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ETA THANKS! Slippers/house shoes for orthotics?

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Another post about my son:

Neither of us has ever worn slippers of any kind. We take shoes off indoors primarily because of the dirt, but are so accustomed to it that wearing shoes in the house feels strange. But never say never: he has scoliosis and one leg is longer than the other, so he’s been wearing orthotics. He has now reached the point where walking around the house without them feels strange. He wants something to keep them on his feet, so we are looking for slippers.

There are so many styles of slippers! The first thing he’s going to try is just slipping the soles in some socks, but assuming we will need a next step, I’m looking for some guidance on what styles work well with orthotic soles. I’m going to guess not scuffs/mules, because they need a back to keep the sole in. Are loafer types his best bet, or the plushy ones that look like high-tops?

Any other advice from those of you who have experience with orthotic soles would also be appreciated!

ETA: things I've learned from this conversation:
Scuffs/mules/clogs/slides could work. They are the favorites among commenters here.
There are some pricey slippers/house shoes out there! I'd prefer to keep this purchase under about $50.
"Slippers" isn't a clear term: we are looking for something he'd wear inside only. We are in an apartment, so don't have the "quick run outside" issue you might have in a house with direct access to the yard.

I also have a new question: do "slipper socks" like these work with orthotics? https://www.google.com/search?.....SSA:160224

I'm going to show him three basic styles: hi top "boots", clogs, and loafers/mocs, and maybe slipper socks, to see what he prefers before we go any further.

Shopping

27 replies

Latest reply was from Joy

bella

(website)

Veteran

How about some indoor sneakers? A pair of sneakers would provide the best support for this kind of thing, I guess. A comfy pair of sneakers might be easier than trying to find a pair of slippers.

bella

(website)

Veteran

Sorry, double post!

gryffin

Veteran

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082.....B08412ZRGQ
FI - I can't get to finds right now but I need to wear orthotics 24/7. Merrell has a removable insole. I put my full length orthotics in. These are my indoor "house shoes" but I wear the leather version for casual wear. The "breeze" for women is what I wear as slippers in summer. There's a "chill" with fuzzy warm interior for winter/ I use my 3/4 orthotic with that iteration so I keep the fuzzy warm lining. The jungle moc is more a shoe variant. They are meant for indoor/outdoor so you can run outside in them no problem. They are extremely comfortable. My husband has no accepted a pair (after he rammed his toe into the a/c unit and broke it). HIghly recommended. They run TTS with slightly generous width. The insole that comes with it is fairly supportive fyi.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Thank you both! As usual, responses are helping me refine my thinking. I’d like to stay under 50€, and preferably well under that. I don’t think he wants rubber soles for in the house—think he’d rather have something that wouldn’t “stick” to floors and that’s soft enough to curl up in for an after-school nap or to watch a game in the evening.

Gryffin, I’ve never heard of anyone other than me who broke their toe on the ac & then needed orthotics. Hi-5 to your husband! The Merrells sound great, but are far beyond our budget.

Bella, his school shoes are leather converse high tops (black with black soles as required by drsss code), he has red high top Chucks and black high top Chucks for causal wear, and his basketball shoes are, of course, high-top athletic shoes too.

tolkitty

I second the suggestion of looking at Merrell brand. My mom has developed arthritis in the ball of her foot and needs indoor shoes w/ removable foot beds that can accommodate a rigid insert. I’ve worn orthotics for years so I’ve helped her find styles. Merrell seems to be consistently good at offering a variety of options. (I use the jungle moc style for easy slip-on house shoes.)

FYI, on Zappos they are usually good about specifying if insoles are removeable, and it’s a feature you can filter for when doing a search. I usually check Zappos for reliable product information and reviews, even if I end up getting shoes locally or from a different online source.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Tolkitty, do you have any idea where to get them in my price range? I get it that his foot health is important, but really can’t see having the most expensive pair of shoes either of us own being his slippers!

But from Gryffin’s link, I see that a little lip in the back is sufficient to keep the soles in place. Would something like this work? https://www.uniqlo.com/de/de/p.....lsrc=aw.ds

One other clarification: the type of sole already in the shoe/whether it is supportive or not is irrelevant—one of his legs is longer than the other (I’m going back to edit the formatting in the original post), and no shoe bought off the rack is going to correct for that—he has to put his insoles in.

Inge

(website)

If he'd prefer not to have a rubber sole, than my first thought was also the fluffy "high-tops". I don't have a pair, otherwise I could try putting in my orthotics for you to see if it works.

Usually Uniqlo has at least one pair of these during the Winter months, and I"m seeing the ones below in the women's section, but no option in the men's section at the moment.

The XL is supposed to fit a 41-42.

https://www.uniqlo.com/eu/en/p.....28895.html

Or how about these puffer slippers? They do have a rubber sole, but at least the puffer part would be nice and soft?-)

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Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Inge, I think those could interest him! I will show him when he gets home. I hope the Uniqlo XL size you mentioned is for women, not men. He wears a size 13 US/48 EU.

Inge

(website)

Yes, that's the women's size. I don't see a similar option for men on their website currently, which is a shame. Trying to think where else you'd be able to find something similar.

Inge

(website)

Ah yes, Amazon.de has options. These are just a few, but there are more:

https://www.amazon.de/Haflinge.....LA44/ref=l

https://www.amazon.de/BECK-Uni.....p_17603710

https://www.amazon.de/KuaiLu-S.....B07D8CT7S2

https://www.amazon.de/COFACE-H.....075JDQXG1/

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Inge, fantastic, thank you

Bijou

Veteran

I wear Ugg Boots as slippers. I have orthotics and could wear them in my Ugg Boots - I don't as the orthotics are not essential for me and I like the feeling of the wool underfoot. I wear Birkenstocks and find the arch support sufficiently feels like wearing an orthotic even though I don't wear my orthotics with the Birks.

