Subu Women's Slippers

Subu has been making winter sandals in Tokyo since the mid-2010s, which sounds like a contradiction until you've worn a pair. The slippers have a padded, Teflon-coated upper on a four-layer EVA sole, so they're warm enough for the house and sturdy enough to walk to the shop in. We've got the Vamp Platform, which adds height, and the lower Dots Vamp. There's more in footwear and sale.

What Subu Slippers Are For

Japanese homes are shoes-off homes, and Subu built its first sandal for the gap that leaves in winter: something you can wear barefoot indoors and still step outside in. That's how these work. The upper is quilted and padded with a Teflon coating that sheds water, the lining has a raised, bristled finish that holds warmth, and underneath is a four-layer EVA sole with enough grip for a wet path. They're not a boot and they're not for a long walk, but for the bins, the school run, the dog and a cold kitchen floor they're the shoes you'll reach for all winter.

Vamp Platform or Dots Vamp

The Vamp Platform sits on a chunky raised sole, so it adds a bit of height and keeps your feet further off a wet pavement. The Dots Vamp is the lower one, with a softer, fleecier finish. If you want a pair mainly for indoors, the lower one is easier to live with. If they're going outside regularly, the platform is the one we'd take. Neither is subtle, which is rather the point: these are slippers people notice and ask about.

Subu Sizing and Care

Subu sizes cover a range rather than a single UK size: EU 37/38 is roughly a UK 4.5 to 5.5, EU 39/40 a UK 6 to 7, and EU 41/42 a UK 7.5 to 8.5. So if you're at the top of a band you'll have a little room, and at the bottom they'll feel generous, which is no bad thing with a thick sock. They repel water rather than keep it out, so drizzle and slush are fine and standing in a puddle isn't. Wash by hand in lukewarm water, brush off dry dirt, and let them dry away from a radiator and out of direct sun. The EVA sole rules out the washing machine and the tumble dryer.

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