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Once considered a weird and ugly outlier shoe reserved only for hippies and hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail, slip-on shoes have now gone mainstream among outdoorists everywhere.
Walk through towns like Carbondale, Bend or Mammoth Lakes and you’ll see cozy, insulated, and winter-ready shoes on the feet of athletes everywhere. They’re ideal for sliding on after you’ve taken off your ski boots, mountain bike cleats, trail shoes , or — especially — climbing shoes, as they usually offer some combination of warmth, coziness, cushiony foot support, and ease of wear.
But not all men’s athletic slides are created equal, especially since some are better suited to Sunday morning dog walks than they are wearing all evening at a backcountry campsite. And considering how popular they’ve become, the market for slides is saturated — you can even find knock-off versions of most of the most popular men’s athletic slides on Amazon (though it’s safe to say the quality is questionable at best).
To help make the process of shopping a bit easier, we tested 10 of the best men’s athletic slides to help ensure you find the perfect pair.
Our top picks:
- Best overall slip-on shoe: Teva reEmber Moc
- Best slip-on shoe for summer adventures: Kane Revive
- Best slip-on shoe for winter adventures: Outdoor Research Tundra Trax
- Best slip-on shoe that’s a boot: Teva ReEmber Terrain Mid
- Best indoor slip-on shoe: Tom’s Ezra Convertible Slipper
Best Overall slip-on shoe
Teva reEmber Moc
The ReEmber Moc is by far the most popular athletic slide in mountain towns. This writer first started wearing them in the mid-2010s after buying a super-discounted pair at an outdoor gear show, and spent about three years wearing them and defending their ugliness against critics — until those critics tried them, of course, and ended up buying their own pairs.
The reEmber is easy to slip on, has a thin convertible heel, and is warmer than all the non-insulated slides we tested. Both our male and female testers (the reEmber Mocs are unisex) wore them in temperatures around the freezing mark and reported that their feet stayed warm, and any chilliness came through the rubber sole, not the fabric parts.
Our male tester has been wearing these for about two years and reported that they’ve gotten fairly dirty, and even when tossed in the laundry, seem to retain some water stains. He also reported that the heel has started to wear thin, and thought they were least-packable of the insulated skippers he tried (though they’re still more packable than a sneaker). But other than that, it’s all perks: they’re easy to pull on, come in multiple colors, are made with recycled materials, and have fairly effective water-repellency. And he admits he’s put some extremely heavy wear on them. This writer has worn a solid black pair for nearly two years, which seems to hide the dirt much better than our male tester’s khaki-colored pair.
Our male tester also reported that he’d worn these to work several times to his office, which usually has a “jeans and button-down” type dress code, and no one noticed. So get a black or brown pair, and perhaps you too can wear slippers to work all winter.
It also comes in a clog style, which seems a little unnecessary as the moc has a fold-down heel — but hey, to each his (or her) own.
Tech Specs:
- Sizing: Unisex; from Men’s 4/Women’s 6 to Men’s 14/Women’s 16
- Colors: 14 current options, plus additional past season colors
- Weight: Not published
- Materials: Polyester, ripstop, rubber outsole (vegan, mostly recycled materials)
Pros & Cons:
- Pros: Warm, lots of colors, good water repellency, ultralight
- Cons: LIghter fabrics show dirt, thinner heel fabric wears over time
Best Slip-on Shoe for Summer Adventures
Kane Revive
When he opened the box, our tester wasn’t impressed with the look of the Kane Revive, commenting that it at least wasn’t quite as ugly as a pair of notoriously polarizing Crocs. But knowing this plastic, open-hole style of shoe is popular, we knew we had to include one like it in our round-up.
Of all the shoes on this list, the Revive took our male tester the most by surprise. While he’s still not impressed with the style, he found them far more comfortable than expected from a plastic shoe. The Kane Revive has moderate arch support and an insole with a sole medium flex, and thanks to a wide foot box (the area around the toes), it doesn’t exert any pressure on sore feet. And that’s sort of the point of the shoe, as Kane markets it as being designed for recovery.