SusanBe

I have orthotics too and have used the Merrells mentioned above or Haflinger or Giesswein. The Haflingers and Giesswein feel more slipper-like to me although I have equally liked my Merrill pairs. I’ve chosen the mule/scuff style in each of the brands for easy on and off. Because there is a bit of a lip on the back and the orthotics nestle into the footbed, I haven’t had any issues with my orthotics shifting. I like the styles I’ve linked below because they are indoor/outdoor if I need to step into our porch. Good luck!

https://www.german-slippers.co.....6&

https://www.zappos.com/p/giess...../color/354

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Bijou and SusanBe, generally when I pay more for shoes, it’s because I think they are very well made, will last a long time, and my feet will be very comfortable in them. For slippers to be worn with orthotics, wouldn’t a lot of that fall away? I mean, given that he has his own footbed, how does the one that comes with the shoes matter? And how well made do shoes need to be if they are only going to be worn for lounging indoors? I don’t understand the repeated suggestions at double the budget, but am willing to believe I’m missing a point—if someone would explain to me why it’s worth so much more.

tolkitty

If you’re looking for a softer sole/ less structured slipper then I can see why you’d want to stick to a lower price range. One huge variable is the type of orthotic your son has —orthotics can be predominantly soft material or they can be made out of a more rigid material, and some are 3/4 length (just the heel and arch). The reason I mentioned looking for shoes with removeable insoles is that I fully replace those insoles with my orthotics (which are the full length, rigid kind). If the insole isn’t removeable then my orthotic doesn’t fit/ takes up too much space.

A less structured slipper might have more room to slip in an orthotic, but would depend on the type of orthotic?

I’d suggest looking around for generic versions of Halfinger-type slipper clogs. Lands End might have options, like this from the US site (not sure if German site has similar styles?):
https://www.landsend.com/produ.....ibutes=111

I’ve found older styles/colors of Merrell on sale at clearance sites like 6pm.com (though my current pair I found for a steal at Goodwill!). But sounds like a slipper is more what your son needs.

Good luck!

tolkitty

Lands End also has non-clog styles with a regular heel
https://www.landsend.com/produ.....s=19474,41

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Tolkitty, thank you! I don’t know my way around orthotics at all. His are sort of foam, but rigid. They cover the entire bottom of his foot and curve up the sides a little. The one for his short leg is about half a centimeter thicker than the other.

SusanBe

Hi FashIntern, my feet are such that I want them as comfortable as they can be no matter the setting. I stand and work in my house a lot so they are actually the shoes I wear most these days! I also want them to breath well, feel good, and last a long time. These tick all those boxes for me. Additionally, my podiatrist first recommended all of these because the sole is rigid enough to address my particular foot issues. As for the footbed that’s comes with these slippers, as with all my shoes, I discard the footbed that comes with it and insert my custom orthotic.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Inge, do you expect Uniqlo to get the "boot" kind that you showed the womens version of sometime later this season?

nemosmom

Veteran

I have the Uniqlo ones (the hi-top women’s version) and can vouch for their comfort. Although, I do not know if they could accommodate an orthotic.

Uniqlo makes a men’s slipper, but it is low top: https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/p.....05000.html

You mentioned budget in your replies, but not your original post. I don’t know how Merrill compares budget-wise to LL Bean, but LL Bean has men’s slippers with a higher top and they get great reviews.

https://m.llbean.com/llb/shop/503380

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Nemosmom, thanks! I've pretty much worked out through this conversation that the choice of clog, loafer/moc, or boot/high top is mostly aesthetic, though we need to make sure he can slip the sole in and out easily if he gets a high top. I was hesitant to suggest clogs to him, because I didn't know if the lip would be enough for an orthotic, but they are the #1 type anyone is suggesting, so clearly can work. The price constraint is something that came up in the course of the conversation. You are probably right that I should not expect people on this site to read through even short threads for info like that. I've added it to the original post. Those LL Bean ones might be doable, with the discount for signing up for the newsletter. We will see what appeals to him.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

New question: what about "slipper socks" (like I added to original post)? Can they hold an orthotic sole?

Column

Veteran

Fashintern,

I did not read other posts, so forgive me if I am double posting:

Try Mahabis: https://mahabis.com/. They are billed as slippers for the outdoors, but I wear them as shoes for indoors. Like your son, I wear a heel lift for one leg.

I bought the classic and think the fabric versions are preferable to the pricier leather. I did go 1/2 size up for wider feet; he may need a full size up for orthotics. Also read about how to manipulate fit further by removing the footbed entirely—although then you are only relying on orthotics for support.

Anyway, I bought these two months ago for COVID remote work footwear, and they have been great. My only final wish is that they would be machine washable, but I can wipe down with disinfectant cloth and air out. They have been great! I wish you and your son well.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

This is an old thread; it’s taken us a while to work through various orders of different styles and sizes. In the end my son chose the Giessweins and is wearing a size a little bit smaller than his usual shoes. Thanks everyone for your help!

Joy

Veteran

A loafer style slipper or even new men’s loafers may work for him as house shoes. I got a women’s pair at Target last year with fleece lining that have held up well but have not tried orthotic inserts. They seem roomy enough.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Joy, I don’t know what this style is called, but it’s what he’s got and is happy with.
https://en.zalando.de/giesswei.....h-q11.html

Joy

Veteran

I think those are a type of felted slipper and look perfect for his needs.