Looking for similar slippers/shoes to a discontinued MUJI pair

May 8, 2023 8:18 AM

I love these MUJI shoes I purchased online several years ago, but they are starting to wear down and I'd like to replace them. The problem is that AFAIK they have completely disappeared from the internet.

They were sold more as slippers than shoes. They seem to consist of just two parts: A soft rubber/plastic sole and a stretchy, soft woven material that makes it easy to slip my feet in. I also really like the extra "collar" that covers a bit more of the foot and ankle than similar slippers. Is there something similar out there in the world? Does this kind of shoe have a name that I can search for? (I'm in the US but willing to pay for international shipping if the replacement is close enough. I really love these shoes.)

posted by gwint to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

"Surf" or "beach" shoes, perhaps? I have a pair of these, for instance. Perhaps there are other pairs out there that have more of an ankle collar, like yours.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 8:33 AM on May 8, 2023

Best answer: Roundups like this one suggest that "sock shoes" or "sock sneakers" might bring up useful results (they also suggest that this shape of shoe may have had its heyday around 2017, I bet you can still find them even if they're not the hot new thing though!).
posted by babelfish at 8:40 AM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

These Glerups boots are pretty similar in form if you are open to a felted wool rather than the stretchy, soft woven fabric of the Muji shoes. The wool will stretch out a bit over time as you wear the shoes but they are generally pretty easy to slip on and off.
posted by KatlaDragon at 8:58 AM on May 8, 2023

Response by poster: Babelfish, "sock sneaker" was indeed the magic phrase I needed. Thank you! I think I found the exact shoe here, although it appears the minimum order is 1,000 pairs. Hmm.
posted by gwint at 8:59 AM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have basically that same shoe from Fitflop. It's called the "Uberknit" - not a ton of options on Fitflop's website but you can find them all over the internet from different vendors.

It's very comfortable. I've been using them as house shoes for at least a couple years.
posted by potrzebie at 9:14 AM on May 8, 2023

Response by poster: Now I guess my only question is should I spend $100 on a version from FitFlop or $20 on a version from Temu. Is the FitFlop one really going to be much better quality or is just a big markup?
posted by gwint at 11:15 AM on May 8, 2023