While our tester didn’t find the small nodes on the footbed to do much for recovery, he did find the shoes to be a welcome respite after hot-and-sweaty biking and hiking. Rather than fabric or insulation, they’re also made with a sugarcane-based renewable plastic. This gives the Revives a leg up for water sports.. They float, they don’t retain water, and they won’t get stinky even if you wear them without socks. Our male tester said he sees these as being his go-to slides for hosing off his mountain bike or relaxing by a river after a summer hike, noting they come with the breeziness of flip flops with the toe protection of a sneaker.
But, they’re not perfect. They’re not very packable, and the heel straps are somewhat pointless since they dry so quickly that you don’t need to hang them. He had no problems with sizing, but other buyers may run into issues: no half sizes available.
Tech Specs:
- Sizing: Unisex; from Men’s 3/Women’s 5 to Men’s 16/Women’s 18
- Colors: 22 color combinations
- Weight: .5 lb each
- Materials: Sugarcane-based EVA foam
Pros & Cons:
- Pros: Cool and breezy
- Pros: Light enough to fit into a backpack
- Cons: Polarizing design
- Cons: No half sizes so fit could be funky
Best Slip-On Shoe for Winter Adventures
Outdoor Research Men’s Tundra Trax
It’s clear that Outdoor Research wanted to create a very specific shoe when they made the Tundra Trax, aiming to compete with the extremely popular Teva Ember Moc and North Face Thermoball.
Fortunately for Outdoor Research, it’s a worthy contender. They’re filled with PrimaLoft Gold insulation — the same material used in high-end down jackets. Our tester found them very comfortable, equating them in both style and feel to “a sleeping bag on my feet.” He noted that they were a bit on the wide side for his narrow foot, but felt that they’d be a good fit for anyone with a normal-to-wide foot.
Of the three insulated camp shoes in our test, the Tundra Trax was the warmest, but one tester noted that the outer material felt the thinnest and most likely to snag or tear when outdoors and that the fold-down heel was the most likely to ball and bunch up. That makes the Tundra Trax a top recommendation for non-athletic winter wear around campfires, or for use as a very warm indoor slipper. Tradeoff: It’s not the best pick for venturing into winter woods. However, these kicks could be ideal for backcountry skiers looking to carry a warm shoe that takes up prime real estate in a pack.
Tech Specs:
- Sizing: XS to XL (approx. Men’s 7 to Men’s 14)
- Colors: Black, green/black camo, yellow
- Weight: .55 lb each
- Materials: Polyester, ripstop, Primaloft® Gold Insulation, EVA foam, rubber outsole
Pros & Cons:
- Pros: Extremely warm,
- Pros: Water-resistant
- Pros: Most packable in our test
- Cons: Flat footbed
- Cons: Questionable durability of outer fabric
Most Slip-On Shoe That’s a Boot
Teva ReEmber Terrain Mid
Anyone who’s been to a ski resort by the time apres-ski rolls around knows that the Teva reEmber is extremely popular among athletes. So, it made sense to include two styles in our round up of the best men’s athletic slides. That said, the reEmber book isn’t exactly a slide —but it’s easy to pull on and has no laces, so we’re including it.
We found the reEmber boot to be the warmest shoe on this list, but it comes at the expense of being bulkier and less packable. It insulated extremely well, and thanks to a smaller foot hole than the reEmber Moc, it’s harder for hot air to escape, keeping it instead trapped around your foot. It’s also a better pick in slightly deeper snow as it offers taller coverage, hitting just under the ankle bone.
We had a female tester demo this shoe, who wore the women’s-specific version. However, the unisex version has a few additional compelling features, including a grippier (and likely more durable) outsole, and a felt heel panel to make it easier to slide on and off. However, with pull tabs on both the top and back of the ankle, the women’s version was easy to pull on one-handed, so the unisex version is likely similar.
