How To Remove Lint From Fleece
The research
- Why you should trust the states
- How we picked and tested
- Our choice: L.50.Bean Wicked Practiced Moccasins
- Flaws simply not dealbreakers
- Upgrade pick: Glerups Wool Slippers Open up Heel
- Upkeep choice: L.Fifty.Edible bean Sweater Fleece Slipper Scuffs
- Care and maintenance
- What to look forrard to
- The competition
- Footnotes
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
Why you should trust us
Justin Krajeski is Wirecutter's style staff writer, and he tests and writes about everything you can wear on your person. Alex Arpaia, who previously wrote for Wirecutter, is a textile and wool enthusiast, has worked in various way jobs, and is an avid knitter and crafter.
This guide builds on the research and reporting of several writers, including Jamie Wiebe, Amy Palanjian, and Michael Zhao. Jamie originally spoke with Rick Hege, the founder and and then possessor of Shepherd's Flock—which creates handcrafted sheepskin slippers, ear muffs, cat beds, and more—to become his advice on natural versus constructed materials. Palanjian spoke with Wendy Thayer, brand marketing manager at Garnet Hill, to learn how that visitor chooses which slippers to sell. Alex also interviewed and tested slipper materials with skilful Sean Cormier, associate professor in the Fashion Institute of Technology's textile development and marketing department.
How we picked and tested
Our criteria for choosing slippers to exam were fairly simple, focusing on a few basic qualities:
Warm but breathable: Nosotros searched for slippers created mainly from natural fibers like wool, shearling, linen, or cotton fiber. These fibers tend to breathe better than synthetics, such as faux fur, microsuede, or microfiber. "Boiled wool is ever a go-to, since information technology naturally wicks abroad moisture and regulates temperature," said Wendy Thayer of Garnet Hill. "Sheepskin shearling is some other natural material pop in slippers because it, too, excels in breathability, warmth, and odor resistance." Manufacturers create boiled wool by shrinking knitted wool into felt. This process makes for a tight, tough, and dumbo material that is very warm still breathable. For sheepskin shearling, manufacturers remove both the skin and fleece of a sheep, and then tan and suede the skin with the wool still attached.1
Supportive: Nosotros wanted to find slippers that would provide skilful arch back up, just as a comfortable shoe would. We as well looked for slippers that came with the choice of a condom or cork outsole. This allows for outdoor utilise and can help slippers feel sturdier and more than supportive.
Reasonably affordable: We primarily focused on slippers that cost less than $100, although we accept considered options in the $150 to $200 range. We weren't terribly interested in finding clay-cheap slippers, because when information technology comes to slippers, you actually do get what you pay for. Good slippers should last anywhere from five to eight years, and nosotros retrieve information technology'due south worth paying more than for durability.
In fall of 2022, nosotros tested four new brands and retested our current picks to ensure the quality was up to par. In the end nosotros didn't find anything better than our long-standing recommendations. Due to the pandemic, we tested new slippers at home for the past 2 years. And we previously panel-tested the slippers (in a range of sizes) with nigh x Wirecutter staffers, asking them about fit, comfort, support, and durability. Nosotros collected feedback on how the slippers performed on surfaces like hardwood, rug, and stairs, and we got opinions on way and warmth.
We brought the top four wool-slipper finalists to the Fashion Institute of Technology to further appraise immovability in the fabric-testing lab. At FIT nosotros separated the tops of the slippers from their soles and tested the tensile strength of the textile. Nosotros recorded how many pounds of force was required to break the fabric (more force meant stronger fabric). Nosotros also took equal-size samples of each fabric and measured their weights to determine whether denser fabrics were more durable. It turned out that all the textile samples had similar weights. The tensile strength and how the slippers were really sewn, glued, or felted together told us more almost long-term durability.
