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I don’t know about you, but for me, slippers are all-but-essential for me, for most of the year. I just always managed to have cold feet. It used to always be moccasin-style ones, but I’d either wear them out, or they’d get a bit odorous. The longest-lasting pair I’ve had now are (don’t laugh) lined crocs, but these new HiLounge slippers look pretty interesting.
First off, a slipper needs to be comfortable, and keep your feet warm. On the warmth front, they’ve got a merino wool blend lining the slippers, which is set into a felted upper. So, seems like reasonable levels of warmth, and between the wool and the felt, you should have a decent level of breathability here (key for comfort, and keeping odors away). Interestingly, they’ve also made the felt portion a two-piece construction, so you’ve got some give and flexibility.
Secondly, on the comfort front, the HiLounge has a “crushable” heel portion. This is a stretchy neoprene section that you can either have up (so it holds the slipper on your foot) or crush it down, which will make it a lot easier to slip your feet into them (say, getting out of bed) or kicking them off when you want to. Having that ease of use – or keeping it solidly on your foot – sounds like a great idea to me.
Finally, they’ve actually put a sole onto the HiLounge. This is a thinner layer of TPU, but with it, it means you can make a quick run down the driveway or across the back patio, and not worry about your foot getting soaked. Or, if you want (not that I would, necessarily) you could wear them out on an errand. Oh! They also mention their insole, which uses merino wool as well (for comfort and moisture-wicking) – I’m hoping those are replaceable so you can freshen them up over time.
The HiLounge will come in two colors (light grey or black) with multiple sole colors (yellow, ivory, or black) that you can customize the combination to what you’d like. The HiLounge slipper is the first campaign from Qaimew, so that might give you some pause. As it stands, the campaign is about 1/3rd funded, with earlybird pricing starting at $49 for a pair of the slippers. Which, if the construction is done right, these could be long-lasting and worth the price point. If you’re interested, you can check out the campaign, which wraps up on June 30, with delivery anticipated for October 2020. campaign page