Tech Specs:
- Sizing: Unisex; from Men’s 3/Women’s 5 to Men’s 14/Women’s 16
- Colors: Sage, black, off-white, taupe, olive, black/brown
- Weight: 11 oz each
- Materials: Polyester, felt, foam, ripstop (vegan, mostly recycled materials)
Pros & Cons:
- Pros: Very warm
- Pro: Maximum foot coverage
- Pro: Effective water-resistance
- Con: Not very packable
- Con: Heaviest we tested
Best Indoor Slip-On Shoe
Tom’s Ezra Convertible Slipper
The Ezra Convertible Slipper is probably the least similar to the other men’s athletic slip-ons we tested as it’s intended primarily to be an indoor slipper. It has a rubber outsole, so you can wear it outside — but it’s not exceptionally grippy, and clearly made more for traction on indoor floors.
The Ezra is also not insulated, which could be a selling point for people who don’t need maximum warmth. The fabric is thinner and won’t stretch or pack out as much as an insulated shoe, which some buyers loved and some found a little uncomfortable. It fell on the side of comfort for our male tester, who reported these to be his favorite for indoor wear.
After nearly a year of primarily indoor use, he reported that they haven’t shown much wear, and haven’t gotten very dirty or smelly. However, he did report that the outer fabric collected a lot of fuzz and dog hair, and that the inside faux-shearling lining had flattened a bit. Because of the fleece fabric, the flat outsole, and the lack of waterproofing, he doesn’t advise wearing them for anything more outdoorsy than a neighborhood dog walk.
Of the shoes with convertible heels he tested like the Thermoball or the TundraTrax, the Ezra’s heel was his favorite, saying it stayed in place when up and couldn’t be felt under his heel when worn down.
Tech Specs:
- Sizing: Men’s 7-14
- Colors: Shadow, black, bronze, gray/blue, red plaid, light gray
- Weight: 11 oz each
- Materials: Polyester, felt, foam, ripstop (vegan, mostly recycled materials)
Pros & Cons:
- Pro: Best convertible heel
- Pro: Soft inner/outer fabric
- Pro: Good everyday slipper
- Con: Least suited for outdoor wear
- Con: Collects fuzz/hair
Best of the Rest
The North Face Thermoball Traction Mule
The North Face Men’s Thermoball mule is warm, basic, and beloved. It has exceptionally high ratings across nearly all online purchasing sites, and our tester had not one but two friends tell him how much they loved their own pairs when they saw them on his feet.
For our tester, these fit the best straight out of the box. However, our narrow-footed tester says, “it’s a slightly narrower fit and the band around the heel is tighter than the other convertible ones. It may run a touch small in terms of sizing. It makes it feel secure and cozy but also takes a little more effort to slip into with the heel up.”
He found them quite warm — but not quite as toasty as the Outdoor Research Tundra Trax. He also felt the outer fabric seemed more durable than the Tundra Trax, though the Teva reEmber Moc took the prize for the burliest. We found the footbed to be flat on these shoes, so they may not be ideal for buyers with high arches.
Tech Specs:
- Sizing: Men’s 7-14
- Colors: Camo, black, red, khaki, yellow, Half Dome print, navy, brandy (additional older prints on Amazon)
- Weight: 8 oz each
- Materials: Ripstop outer, recycled polyester insulation, fleece liner, rubber outsole (mostly recycled)
Pros & Cons:
- Pro: Warm, cozy fit
- Pro: Good for indoor and out
- Pro: Grippy outsole good on water/ice
- Con: Reviewers reported difficulty pulling on
- Con: No half sizes
- Con: Minimal arch/foot support
Best brands for athletic slides
It wasn’t that long ago that the Teva Ember Moc was one of the very few mainstream options for outdoor-ready slip-ons targeted to the athletic set. And they were —to put it kindly—unusual. Like the reEmbers of today, they were bulbous, quilted, and distinct. But over time, they became the must-have outdoor item for campers looking to relax by the fire, mountain bikers anxious to kick off their stiff shoes, and skiers ready to put their feet into something warm and comfy for apres-ski.
