The Best House Slippers, Because Please Take Your Shoes Off

As someone on Craigslist once told us, there’s nothing wrong with a little toe cleavage. Nor is there anything wrong with living in one’s house slippers during the coldest, darkest winter months and beyond. Once the temps drop, you can find us in an electric blanket burrito on the couch, or else leaving the house in a pair of shearling slides for a bodega run. Not that the best slippers and house slides are bound to one season, but there’s something about the chillier months that encourages us to bring home faux fur slides complete with their own massive lobster brooch, just because.   

It’s also the holiday season, which means eggnog for breakfast, finding appropriate gifts for everyone (even that awkward family member you barely know), and shopping for lots of White Elephant parties that will require presents that fall somewhere between totally unhinged, and very inviting (see: Furby-core). Slippers and house shoes—should you know your giftee’s shoe size (we know you do; this isn’t amateur hour)—are one of the best cozy gifts you can give this holiday season. These days, there are slippers with memory foam soles and Spiderman-worthy, no-slip grips; there are slippers by streetwear-lover brands such as The North Face that feel like individual puffer jackets; and much, much more. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or a loved one, the following slippers are so good, we might just get another set of each for our hands.

We’re in the thick of Puffer Season, which means we’re not only on the lookout for the best puffer jackets that double as streetwear, but we’re trying to get our feet in on the fluff, too. The North Face gets it. 

Babouches are a kind of Moroccan house slipper with a rounded or pointed toe, and they’re a favorite apartment-to-bodega slippy for one of Rec Room’s editors—especially a leather pair that molds to your feet like a second skin. Seek out Moroccan slipper vendors on Etsy, or this Moroccan-sourced cotton pair from Uncommon Goods:

Left Foot and Right Foot were already cool, but now they’ve officially earned the title of our BFFs thanks to these plushy boba slides. Nothing like a fluffy ball of tapioca betwixt our toes to jack up the serotonin levels. 

If you’re new to Bombas, welcome. [Crawls down wall on no-slip grip socks.] These slippers are more of a slipper-sock hybrid with fluffy interior lining and PVC grippers so you don’t eat it on Mom and Dad’s hardwood floors over the holidays. They also come in a two-pack, which is a sweet deal. Get ‘em while they’re on sale.

We have an entire gift guide for you, dearest Gen X crust punk, and now we also have an op-art slipper to keep those toes toasty. These would also look great paired with some lime green socks. 

There is nothing cozier than wearing imitation sheep on your feet. Papinelle makes a fluffy pink criss-cross slide for the gentle soul, while Skims’ Teddy Slipper will go with literally everything you own. 

Dip your toes in the butter sauce with these seafaring slides, which would also make an excellent, affordable White Elephant gift. 

If you’re a Park Avenue lobster, Laines London makes a beautiful pair of faux fur slippies with a detachable brooch that says, “Alfred, where did I put my yacht?” 

Be warned: These rubber slippers do minimalism so well, they may summon the ghost of Steve Jobs to your abode. Style these with fluffy white socks for a look that says, “My other set of feet is a hoverboard.” 

These split-toe slip-ons evoke the grandeur of the cult-fave Maison Margiela Tabi boot, whose clefted toe was in turn inspired by traditional 15th-century Japanese shoes, and they make us feel like a hot centaur. Before you ask: Yes, they make loads of socks for these. 

Crocs run on Jerry Time. Crocs are ultra-comfortable, ventilated, they dry fast, and they come in as many colors as you can dream. Crocs are for the people. 

Memory foam slippers would be a great gift for your mom (or a great gift for your dad) this holiday season, or for anyone else who would like to feel as if their feet have two personal mattresses.  

Say what you will, but The Return of the UGG is imminent. In case you haven’t been paying attention, 2000s fashion and decor has been trending for a minute now, from Parade x Juicy Couture to Abercrombie & Fitch’s hip rebrand. Slap on a bumper sticker, because this baby is on-board.

That’s all for now [waves goodbye with feet]. Let us know when you’re ready for the best socks we’ve ever seen?  

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story.