Our selection: L.50.Edible bean Wicked Skillful Moccasins
Our pick
L.L.Bean's Wicked Good Moccasins (women'south, men's) shell out every other slipper we tested, due to their combination of comfort, immovability, and reasonable price. We as well like that they come with a durable outsole for quick jaunts outside. These are a favorite amid reviewers, and they're a particularly good pick if you want a fuzzy and cozy slipper.
The Wicked Skillful Moccasins are—by far—some of the warmest and well-nigh comfortable slippers we've worn. One tester described the soft, plush shearling every bit "a warm hug for your feet." They're some of the most supportive styles we tried, also, with a retentivity-foam insole and a stable rubber outsole. They fit well and stayed fluffy during several weeks of testing, and we know from years of wearing them that they'll concluding. Similar slippers nosotros tried, like the Minnetonkas, lost their fluffiness in a calendar week or ii. Meanwhile, the shearling in the Ugg moccasins was so overly fluffed that it was hard to fit a foot into the shoe. The Wicked Good Moccasins do run a little warmer than our felted-wool picks, so if y'all tend to take hot or sweaty feet, consider a slipper with a more-breathable material.
Our long-term testers say their Wicked Good Moccasins accept held up over years of use (one tester told us their slippers were going stiff after five years). These slippers have durable stitching and a potent suede shearling upper, then your toe should never bust through the summit (an consequence we've seen with the Haflinger slippers, a previous top pick). The Wicked Good slippers' rubber soles are also less prone to wearing sparse than the felt soles on some of the other slippers nosotros tested. If durability issues practice crop up with these slippers, keep in mind that L.L.Bean backs them with a one-year satisfaction guarantee (something our past elevation pick didn't have).
At around $80, the Wicked Expert Moccasins aren't cheap, but nosotros remember they'll last years longer than most of the other similarly priced slippers we considered. If you retrieve of these as a long-term investment—spreading the cost over eight years, a reasonable lifetime for these slippers—they're more cost-effective than replacing crappy ones every few years.
The thick, waterproof rubber outsole technically makes these slippers indoor-outdoor shoes. If you need to run out to the mailbox or around the block, your feet volition stay dry. We found that the condom soles can be noisy on hardwood floors, merely this was a mutual refrain for most rubber-soled shoes nosotros tested. If you desire a quieter pair, the Glerups slippers, our upgrade pick, have a soft suede or rubber outsole that might create less noise on hard floors (though they may be somewhat less rugged).
The women'south moccasins currently have a rating of iv.5 out of five stars across more than 5,000 reviews on L.L.Bean'southward site. We read a number of reviews from repeat customers who rave that these slippers are still their favorites afterwards years of employ. The men'south moccasins currently have a similarly proficient rating, 4.5 stars out of five beyond more than than ii,400 reviews.
L.L.Edible bean's Wicked Expert line also includes a range of other styles that are but equally comfortable and durable equally the original Moccasins, such equally the boot-similar slipper (women's, men'due south) and the Camp Moccasin (women's). (Notation that by testers found the Camp Moccasin to be narrower in the toe than our option. So if your feet are wider, yous may want to size up.) The Wicked Skillful Moccasins are bachelor in eight colors in the women's version and four colors in the men'south version. Both versions come in two widths (the wider of which comes just in brown).
Flaws merely non dealbreakers
Some commenters have mentioned a decline in the quality of the Wicked Adept Moccasins, lament that they were wearing out after simply a few months of use. Wirecutter staffers long-term testing these slippers haven't experienced that issue, and the pairs nosotros ordered for testing this year all felt also made as previous pairs. We'll continue to go along an eye on quality and update this guide appropriately.
That said, the fur below your feet will become matted down over time and eventually wear out. If you run into this problem, L.L.Bean sells shearling inserts to supervene upon the insole. Nosotros've bought and used the shearling inserts ourselves, and they've performed exactly as expected. Although these slippers feel warm and cozy in the fleecy parts, the tops of the anxiety can become a tad cold since the shearling natural language comes only nearly a 3rd of the way up the foot. The bootie-manner slipper (women'due south, men'south) should easily solve this problem.
