Slippies

Just daily use, working a hybrid office job, walking the dog, doing groceries, going out at night, etc.

The leather starts off dark brown but the red-purple undertones come out in some of the higher friction areas. The grain is excellent, very tight and forms nice rolls too. I like the unstructured nature of the shoe as it allows the leather to shape itself naturally. I conditioned these twice and brushed when scuffed or dirty. The oils in the leather are such that brushing is sufficient for most scuffs.

I am a size 12.5 B/C on the brannock. I went with size 11.5, whereas normally I select viberg 12 (avoiding some of the wider lasts) Fit was very comfortable from the start owing to the flexible sole and unstructured upper. I did get some mild heel slip, but it’s not noticeable unless I pay attention and I chalk this up to the unstructured back not having a heel cup to “grab” my foot versus a sizing issue.

The design is simple but timeless; not many slipper designs strike the balance of looking casual, understated, simple, but also smart enough to dress up, while also being this well made. I like the combination of a dark brown upper with a dark coloured welt - similar designs had a natural welt which wasn’t what I was looking for, personally. GYW construction with very tight stitching at the welt makes for a “dressier” design than it would with wider SPI. I like it, but it remains to be seen if this will be an issue when the soles need replacing. I didn’t put as much wear in them as some of my past entries but I can tell a resole will be needed sooner than Dainite or such would just because the crepe is less rigid, which it makes up for in comfort and flexibility. Finishing is spot on, these were purchased at a sample sale but I found 0 defects on construction. The clicking was masterfully done as the grain break is beautiful and there are some very pleasing rolls that developed with use. Other leathers might have not shown use this gracefully.

The viberg slipper has a very low heel for a welted shoe - the flattest I’ve seen personally short of not having a heel at all like some of FEIT’s offerings. The crepe material is not terribly durable as working a hybrid job I had a deeper tread wear than some previous entries where I did lots of walking. That said none of this is structural or concerning, and perfectly fine for a shoe meant for leisurely wear. Traction is usually great except on wet surfaces. Comfort is as close to a sneaker as you could get with welted leather shoes, in my experience so far.