All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
There's no more luxurious travel moment than kicking off your shoes after a long day of sightseeing and slipping those throbbing feet into a pair of lush hotel slippers. With your feet propped up on the bed, fuzzy lining soothes your soles—and your soul. But the harsh reality comes rushing in once you stand up. A few trips around the hotel room, and you realize, they’re nothing more than glorified feet warmers.
While our step counts in travel slippers may pale in comparison to our walking shoes, we also wear them at a time of recovery when our feet need them most—and for many of us, that means it’s just as essential to find slippers with the same arch support as in everyday shoes.
For years, I didn’t want to waste room in my suitcase on something I’d use so little, so I wore an old pair of Havaianas—that were also my beach flip-flops—as hotel slippers. But since I have no natural arch and started to suffer posterior tibial tendonitis, doctors told me that I shouldn’t take a single step without proper arch support. So I started wearing Birkenstock Arizona sandals at home, and as bulky as they are, they also began to accompany me on trips.
Ensuring that no step goes unsupported has paid off. On a recent trip to California where I only wore Hoka Clifton 9 shoes by day and those Birks in the hotel room—and on a few casual walks around the hotel in Palm Springs—I realized on my return flight that I had absolutely zero foot pain for the first time in nearly three years.
What are arch-support slippers?
While it’s tempting to judge slippers by their coziness, in many ways, the simplest flat ones—like the hotel-provided ones on a thin layer of foam—are as detrimental as flip-flops to your feet.
“Arch-support slippers are a specific type of slipper that has an increased arch to help maintain neutral alignment of the foot,” podiatrist Dr. Sara Mateen of Hackensack University Medical Center says.
“I would recommend travelers to shop around and try on different types of slippers to see which ones feel best,” she says. “Not all shoes are alike so I would see what feels good to each individual.” If you're looking for a place to start, she says Oofos, Vionic, and Orthofeet offer consistent support.
Do I need arch-support slippers?
In general, Mateen says, it’s those with flat feet who benefit the most from arch support. “This is because excessive flattening can lead to chronic foot conditions such as heel pain, arch pain, and even lead to hip and knee pain,” she says. Those with a more standard arch or high arches “may not find the arch slippers as comfortable.”
If you don’t know what kind of foot type you have, she says that running shoe stores can help with diagnoses. But if there's any pain involved, it’s important to speak to a foot and ankle specialist for medical attention.
Why is arch support important?
When it comes down to it, it’s all about keeping your feet healthy on the go, since arch support “can allow proper alignment of the foot biomechanics, particularly those with a flatfoot and low arch," Mateen says.
Travelers who spend their days in supported shoes often have the instinct to switch into comfortable house slippers indoors, but that can do more damage. “If they do not have support similar to their daytime shoes, this can cause pain of the foot and ankle,” she says. “I tell patients that we should think of orthotics or arch support similarly to reading glasses: Those who need reading glasses will use them regularly and arch support is no different!”
It’s also important to remember that wear and tear applies to arch support too. “I would also recommend changing out your slippers once you feel like they aren’t as supportive as they used to be, just like regular running shoes or everyday wear,” Mateen says.
With all of these factors in mind, we rounded up 19 of the best arch support slippers to keep you supported on your travels.
Open-back slippers
Closed-back slippers
Open-toed slippers
Want more options? Check out our top picks for men's slippers and women's slippers.