You tin't run these slippers through the washing machine. Instead, you need to spot clean the exterior. This hasn't been an issue for our long-term testers, only if your slippers tend to get muddy, you may want something y'all can more easily wash.
Upgrade pick: Glerups Wool Slippers Open up Heel
Upgrade option
If you lot find shearling slippers overly warm or fluffy, or yous desire something with a more than-minimalist await, we recommend Glerups Wool Slippers Open Heel and Glerups Wool Slipper Boots. The boots were our testers' universal felted-wool favorites, merely the slide-on slippers were a close second. These slippers would accept been our main pick merely for the higher price. They are made of breathable, 100% wool that will keep your anxiety perfectly toasty without overheating them, and these shoes should final for many years—we've worn them since 2022, and they're still in fantabulous condition.
Our testing panel had nothing merely excellent feedback for the Glerups slippers. They noted that the sizing was easier to fit correctly (especially compared with our budget selection, from L.L.Bean), the style was sleek (for slippers), and the slippers overall were very easy to become on and off. Testers besides liked the shoe'south optional rubber sole, noting its grippy experience on hardwood floors.
In addition to beingness the most comfortable woolen slippers we tested, the Glerups were by far the nearly durable. The sample fabric from Glerups that we tested on FIT's tensile tester maxed out at effectually 300 pounds of force and fifty-fifty temporarily halted the test device. The fabric dented, but it did non requite out and break. To add to the immovability, Glerups also constructs its slippers from a single slice of felt, with an boosted layer of wool for the insole, plus a sewn-on outsole (either calfskin or rubber). This means that the fabric should never separate from the sole, and there are far fewer potential points of wear than on whatever other slippers we looked at.
Glerups offers three styles—the open-heel slippers, the boots, and the shoes. And all three come with either a leather or a hard-safe sole (for indoor and outdoor vesture). Most of our testers preferred the boot for winter considering information technology was easier to put on and take off, and it provided more coverage and warmth. Testers gave the open-heel slippers mixed reviews, but they didn't much like the shoe. The open up-heel option may be more comfortable if you alive in a warmer climate or wear slippers during the summer. For an extra $xxx to $twoscore, y'all tin can go some of Glerups's styles with a safety sole (called a camp sole) at Backcountry or Huckberry, or on Glerups's own site.
These slippers do have a burglary catamenia. Some past testers mentioned that the Glerups slippers were a bit potent out of the box and that they could exist a tad itchy. If you're particularly sensitive to itch, we recommend that you wear them with a pair of socks or choose shearling instead. In our experience, they intermission in nicely after a few weeks of wear. After you've used these slippers for a few months, you lot may notice wool shedding from them—that's normal. Y'all should simply pull the shedding wool off and discard it—the felt shoe volition however hold up for years to come.
Glerups slippers themselves come with a i-yr manufacturer's warranty, which protects against defects. After a call to test the company's customer service, we were confident that Glerups would supersede faulty slippers. And if you buy Glerups through L.L.Bean, they'll also fall under L.L.Edible bean's satisfaction guarantee.
Budget pick: L.L.Bean Sweater Fleece Slipper Scuffs
Budget choice
The L.L.Bean Sweater Fleece Slipper Scuffs (women's, men's) are an fantabulous vegan pick. Instead of leather or wool, they're made of polyester Polartec fleece, and in our testing they kept our feet warm and cozy. Plus, the Sweater Fleece slippers have a rubber outsole, and so you can vesture them to walk the canis familiaris or run to the mailbox. We didn't find them as breathable or durable equally either the Wicked Good Moccasins or the Glerups slippers. But if you desire to avoid using products made from animals, these slippers are a cozy and inexpensive option.
50.50.Bean'south scuffs look simple and sleek. They're fleecy inside, knit outside, and take an EVA cream sole. In general, synthetic fabrics similar polyester tend to exist less breathable, which may cause your feet to sweat. Nosotros didn't get sweaty feet when we tested these slippers, but it did feel like they trapped oestrus and were far less breathable than the Wicked Proficient Moccasins or the Glerups. Overall, nosotros similar the look of these scuffs better than most others we tried in the budget price range. But the insoles aren't quite as supportive every bit those of our pricier picks.
