The best slippers for men and women, from cosy sheepskin mules to chic ballet shoes

If it’s true that you can judge a person by their shoes, then it is perhaps even more so when it comes to their slippers. What you choose to put on your feet in your own home is a window into what you value most. As such, buying the perfect pair for yourself is an act of self-nurture.

If that all feels too hyperbolic, it feels safe to say that they’re at least a reflection of your favourite mode of relaxation and how high you like to turn up the heating.

I’ve been hooked on slippers ever since my best friend bought me a hot-pink pair with monsters on when I was 10. Today, I write about style for a living, and have a healthy obsession with not letting my feet get cold – I have swallowed whole the idea that cold feet mean you can’t sleep. I also strongly believe that the right slipper can truly make time at home feel 110% more cosy, productive, sociable or fun; whatever you need it to be on any given day.

So, I’ve narrowed down the perfect pairs from the hundreds out there. Whether you’re after the best slippers for winter, a pair that will stand up to a hotel breakfast, or a practical design for the occasional trip to the bins, read on.

The best slippers for men and women 2024

For warm feet on cold days

Natural grey slipper
_{£42.95 at Egos Copenhagen
£42.99 at Amazon}

These cosy wool slip-ons from Danish brand Egos are on my feet right now. They may not be the prettiest slippers, but they’re among the best I’ve ever had the pleasure to own. I bought them two years ago and have worn them daily every winter since, yet they still seem like they have years left in them.

I like a slipper you can slip on and off with ease – with a bit of a sole, but still feeling soft and supple. They also need to be neutral enough to suit even the most colour-clashing outfit you wear behind closed doors. These ones, designed in Copenhagen and handmade in Nepal, offer all of that. Plus, presumably designed with Danish winter in mind, they would keep feet warm well into the Arctic Circle.

If the somewhat sombre grey doesn’t do it for you, they also come in rusty red, light blue and a lime green that may appeal to those still clinging on to their Brat summer.

Salt Plains sheepskin slipper mules
_{£74 at the Small Home}

“Ethically minded small business” the Small Home makes these slippers out of British sheepskin. They come in a trio of understated colours, each with a different pattern embroidered on the upper. All feature a fluffy inside layer that will make feet feel loved.

They’re handmade on a small scale, and the company says it sources its sheepskin from a supplier with the highest animal welfare standards, using either byproducts from the meat industry or off-cuts from Rolls-Royce car interiors. They look like something Sienna Miller may have slipped into at home in Primrose Hill during the 00s.

For at-home entertaining

Dansoft leather ballet shoes
_{£22 at Bloch
From £18.98 at Amazon}

The slippers you receive guests in are a good indicator of the kind of host you are. When my ever-immaculate colleague Jess Cartner-Morley recently suggested these ballet shoes as the “world’s most elegant slipper”, she gave a strong hint that dinner at her house is an elegant affair. A shoe designed for ballet will also prove an excellent choice if dinner escalates into dancing in the kitchen. But for all of the highbrow associations, these ballet shoes cost a very reasonable £22.

Koritsi Hydra slippers
_{£50 at Give A Pon}

If you’re more likely to have friends round for pizza on the sofa – or wine on the floor – then perhaps these will be more your speed. Handmade in a workshop in Greece, these slippers lasted me for years, despite the pom-pom proving a tempting target for my cat. The inside might be wool but, be warned, I found them surprisingly chilly without a sock. They come in various stitched designs and colours and have a practical leather sole.

For taking the bins out

Cord mule slippers
_{£20 at John Lewis}

If you’re looking for glamour in a slipper, then look away now. These men’s mules, available in workhorse dark green and navy, come in hard-wearing cord. A snip at £20, and currently reduced to £16, they’re a donkey of a slipper. Treat them well and they will work hard around the home but also carry you steadfastly down to the bins. Only available in small, medium and large men’s sizes, they won’t be for you if you have feet on the smaller end of the women’s scale. For anyone else, size down and good luck with the recycling.

