There are plenty of things we’d rather forget about the Covid era, but the clothes weren’t all bad. With millions of people suddenly spending their working days at home, stiff tailoring and proper shoes gave way to softer, more forgiving alternatives. Luxe loungewear boomed, elasticated waistbands became acceptable work attire and a new breed of footwear emerged somewhere between the slipper and the shoe.
The house shoe was perfect for a life lived largely within the same four walls. Comfortable enough for working from the sofa, but substantial enough to handle the bins, a coffee run or a supermarket dash without requiring a change of footwear.
Unlike Zoom quizzes and sourdough starters, it stuck around. Today, there are more good-looking house shoes than ever, ranging from wool-felt slippers to chunky outdoor clogs. Here are some of our favourites.
Birkenstock Boston
If one shoe sums up the shift from indoor comfort to everyday footwear, it’s the Boston. Birkenstock’s closed-toe clog has been around since the 1970s, but its popularity has exploded in recent years, turning it from something vaguely orthopaedic-looking into one of menswear’s most recognisable casual shoes.
The classic suede version combines a soft upper with Birkenstock’s anatomically shaped cork-latex footbed and a lightweight EVA sole. Wear it with thick socks and relaxed trousers around the house, then continue wearing exactly the same thing when you leave it. Granted, these things are everywhere now, but there are plenty of great Birkenstock Boston alternatives for those who'd prefer not to follow the crowd.
Ugg Tasman
Ugg has essentially spent the last few years proving that footwear doesn’t have to be particularly sleek to become fashionable. The Tasman is a case in point. It takes the cosy appeal of the brand’s famous boots, chops everything off below the ankle and adds an embroidered braid around the collar.
There’s a suede upper, plush wool-blend lining and a lightweight EVA outsole, making this a genuine indoor-outdoor proposition rather than something destined to spend its entire life shuffling between the kitchen and sofa. It’s warm, comfortable and increasingly difficult to dismiss as merely a slipper.
Fracap Suede Mules
Italian bootmaker Fracap is best known for chunky vintage-style hiking footwear, but its suede mules apply the same old-school craftsmanship to something considerably easier to slip on. Made in Puglia from vegetable-dyed calfskin suede, they feature a rounded toe, adjustable buckle and proper rubber sole.
The result sits somewhere between a Birkenstock and a traditional Alpine shoe. They’re relaxed enough to qualify as house shoes, but handsome and substantial enough that keeping them confined to the living room would feel like a waste.
Mahabis Lite
For something that sits more firmly on the slipper side of the house-shoe spectrum, try Mahabis. The Lite is a stripped-back, lightweight option made from recycled polyester with an EVA sole, and each shoe weighs just 105g. It’s also vegan and compressible enough to pack easily into a carry-on suitcase.
The simple shape and contrasting sole keep things considerably cleaner-looking than the average pair of slippers. Ideal if you want something specifically for indoors, but don’t particularly want to look like you’ve borrowed your grandad’s footwear.
Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 Sabot
Take one of the most recognisable retro trainers around, remove the heel and you have the Mexico 66 Sabot. Onitsuka Tiger has retained the familiar low-profile shape and signature stripes of its classic sneaker, transforming it into a backless clog that you can step straight into.
It’s one of the sportier options here, and a good choice for anyone who finds traditional clogs a little too rustic. Think of it as a trainer operating on house-shoe settings: relaxed, easy to wear and requiring approximately zero effort to put on.
Gurus Cadiz
The Cadiz is what happens when you take the basic idea of a puffy camping slipper and make it slightly less likely to look out of place away from a tent. Spanish footwear label Gurus uses a quilted nylon upper, microfleece lining and brushed felt foxing, all sitting on a grippy rubber tread.
They’re soft, warm and unmistakably slipper-like, but the proper outsole means you won’t need to change shoes every time you need to venture outside. Particularly good for cold mornings, draughty houses and anyone who refuses to turn the heating up another degree.
Birkenstock Amsterdam
The Boston might be the Birkenstock clog everyone knows, but the Amsterdam makes an arguably better dedicated house shoe. It strips the formula down even further, replacing the suede and buckle with a simple wool-felt upper that wraps around the foot.
Underneath, you still get the anatomically shaped cork-latex footbed and lightweight EVA sole that make Birkenstocks so easy to live in. It’s warmer and softer than the Boston, and its minimalist shape has just enough design credibility to stop it looking like a conventional slipper. A great alternative to your usual Birks.
Studio Nicholson Wearing Clog
Leave it to Studio Nicholson to turn the humble clog into a piece of minimalist sculpture. The Wearing takes the basic slip-on formula and exaggerates the proportions, with a raised footbed, generously rounded shape and beautifully simple one-piece leather upper.
It’s made in Portugal using carbon-neutral calf leather and finished with a cushioned EVA sole, so there’s substance beneath the clean looks too. At the smarter end of the house-shoe spectrum, this is one you’ll probably buy with intentions of wearing indoors before almost immediately deciding it’s far too good for that.
Bedrock Sandals Mountain Clog
Calling the Mountain Clog a house shoe is admittedly pushing things. This is a clog from a brand beloved by thru-hikers and bikepackers, complete with nubuck leather uppers, a three-way adjustable strap system and a Vibram Megagrip outsole. There’s even a rubberised toe cap for taking it off road.
But that’s precisely why we like it. You get all the step-in convenience of a slipper with enough grip and support to disappear down a trail. Perhaps overkill for taking the recycling out, but extremely useful when that trip to the bins somehow turns into a three-hour walk.
