My Hunt for House Shoes That Give Me Lift
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Comment
Most spaces I enter are designed for a human of median height, and at five-foot-one, that often works out in my favor. I’ve never met anairplane seat I couldn’t sleep in, a couch too small to be a bed. Things get tricky where vertical storage comes into play — in a grocery store, library, or, crucially, the kitchen in my rental apartment, where the upper cabinets would be comfortable for an NBA player. I can reach the bottom shelf without straining; the second shelf is a gamble. I have a stepladder (a belovedHasegawa two-stepper), which would be fine as an occasional aid, but I am fishing things off the higher shelf many times a day. A person can use a ladder to reach a cereal bowl only so many times before they ask,What else can be done?
I’ve always loved ashoe with lift, and one day it came to me: What if my house shoesweremy stepladder? I’d been padding around the house in flat, hairy babouches, but the existence of platform Crocs flashed into my mind like a thunderbolt. I thought about the scale of theBalenciaga Croc chopinesfrom 2018; even a couple inches would make a difference in the amount of strain it took to reach the higher shelf.
To test my hypothesis, I called in seven pairs of chubby-soled shoes and cleared off the hard-to-reach shelf to turn it into my testing zone. Then, wearing each pair, I reached as far as I could and marked the spot with a color-coded sticker. (I made two measurements: one with heels on the ground, the second while stretching and lifting my heels as far as was comfortable.)
My top picks
The ones that didn’t cut it
New! You can now save this product for later.
I have nothing but respect for Oofos, a favoriteamong the Strategist staffmemorably described as“fugly at worst and orthopedic at best” that everyone nevertheless recommends because they’re so comfortable. My feet sunk into their foamy, spongy texture, which felt lovely but provided the least lift of all the shoes I tried. They were also the only shoe where I actuallylostinches on trying to stretch onto tiptoe compared to bare feet.
The contenders
New! You can now save this product for later.
These mini-UGGs are insanely comfortable and the most stylish pair of shoes I tried; I love styling them in a kitschy Bush-era way with jeans and a tight T-shirt. (They’re the only pair tested in this article that I’ve worn outside the house.) A couple things kept them out of the top slot: They were in the middle of the pack in my reach test, and the ultraflat platform walks a bit awkwardly.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Crocs Women’s Classic Platform Clog
These platform Crocs were noticeably firmer than the Oofos; I found them less comfortable, but these are my first pair of name-brand Crocs, so I might be missing a break-in period. They ranked in the middle of the pack on my reach test with good tiptoe ability. (Crocs used to make an even taller platform clog, the “Bae,” whichappears to be discontinued.) Solid, but inthe words of Abby Lee Miller,didn’t stick out to me.
New! You can now save this product for later.
I have a soft spot in my heart for Danskos, which I wore as a house shoe when I lived in one of the world’s grimiest co-ops. (I bought mineon eBay,where they are cheap and bountiful.) I tested the Platform Pro, which is chunkier and more cushioned than the brand’siconic Professional clog. They performed well in a number of categories — in the reach test, they were among the top tier for lift, and the contoured insole feels the best on mychronically achybody.
The one thing keeping them out of the top spot: They’re heavy, and I live on the top floor of an apartment building. I wondered if the Platform Pro might be lighter than the Professionals I’d worn before, but they have that familiar Dansko clomp. Wearing these as a house shoe is a declaration of war on your downstairs neighbor. If I didn’t have to worry about noise (or wanted war), these would be my pick.
New! You can now save this product for later.
These studded Crocs were a surprise hit. They were among the highest-scoring shoes in the reach test both with flat feet and on tiptoe, and they look surprisingly chic for Crocs: I like the silver studs and a small zigzag welt that reminds me of brogue detailing. I didn’t find them as comfortable as the Danskos or Oofos, though — there’s very little arch support, and my feet felt like they were sliding around inside.
The winners
New! You can now save this product for later.
The reach test had a clear winner: these Melissa flip-flops. They increased my standing reach by a full two inches, gave me the most reach on tiptoe,andhad the highest difference between both numbers, meaning that I was getting the most extra distance out of them when stretching onto my toes. The footbed is as springy as an al dente noodle, and they are kind of goofy but fun to wear. One caveat: I found the flip-flop thong fit a bit loosely on my foot. If I were to do it again, I might go with aclogor atwo-strap slide.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Ugg Tazzelle
If the Melissa flip-flops best met the prompt, the UGG Tazzelles were the best all-rounder. They scored surprisingly high on the reach test, just a hair behind the Crocs Dylans and the Danskos. Of all the high scorers, they’re unambiguously the comfiest, with a squishy, fluffy sheepskin lining. They’re also easier to maneuver around the house than the UGG Minis, which have a flat platform sole as compared to the Tazzelle’s angled footbed. The mule silhouette also makes it easier to kick them on and off.
More house shoes we like
More From The Strategist
- 63 Things You Should Never Buy Full Price
- Hark, the Advent Calendars Arrived (Very) Early This Year
- The Strategist Fall 100
- The Best Things Strategist Editors Have Bought This Year (So Far)
The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
