There’s no more luxurious travel moment than kicking off your shoes after a long day of sightseeing and slipping those throbbing feet into a pair of lush hotel slippers. With your feet propped up on the bed, fuzzy lining soothes your soles—and your soul. But the harsh reality comes rushing in once you stand up. A few trips around the hotel room, and you realize, they’re nothing more than glorified feet warmers.
While our step counts in travel slippers may pale in comparison to our walking shoes, we also wear them at a time of recovery when our feet need them most—and for many of us, that means it’s just as essential to find slippers with the same arch support as in everyday shoes.
For years, I didn’t want to waste room in my suitcase on something I’d use so little, so I wore an old pair of Havaianas—that were also my beach flip-flops—as hotel slippers. But since I have no natural arch and started to suffer posterior tibial tendonitis, doctors told me that I shouldn’t take a single step without proper arch support. So I started wearing Birkenstock Arizona sandals at home, and as bulky as they are, they also began to accompany me on trips.
Ensuring that no step goes unsupported has paid off. On a recent trip to California where I only wore Hoka Clifton 9 shoes by day and those Birks in the hotel room—and on a few casual walks around the hotel in Palm Springs—I realized on my return flight that I had absolutely zero foot pain for the first time in nearly three years.
What are arch-support slippers?
While it’s tempting to judge slippers by their coziness, in many ways, the simplest flat ones—like the hotel-provided ones on a thin layer of foam—are as detrimental as flip-flops to your feet.
“Arch-support slippers are a specific type of slipper that has an increased arch to help maintain neutral alignment of the foot,” podiatrist Dr. Sara Mateen of Hackensack University Medical Center says.
“I would recommend travelers to shop around and try on different types of slippers to see which ones feel best,” she says. “Not all shoes are alike so I would see what feels good to each individual.” If you’re looking for a place to start, she says Oofos, Vionic, and Orthofeet offer consistent support.
Do I need arch-support slippers?
In general, Mateen says, it’s those with flat feet who benefit the most from arch support. “This is because excessive flattening can lead to chronic foot conditions such as heel pain, arch pain, and even lead to hip and knee pain,” she says. Those with a more standard arch or high arches “may not find the arch slippers as comfortable.”
