Wondering whether it makes sense to get yourself a pair of comfortable house slippers? Let me spare you the pain of doing all the homework yourself and tell you: YES! You absolutely should consider getting a pair, not just for aesthetics, but for your health too!

Barefoot walking leads to foot pain and cold toes, and wearing socks can be slippery. You could wear “outside” shoes indoors, but that will only bring in dirt, and let’s face it, they’re a potential germ vector and mean more vacuuming.

Considering all this, it might be time to embrace the “house shoe.” They’re the perfect balance of comfort, style, and utility. But did you know, they come with health benefits too? Here are some of the biggest wins when you switch to house shoes:

Did you know that your feet are an important part of your body for warding off common illnesses like a cold or the flu? When your feet are cold, the blood vessels in your nose actually get narrower by reflex to prevent your body from losing precious warmth. When this happens, the skin on the inside of your nose gets more pale because of the reduction in blood flow. This decrease in blood flow is not good news.

The white blood cells that fight off infection end up being scarce, and the odds of getting an infection might be higher. Also, the little hairs present in your nasal passages known as cilia also becomes more still, which means it’s another line of defense that is compromised.

When you wear slippers, your feet are kept warm and heat loss is reduced, which helps to keep blood flowing to the nose as it normally would and allows your body’s defenses to fight off diseases and illnesses more successfully.

Have you been to a fancy spa where the moment you’re all signed up and ready, they hand you a pair of slippers to wear around the premises? One big reason for this is because wearing slippers helps protect your feet from communicable foot diseases, such as athlete’s foot and toenail fungus infections (ick, I know!)

Even when you’re just wearing them around the house, the ground can have more germs on it than you might think. The shoes you wear outside carry in the dirt, bacteria, and fungal spores from the street. It doesn’t take being a clean freak, the fact is that slippers help keep your feet MUCH more protected from bacterial or fungal infections.

As age catches up (even for those of us in denial!) we may find our ankles or feet getting swollen. What many people don’t know is that wearing supportive slippers can help to encourage blood flow to your feet, which is great news for those puffy ankles! Wearing supportive house shoes helps your feet to move and function in an environment that promotes healthy function. If you’re sick of having swollen feet, investing in a pair of supportive house shoes can be a major game-changer.

Make sure you choose a pair of house slippers with arch support built-in as that will help keep your feet comfortable, alleviate strain on parts of your foot that may be absorbing more impact, and improve your balance. An unsupported arch ends up being painful and uncomfortable and can lead to pain and discomfort.

This is especially important if you’re dealing with an existing foot condition, such as plantar fasciitis or prolapsed arches. House shoes with a solid sole and arch support will help hug your natural footprint and keep you stable and balanced with every step you take.

Slip on house shoes are an easy, perhaps essential addition to your wardrobe and have many benefits, from reducing germ exposure to helping you keep your feet pain-free. Make sure you do a little research on what kind of house shoes you think are best for you. 

Dooeys are shoes for home provide the coziness of a slipper with all-day comfort thanks to their arch support and sneaker-like soles. Every pair of Dooeys are made from premium, sustainable materials -- our vegan apple leather is sourced from organic, post-processed apple skins and cores used in the juice industry. Instead of the traditional sole, we use sugarcane EVA that has the same softness and flexibility as foam used in sneakers with a much lower carbon footprint. Our shoes come with a high-quality lining made of recycled polyester and plastic bottles in an efficient, zero-waste system.