Scuffs owners also love these shoes, currently giving the men's version 4.3 stars out of five (across more 900 reviews) and the women'southward version 4.1 stars (across over 600 reviews). Although some reviewers have complained nearly the quality of the women's scuffs, we constitute them to exist comfortable and well made. Some reviewers report that these scuffs run large. Just in ii years of testing, we've establish them to exist a bit on the small side, with a narrow opening. The scuffs are available but in whole sizes, so consult the size chart—if you're in between sizes, we recommend that you size up. If you do find that the sizing is off, Fifty.50.Bean offers an excellent satisfaction guarantee.
Intendance and maintenance
L.L.Bean recommends that you lot spot clean the suede Wicked Good Moccasins. The suede requires very careful cleaning because dirt tends to get caught within the fibers (unless you are peculiarly meticulous). The shearling inner function of the slipper seems to be fairly resistant to holding on to smells; our long-term testers oasis't reported needing to clean them, fifty-fifty afterward years of utilise.
Glerups recommends vacuuming the slippers, to clear them of dust, and then using either the wool wash or delicates setting (maximum 86 degrees Fahrenheit) to machine-wash your slippers. Finally, after the slippers accept a spin in the washer, Glerups advises: "[P]ut your feet into the moisture shoes. Pat your Glerups into shape, remove, and exit to air-dry out." L.L.Bean recommends hand-washing and air-drying the Slipper Scuffs.
What to look forward to
As combination slippers-socks, the cheap Bombas Gripper Slippers (women'southward, men's) promise an especially snug fit. Thanks to the polyvinyl chloride grippers on the bottoms of their feet, you shouldn't slide around, either. Nosotros plan to run into for ourselves if they provide a decent amount of curvation support—and the proper grippiness—for condolement and immovability.
Made from suede, the moccasin-style Barbour Darcie Slippers (women's) and Barbour Monty Slippers (men's) have faux-fur linings that expect cozy and luxe. They're near as expensive as the Fifty.L.Bean slippers we love, and nosotros're interested to run into how they perform in real-earth testing. Both slippers feature a rubber outsole and a classic tartan design embellishment.
Nosotros're interested in the minimalist Sasawashi Room Shoes considering they're made from sasawashi—a combination of yarn and kuma bamboo grass—then they'll likely be more than breathable and cooler to article of clothing than our wool or shearling picks. Though we've tested several, we've still to discover a pair of house shoes that we truly love.
The competition
The felted Birkenstock Zermatt slippers utilize the same cork and latex footbed as their sandals. The footbeds adapt comfortably to your feet, only the wool upper of the shoe was potent and itchy. They were besides quite expensive, and the white shearling footbeds got dingy hands.
We also tested the Birkenstock Zermatt Premium, which we don't recommend for their expensive toll. Their bottoms are made from EVA instead of cork and latex, just nosotros couldn't tell the difference betwixt the Premium and the original Zermatt. They slipped on like a glove and featured a lovely suede upper lining (as well as removable footbeds), but these slippers cost $100 more than the already-pricey Birkenstock Zermatts.
Although they come up in a wide variety of fun colors and materials, the Topdrawer Reversible Firm Shoes are essentially socks that yous tin throw in the washer. They didn't provide plenty support, and walking across hardwood floors felt more like gliding along a canvass of ice.
We had high hopes for the Baabuk Mel felt slippers, only they were stiff and scratchy-feeling, with no supportive arch underneath the foot. Information technology'south overnice that Babuuk claims its slippers are made past manus in Nepal—using wool from New Zealand—but the final result wasn't fun to wear. Plus, there are online reports of poor craftsmanship (Baabuk says that because these slippers are made past manus, occasionally in that location are imperfections).
