As we settle into a work-from-home lifestyle, our routines and norms change to be in sync with the “new normal.” We’ve already addressed the importance of maintaining your image during these #wfh days, but some actionable advice needs to accompany it: what are the best shoes for working from home?
You can click here to jump directly to our list. If you have some time, read and enjoy.
House Shoes & Image
Image – how you appear, behave, and communicate- is regional. What’s considered appropriate in New York or Philadelphia may very well not fly in, say, Lagos or Abu Dhabi. Shoe etiquette is no different and has various practices all over the world.
Let’s start with a look at Western culture for what constitutes good behavior around shoes. Long ago, the West accepted the “Prince Albert” slipper into the menswear canon. Anything but casual, these were made to wear with smoking jackets and formal trousers. It was and still is common to monogram your initials into them.
By and large, modern Americans put their shoes on in the morning and don’t take them off until they get home. Rules about removing shoes are generally limited to individual homes, with heads of households deciding whether or not to permit shoe-wearing indoors.
In Japan, on the other hand, the society-wide expectation is that you remove your shoes before entering a home. Many public spaces have cubbies for your shoes, and/or a box of guest slippers. Intentionally bucking the tradition of removing your shoes would tarnish your image significantly.
Wearing Shoes in the Home
The presence of tatami floors (which are notoriously difficult to clean) is a big part of Japan’s shoe culture, but the most significant part of the reasoning is simple cleanliness.
Japan can be quite humid. This made for lots of mud in the days of dirt roads, so the tradition of removing shoes before entering a home was born as a preventative measure. Cleanliness is of the utmost importance in a culture where sitting on the floor for meals is still a common occurrence.
As we approach warmer weather during the coronavirus quarantine, it behooves us to consider indoor footwear that’s comfortable, easy to slip on and off, and enough of a “shoe” so you don’t feel like you’re in pajamas. From an image perspective, you’ll likely find that having shoes on feels more “dressed,” and you’ll perform at a more “dressed” level. From a wardrobe perspective, it protects your normal shoe rotation from unnecessary wear and tear, which extends its life.
It’s also an excuse to buy a new pair of shoes. A little retail therapy goes a long way in the days of COVID-19.
In short, we need house shoes. Not a slipper lined with cashmere or shearling – it’s getting too warm for that – but just a simple, comfortable, minimally structured moccasin.
Great WFH Shoes For Guys
First things first: The Rake has a great selection of luxury slippers, many from renowned brand Stubbs & Wooten. If you’d like a hint of upper-class luxury on your feet while you take Zoom meetings, take a look.
We also found four picks – some upmarket, some down – that will work beautifully with just about any #wfh outfit you can find. Note that none of these are affiliate links – we simply found some things we liked and shared them.
- Bottega Venetta: If you’re into luxury, you can’t beat this. Woven leather products require time and expertise to craft.
- Loro Piana: Reminiscent of a tuxedo slipper seen in the Rake link above, but with a more casual sole.
- LB Evans: A classic pajama slipper that could easily be worn with jeans.
- Minnetonka: Totally unstructured & soft. Great for hardwood floors and increased cushiness on carpet.
Conclusion
Working from home looks like it’s going to be more widely accepted than it was in the pre-pandemic world. You might as well wear shoes that are built just as well for work as they are for home.
