only and folding down the heel fabric to make them slip-ons doesn't create any sort of weird discomfort in the fit. They call them "insanely lightweight" and they're not kidding. The canvas uppers aren't rigid and the soles are a light foam, not rubber.
One of my friends wears his out and about. I don't generally go that far, but there's no reason I couldn't.
posted by GamblingBlues at 12:56 PM on April 29, 2016
For me, they're everyday house shoes only and folding down the heel fabric to make them slip-ons doesn't create any sort of weird discomfort in the fit. They call them "insanely lightweight" and they're not kidding. The canvas uppers aren't rigid and the soles are a light foam, not rubber.
One of my friends wears his out and about. I don't generally go that far, but there's no reason I couldn't.
posted by GamblingBlues at 12:56 PM on April 29, 2016
Response by poster: Thanks, folks! The Haflinger recs led me down a rabbit hole of fancy European house shoes on Zappos, and we ended up buying these because of the reviews specifically saying that that were narrow and good for people with high arches. They arrived, and Mr. Machine really really really really loves them for their comfiness and traction, and I really really really love them because they look enough like slippers that I don't mind hearing him walk around in them.
posted by joyceanmachine at 5:55 PM on May 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by joyceanmachine at 5:55 PM on May 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Sphinx at 11:09 AM on April 28, 2016 [8 favorites]