The RockDove Two-Tone Retentiveness Cream Slippers appear to exist extremely popular on Amazon, with 107,000 (largely positive) reviews and counting. This seems remarkable—until you lot dive a piddling deeper. The slippers accept an F rating on Fakespot, which means they accept "insufficient reliable reviews" or, more than frankly, many fake ones. Information technology's also notable that last year, when we updated this guide, they had 49,000 reviews—that's a lot of new reviews in i year. In whatever case, the RockDoves fit our feet securely at first, but the retentivity foam speedily lost its cushiony feel. They merely weren't comfy in the long term, and their lighter-colored insoles showed lint and dirt easily.
The Haflinger AS (soft sole) and Haflinger AT (hard sole) were our peak picks in 2022. But after seeing numerous comments and complaints about durability issues and learning that our staff members were facing similar problems, we had to revisit our recommendation. The seam downwards the middle of both of these slippers is a major signal of weakness. And as soon equally nosotros cut the top away from the sole of the shoe at FIT, the seam began unraveling before we fifty-fifty set it upwards in the tensile tester. FIT associate professor Sean Cormier noted during testing that "[the] stitching unravels with the slightest force at the junction of the seam." Information technology took 127 pounds of forcefulness to pause the cloth, less than the material on the Acorn or Glerups slippers. After we removed the test material from the motorcar, the seam easily unraveled the rest of the way with minimal effort. Ultimately, we didn't recollect we could continue to recommend these slippers, given the test results and the poor user reviews. We also tested the Haflinger GZ, merely it felt more like an everyday clog than a slipper.
We stopped recommending Acorn's Dara and Digby Gore in 2022. Many of our long-term testers reported durability issues: the rear lip wearing out and the forepart of the shoe coming unglued from the sole. Our testers this year gave the states feedback that the Acorns were likewise difficult to get their feet into and out of because of the prominent rear lip.
We can't recommend Muji'due south Linen Soft slippers (at present unavailable) considering their stock is then inconsistent. If you do find them bachelor, they're some of the almost comfortable and cheap lightweight slippers we've found.
The Ugg Dakota (women's) and Ascot (men's) both felt well made, with a durable condom sole for outdoor wear. But the shearling fleece wasn't as soft equally that on our Wicked Practiced pick, and the sizing ran frustratingly small.
We liked the Allbirds wool loungers (women'southward, men's), but they felt more like an outdoor shoe than something you'd want to slip on to become cozy on a rainy day. The wool was besides quite tight on our feet—it felt like these might run on the small side.
The Kyrgies house shoes (women'southward, men'due south) felt fine, and they're well made for the price (effectually $50 at the time of writing). But the sole was besides hard and lacked arch support. The wool is too thinner than that on the Glerups, so these didn't feel every bit warm.
Mahabis slippers are another felted choice, featuring clean lines and condom soles. Overall, these shoes felt synthetic and had some disquisitional design flaws. They have a wool/poly blended outer, a merino lining, and a neoprene insole. The heel flap, although splendid for securing our anxiety in place, was uncomfortable when we wore it in the smushed-down slip-on position.
Stegmann offers solid everyday footwear, simply most of our testers found them too strong to be worn as cozy slippers or forgiving house shoes.
The Giesswein Veitsch has a pleasant look and a soft, boiled-wool upper, with a similar look to the Haflinger styles. But nosotros thought the sole was also stiff to exist comfortable, and the curvation support was also intense for some testers.
The Bearpaw Loki slippers (women's) seemed promising, but for one tester the sheepskin lining felt artificial and clammy on bare feet.
The Minnetonka women's moccasins were impressively soft and comfortable. However, less than a calendar month into our tests, the sheepskin wore through to the suede. Sure, sheepskin will do that, but it certainly shouldn't do it so quickly.