Other brands took note, and now, nearly every “outdoorsy” major footwear brand makes some version of a slip-on athletic slide. Because they’ve become so popular, the category has expanded, with smaller and more grassroots brands like Kane and Toms creating their own versions.
Because the concept has become so popular, there’s no one “best” brand. There are well-known brands, like Teva, Chacos, The North Face, Merrell, Danner, and Keen — but there are literally too many options to list. Don’t feel like you need to stick to an established, mainstream brand if you see something else that catches your eye.
What to consider when buying men’s athletic slides
The good news is for most men, it’s easy to justify having more than one pair of slip-on shoes in your closet. So you don’t have to perfectly weigh every pro and con before making a purchase; you can narrow it down to two. Or three. Or 10, as the case may be for one of our testers…
But there are a few things to consider before making a purchase, including what you want them for and what kind of conditions you’ll wear them in. Some are better suited to urban wear, while others are designed for walks in the woods. It can’t hurt to pay attention to weight and packability, and it should go without saying that you should try to buy gear with a minimal environmental impact.
Purpose
There are many types of mens slides, and the first thing to figure out is whether you want them for athletic pursuits (like wearing after biking, hiking, camping, or skiing), or whether you’re looking for more of a travel shoe. If it’s the former, look for shoes with features like water-resistant materials, ripstop fabrics (designed not to tear), and grippiness of the outsole — basically, are you likely to slip if you’re walking across mud or snow?
Weather and conditions
Many men’s athletic slides are designed for cold-weather wear, making them popular with skiers and high-elevation campers. Those slides are usually insulated or made with thick, heat-retaining fabrics. But if you live in a warm climate or want a pair more for summer wear, those will be less than ideal. In warm conditions, you’ll want a pair with good airflow that dries quickly and doesn’t cover as much of your foot.
Weight and packability
Planning to hike, backpack, ski, or travel with your shoes? That means weight and packability should be important factors. The reasons for wanting a lightweight shoe are obvious, but don’t sacrifice packability for weight. Shoes are usually one of the biggest items in your suitcase or backpack, so get one that squishes near-flat (like the Tundra Trax or Merrell Hut MOc 2) if you plan to pack them often. If they take up too much space in your bag, you may end up leaving them at home more than you expected.
Sustainability
It’s 2024, we’re all focused on sustainability, and it’s basically irresponsible to purchase a new product without at least considering its environmental and societal impact. Fortunately, outdoor brands tend to be among the most climate-conscious within the apparel industry, and the vast majority of brands on this page practice some level of sustainability. Still, pay attention to factors like whether your athletic slides are made with recycled materials, whether they’re made in factories that support living wages, and whether the brand has any used gear or repair program to keep your shoes from ending up in a landfill.
How we tested
Our tester is a 6-foot, 1-inch athletic guy who wears a men’s size 10 and lives in the mountains. Some shoes he’d worn for years and had truly put through the wringer. Others were new additions that we asked him to test thoroughly in various conditions, including snow, rain, warm weather, mud, paved roads, and dirt trails. He wore them for activities like walking his dog, going to apres-ski, running errands, driving, and wearing them after gym or mountain bike sessions. He also wore them around the house, as many of the men’s athletic slides on this list are made for indoor and outdoor wear.
We also had a female tester test out a few of the pairs marketed as unisex.
What is a slip-on shoe?
The category of mens’ athletic shoes is pretty broad, but for testing purposes, we limited it to shoes with the following criteria:
- Positioned toward outdoor or travel-related endeavors
- Without laces, Velcro, or other adjustments (pull-on shoes only)
- Shoes that still retain a bit of the mocassin/slipper look (so you won’t find any loafers or espadrilles on this list, though we did include a boat shoe for good measure)
Plan Your Next Hike
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