All the Best Slippers We’ve Ever Written About

Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie recommends Parachute’s terry-cloth slippers to make you feel like you’re in a spa. They have a grippy rubber sole and are otherwise made entirely out of soft Turkish cotton — the same material as Parachute’s classic bathrobes — which renders them “rather absorbent, like putting your feet on a nice, fluffy bath mat and then walking around with that sensation,” Gillespie says. Tiffany Thompson, founder of Portland-based residential-design firm Duet, says they make great housewarming gifts “to make you feel like your new home is a hotel.” A note on sizing: Parachute’s design is unisex and runs large; Gillespie wears a woman’s size seven and says an extra small would have been best for her.

These waffle slippers with padded insoles and grippy outsoles from Hawkins New York are a steal at under $30. Alex Crane, founder and designer of his eponymous clothing line, says they’re like “wearing glorious, springy clouds on your feet.” They’re easy to throw in the washing machine and come in more than ten colors for small, medium, and large sizes.

And for house slippers that cost less than a latte, Marcia Josephs, founding editor of Dream and HD and an associate public-relations manager at UGG, recommended these Ikea slippers to us, saying that they’re cheap, simply designed, and great for travel. The cushioned EVA foam insoles are comfy for long flights, while the grippy outsoles add stability while you’re walking to the bathroom — plus, at just $4, it’s not the end of the world if you accidentally lose them mid-journey.

Adidas’s classic open-toed slides are “wonderfully comfortable,” Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio says. “The footbed is molded just right, without any break-in period or eventual gross black footprint on the sole,” she says. Brian Kelly, founder of travel website The Points Guy, says he likes traveling with the simple rubber slides because they’re “ultra-comfortable and my ultimate lounging shoes when hanging at a resort or going to the beach.”

For a truly rugged slipper, Canoe Club co-founder Timothy Grindle recommended these stylish slides to us. The Hokas’ oversize midsoles and ventilated uppers are “substantial enough to run errands in and are truly like walking on clouds,” Grindle says. They’re also Strategist contributor Chris Black’s go-to summer shoe — he says he likes the breathable design, and the chunky midsole is great for keeping your feet and legs relaxed after workouts.

At a more affordable price point, these Crocs slides have an easy-to-clean material for wearing in the shower or out the door. Stylist Hannah Black says they’re perfect for the summer, and with Crocs’ classic ventilation holes and grippy soles, the shoes won’t get hot and are safe to wear around a slippery pool.

One last suggestion in the slide-o-sphere, veteran journalist SuChin Pak recommends these OOFOS sandals. Though they may not be the most beautiful, their pressure-relief benefits compensate for what they lack in style. Pak notes that the extra-thick sole makes walking a little wobbly at first and forces “you to put pressure on different points of your foot,” which in turn reduces stress on sore feet, knees, and lower backs.

And these slippers, from New York–based start-up Brunch, are also sturdy enough to weather a trip to the bodega, “I’d usually switch from house slippers to my Crocs for quick trips down to my apartment building’s lobby, but these seem sturdy enough for outside wear,” says writer Erin Schwartz of the thick EVA sole on Brunch’s  L’Essentiel slippers. Writer Kitty Guo agrees with Schwartz: “I wouldn’t hesitate to run out to grab the mail or even walk the dog in these.” Besides the durable sole, both writers call Brunch’s slippers warm but not stuffy and supportive but not orthopedic.

We named UGG’s Coquettes our best overall women’s slipper, and with an extra-fluffy shearling lining and thick rubber sole, they’d work great indoors and outdoors. Strategist writer Arielle Avila says they’re easy to slide on because they have an open back, but they don’t flop around because the lining is so thick. She’s worn hers almost every day for about four months, and she says they still look and feel brand-new. Stylist Mecca James-Williams and Vogue market editor Naomi Elizée say they appreciate the shoe’s solid, supportive sole and overall coziness, respectively. “Whenever I put them on, it feels like a hug, but for my feet,” Elizée says.

In a previous version of this story, we named these loafer-style slippers are a favorite among reviewers on Amazon, including one who says they’re (abstractly) akin to “an old best friend and a childhood pet rolled into one well-crafted piece of footwear.” As for their actual feel, the slipper’s genuine-shearling lining is described as comfortable and “well worth the splurge” by thousands of pleased customers.

If shearling-lined footwear makes your feet sweat, Strategist writer Kitty Guo tested these Pelli slippers from Lusso and says they’re breathable, thanks to the waffle-knit recycled bamboo upper stretched over perforated memory foam that promotes air circulation. And because of the footbed’s triple layers of foam, Guo says the comfort is unmatched. “It really did feel like walking on a cloud,” she says. “Or, less fancifully, a firm mattress.”

Designed in the home of all things hygge, these unisex, Danish-made slippers have been a Strategist favorite since 2017, when our then-writer Lauren Levy named them as the best wool slippers on the market. Since then, everyone from a lead buyer at Zappos to National Book Foundation executive director Lisa Lucas has vouched for Glerups’s comfort and durability while lounging inside or walking to the bodega. As former Strategist senior writer Karen Iorio Adelson puts it, the wool feels “warm, soft, and not at all itchy,” and the treaded rubber sole “offers more grip and protection for heading out.”

Strategist contributor Zoe Dubno gifted multiple pairs of these customizable wool Halflingers last winter. The felt-lined slippers come in a few novelty designs for the people in your life who love coffee, beer steins, puppies, cats, horses, monsteras, chickens, and more. If that’s not quite your style, Dubno says the brand also offers a chic plain slipper.

Birkenstock’s unisex Arizona style has been recommended widely across the Strategist, and this fuzzier take is no exception. While working from home during the pandemic, Leset founder Lili Chemla has appreciated that this shoe’s shearling-lined sole is soft enough for lounging but substantial enough to remind you “that it’s still a workday.” James-Williams is also a fan and agrees that the slippers are comfortable enough to “wear in the house and also while running errands in the neighborhood.”

Both photographer Malcolm McNeil and director Baz Luhrmann prefer these comfy Suicoke Moto Cab slippers for their molded rubber footbeds and treaded foam rubber soles. McNeil says he likes that they’re versatile and fashionable, and they’re “easy to style for casual outfits, comfortable for a calm stroll, and easy enough to throw on for the beach or airport.” Luhrmann says they’re easy to kick off in the TSA line and he has “an almost embarrassing array of them.” They come in a wide range of colors — McNeil likes black, while Luhrmann prefers midnight blue.

In a recent Assistant Files, we spoke to “Clara,” a former assistant to a Chinese beer heiress turned education-tech CEO. She says her boss didn’t allow outside shoes in the apartment so she wore these Frette slippers at all times, preferring their thick velvet soles to flimsier brands’. Her boss would request a new pair every month, even if they weren’t worn in, and the “old” ones would go into a bucket for guest use.