Howser III Slide
_{From £34.43 at Amazon
From £44 at Keen}

These slippers from the outdoorsy American brand Keen are another pair that isn’t afraid of a bit of hard work. Again, nobody said they were elegant, but they would stand up well to excursions outside. Their bungees tighten for a cosier fit and soles give some traction on a frosty garden path. The black nylon model will wipe down particularly well should any bin juice come their way.

You’re not a slipper person but don’t want cold feet

Iwata bed socks
_{£69 at Tokyobike}

This is not a serious slipper; this is a non-slipper for the person who, for whatever reason, doesn’t like slippers. Technically bed socks, these carefree beauties are made in Japan by sleep specialist Iwata out of all-natural materials. For all their frivolity, they do make a concession to practicality and can be gently handwashed.

Perhaps best of all, looking down at these is bound to elicit a smile. Rarely will your feet have been so cosy, or looked so joyously daft.

For taking away with you

Merippa slippers
_{£60 at the Cross
£58 at Japan House}

Reversible with collapsable heels, these look like a slipper worn by someone who knows their way around Adobe Illustrator. Hailing from Japan, they pack down tightly and are ultra-light. They may be a slouch of a slipper but they’re also chic in the kind of IYKYK (“if-you-know-you-know”) way. Knitted and hand-finished, they’re available in various patchworks of seasonal fabrics.

Mim felt slipper
_{£75 at Vivo Barefoot}

While these are a bit more substantial, they’re the work of minimalist shoe company Vivobarefoot. The brand specialises in barely-there shoes and this pair can curl up tight like a cinnamon bun for fitting into a crammed suitcase. They won’t show you up if you’re a houseguest for the weekend, and they’re muted enough to go with anything you’ve packed. They’re made in partnership with Mongolian craftswomen using 100% wool felt, and also come in kids’ sizes if you have a mini-me who needs cosy feet.

For working from home

Classic slippers
_{£79 at Amazon
£79 at Mahabis}

The pandemic convinced me and many others that wearing shoes to work from home increases productivity. Enter this more-professional-than-your-average slipper, weighted with corporate greatness – the brand is popular with the Silicon Valley crowd. Wool, washable and with a neoprene heel to lock your foot in, they certainly help me feel more switched on, even while I’m on the sofa.

Wabi One slippers
_{From £50.76 at Amazon
£90 at Camper}

Sleek in design, these well-built slippers should last long after Q4 is over. They’re available in a pleasingly wide range of professional tones, as well as very fun hot pinks and highlighter yellows. Perhaps most intriguing of all is the chance to print your own message across the design. Whether you go for a motivational mantra or something a bit more NSFW is up to you.

For cool feet on warm days

Havaianas flip-flops
_{£11.50 at Havaianas
£12.99 at Amazon}

Some prefer to go barefoot in the summer months, but for those like me who still like some sole, a pair of Havaianas is perfect. While most other flip-flops I’ve tried have earned their “toe killer” nickname, Havaianas caress the toe joint with a little more tenderness. And they come in a rainbow of fun colours.

The company says that 40% of the sole is made from rubber scraps recycled from the production process, but I still like to find them secondhand – well, almost. If you don’t like the thought of someone else’s feet, look on Vinted or similar for new ones, either with or without tags. Plenty of people seem to buy the wrong pair and off-load them untouched.

Birkenstock Madrid sandals
_{£40 at Office
£40 at Birkenstock}

Another ideal house shoe for warmer months or climes, these sleek Birkenstocks are easy to slip on and off. They’ll work for popping outside for a spot of watering – helpfully, they’re waterproof – and they’re comfy enough to wear around the house. They come in both regular and narrow fit.

Ellie Bramley is the Guardian’s fashion and lifestyle editor one day a week, and spends the other days working from home wearing an assortment of slippers to fit her mood and the task at hand. Whether needing to feel like a serious professional (with warm feet), a cook in a kitchen with very cold floor tiles or just hanging out and pretending to be a vampire bat with her three-year-old, she gets ample opportunity to put slippers through their paces. Plus, as someone who values garments that last, she thinks there is nothing worse than a bad quality pair that disintegrates like Weetabix after the first month