The Ugg Scuffette Ii slippers were extraordinarily soft and comfortable, and if we were picking a slipper for people who cared exclusively about condolement, this pair would probably be the all-time. Just the dye on the men's Ugg Scuff Slippers rubbed off on a tester's feet, and the cuff running along the upper human foot rubbed and irritated the skin.
The Sometime Friend slippers we tested—the Ladies Scuff—ran very pocket-size, and the sheepskin rapidly wore downward. These slippers weren't nearly every bit soft or comfortable equally the Wicked Practiced Moccasins.
The wool-acrylic–blend lining of the Sorel Nakiska (women's) was too warm and stifling. For the price, these slippers are decently comfy, but they don't compare to the warmth and breathability of the Wicked Skilful slippers. Plus, possessor reports of these shoes quickly falling autonomously make them a no-go.
EMU Australia's Jolie (women'due south) and Bubba (men's, discontinued) had construction true to their low prices: The sole felt unforgiving and inexpensive, and the sheepskin felt artificial and was not breathable.
We had the aforementioned problems with Tamarac by Slippers International's Fluff (women's) and Scuffy (men'due south) styles—both didn't breathe well, and they were tough to walk in and uncomfortable.
The Acorn Pack & Go Moc (now unavailable) looked and felt like to a pair of water shoes. Once on, they weren't wholly uncomfortable, but the sole lacked whatsoever sort of construction, and they were hard to slip in and out of.
The Baffin Cush slippers look like sleeping bags for your feet. And afterwards finally trying them, we can confirm that's what they experience similar, too. They might be good for travel, and they're certainly warm, but the artful is a petty extreme for daily use. The sole also lacks support, and nosotros weren't confident that the traction dots on the bottom would exist durable.
This article was edited by Jennifer Hunter.
Footnotes
Frequently asked questions
Are business firm shoes the same equally slippers?
There's no industry-wide divergence betwixt slippers and house shoes. Merely nosotros've often seen slippers called "firm shoes" when they're fabricated from lighter, more-breathable materials such as cotton or linen, instead of warmer shearling or wool. Although some of the slippers we recommend take a rubber sole for walking exterior, house shoes ofttimes have a thin, flexible sole and are strictly worn indoors. In 2022 we tested six house shoes. Our favorites were Muji's Linen Soft slippers, but they'd gone out of stock by the time nosotros could publish, and we haven't seen them bachelor since. They were some of the best inexpensive, comfortable lightweight slippers nosotros've found, and we didn't similar any other house shoes enough to recommend them. If yous exercise discover similar slippers from Muji, we remember they're worth a endeavour.
How oftentimes should you replace slippers?
Proficient slippers should last anywhere from five to eight years, and some Wirecutter staffers accept been wearing our favorite slippers, the L.50.Edible bean Wicked Practiced Moccasins (women'south, men's), for five years with no issues. (You lot tin replace the insoles if yours practice wearable out.) 50.L.Edible bean offers a one-yr satisfaction guarantee. And the Glerups slippers we love come with a 1-year manufacturer's warranty. The L.Fifty.Edible bean slippers cost around $fourscore, but nosotros think one pair of quality slippers is a better investment—and less expensive in the long run—than buying cheaper pairs yous accept to replace more than often.
What are the best slippers for sweaty feet?
To prevent sweaty feet, look for slippers made of breathable, natural materials: Cotton, linen, and wool are all first-class contenders. Avoid extra-warm shearling and polyester, since they're peculiarly good at insulating and could make you overheat. A pair of slippers with an open heel or open up toes (or both) volition give you more airflow and help keep your feet cool. Of the slippers we recommend, the Glerups are probably the best selection for sweaty feet, due to their wool construction.
Sources
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Wendy Thayer, make marketing manager at Garnet Hill, interview
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Rick Hege, founder and former owner of Shepherd'due south Flock, interview
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Sean Cormier, acquaintance professor of fabric development and marketing at FIT , in-person interview and testing , August 1, 2022
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Esha Chhabra, Would y'all clothing wool shoes to save the surroundings?, The Guardian , August 25, 2022
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-slippers/
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