Time was, the best slides for men were whatever pair you had—so long as you didn’t wear them in public. But in the span of just a few seasons, the lightweight, open-toed sandal has evolved from the lazy footwear of college frat boys and weekend warriors to an everyday classic.

While getting dressed has never been more casual (or freaky, for that matter), slides are simply just meeting the moment. It also doesn’t hurt that the genre has landed in the crosshairs of many a designer label, all of which have developed a big soft spot for the slip-on, slip-off lifestyle (see also: mules)

To help you find your next pair of cushioned goodness, we tested a wide spectrum of men’s sandals: leather ones, poolside ones, suede ones, fancy ones, spartan ones, and ones made for the trail. Our verdict? The best slides are supportive, grippy, and durable. At their very best? They’re versatile enough to cap off your casual (and casual-ish) fits with a pinch of IDGAF attitude.

The Best Men’s Slide Sandals, According to GQ

• The Best Slides Overall: Birkenstock Kyoto Slide, $155
• The Best Budget Slides: Adidas Adilette Aqua Slides $28 $25
• The Best Recovery Slides: Oofos Ooahh Slide Sandals, $60
• The Best Upgrade Slides: Todd Snyder Nomad Suede Slide, $268 $199
• The Best Designer Slides: Bottega Veneta Band Slides, $520
• The Best Slides for the Outdoors: Teva Hurricane Verge Slides, $70 $55

Take Me To: More Slides We Love | What to Look for in Slides | How We Tested

Best Slides Overall: Birkenstock Kyoto Slide

Birkenstock knows quality comfortable footwear like Planters knows nuts, so it’s no surprise that the iconic German brand makes our favorite version of a style predicated almost entirely upon comfort. The brand’s Kyoto Slide is essentially a simplified and reinforced iteration of the Zurich model, with one updated detail that stands out above the rest: the adjustable velcro strap, which comes in incredibly clutch for a custom fit. “It’s not surprising to me that the brand that literally invented the footbed makes an incredibly comfortable slide,” style commerce writer Gerald Ortiz says.

The sandal is currently available in dozens of colors and seasonal styles. It also has Birkenstock’s classic suede-lined cork footbed and a hardy rubber outsole. Run ‘em with or without socks, with shorts or pants, as your corner-store steppers or something a little more formal. They can handle pretty much anything.

For more, check out our guide on the best Birkenstocks.

Best Budget Slides: Adidas Adilette Slides

For less than the price of an exceptionally affordable DoorDash order, you can own perhaps the most iconic, historically significant slide in the entire canon. Introduced in 1972, the Adidas Adilette hasn’t changed much since then—there’s still a quick-drying upper, suction pads on the sole to prevent slipping on wet surfaces, a contoured footbed, and that unmistakable three stripes design. “They’re the perfect slide for lazy days and poolside hangs,” Ortiz says, “they’re comfy, lightweight, and, crucially, waterproof.”

It’s worth noting that while we recommend the Aquas, there’s also the Adilette Comfort slides, which aren’t waterproof but have a softer foam cushioned footbed. However, the Aquas don’t lack in comfort thanks to a nice update: The strap now has a little jelly in it, for added comfort and improved security. All killer, a little filler.

Best Recovery Slides: Oofos Ooahh Slide Sandals

When it comes to recovery sandals, we think you can do no better than the Oofos Ooahh slides. They’re a longtime favorite here at GQ thanks to the brand’s patented EVA footbed that absorbs 37% more shock than your garden-variety EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate, which is what most plush slides are made from). The curvature of the sole and footbed also creates something of a natural cradle, which lightens the load on your feet.

Out of all the slides we tested for this guide, the Ooahh slides offered the most arch support while being incredibly cushioned and stable. “They feel like wearing a foot massage,” Ortiz says. Simply put, they’re lighter, softer and more ergonomic than any other slide we slide into, and they’ll make your feet feel great even after the hardest of sweat sessions.

Best Upgrade Slides: Todd Snyder Nomad Suede Slide

If you didn’t think slides could clean up, may we introduce you to the Nomad Slides. The product of approachable menswear patron saint Todd Snyder, the Nomads feature a super-textured suede strap that flows right into a suede-wrapped molded foam footbed, and all of that sits atop a long-lasting EVA outsole. When taken together, what you get is a gorgeous sandal that will look just as distinguished at the beach with some shorts as it will at dinner with some flowy slacks.

Surprisingly, it’s not that easy to find a simple, elegant, high-quality slide that isn’t exceedingly spendy. “We searched for hours and couldn’t find one that satisfied what we were looking for, except for Todd Snyder,” Ortiz says, adding that ”the suede is luxurious, the silhouette is refined, and the construction is fantastic.”

Best Designer Slides: Bottega Veneta Band Slides

Bottega Venetta

Band Slides

$520

SSENSE

Pros & Cons

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Pros

• Two straps
• Ultra-lightweight
• Waterproof

Cons

• Straps are fixed
• High price point

We’ll level with you: Designer slides have the potential to be a pretty cynical offering, especially when most designers go for the single-strap look with their logo across it. On the other hand, Bottega’s Band Slides transform the concept of molded rubber footwear entirely, using “humble slide” as a baseline and iterating from there. The result is a one-piece, two-strap design that looks like a futuristic take on something from ancient times, complete with odd little cutouts and a treaded sole for needed grip.

Best Slides for the Outdoors: Teva Hurricane Verge Slides

Teva

Hurricane Verge Slide Sandal

$70

Amazon

Pros & Cons

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Pros

• Straps lock in the foot
• Super grippy and stable
• Quick-drying upper

Cons

• Open toes aren’t the best for hiking
• Rugged look may not appeal to all

Adventure slides exist? Better believe it. And Teva’s are, unsurprisingly, our favorite of the bunch. Equipped with an adjustable strap system and a quick-drying upper to lock your foot in during more strenuous activity, these also have an off-road approved outsole with a shank running through it for stability purposes. Are there better shoes for the tough stuff? Of course, an entire category is built upon the pursuit. But if you’re looking for one that’s easy to get in and out of, impossibly lightweight and completely unafraid of water, these are world-class. Will they cruise a Class 3 scramble? We wouldn’t advise trying, but if you’re on a trail, they’re plenty of shoe.

Hoka

Ora Recovery 3 Slides

$60

REI

$60

Hoka

Hoka made a name for itself by crafting some of the cushiest running shoes anyone had ever seen, and when that expertise is applied to slides… sheesh. Springy, soft, supportive and ergonomic in design, they’re not so much shoes as they are little vacations for overworked trotters. If you’re trying to treat your feet, these are a five-star experience.

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Nike

Victori One Slides

$35

Nike

Pre- and post-workout slides aren’t supposed to be fancy, but they are supposed to be comfortable and easy to slip on and off. That’s just what these are. With a little practice, we’d wager you could probably do either action without even breaking stride.

King Kennedy Rugs

Rug Slides

$395

Todd Snyder

King Kennedy bursted onto the scene with some of the coolest Boston-adjacent mules we’d ever seen, outfitted with beautiful leather insoles and defined by the insane vintage rugs that were reappropriated as one-of-one uppers. Turns out they make slides too, and they’re a) just as good—with the same leather insole and insane rug application—and b) about half the price.

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Marni

Trompe L’oeil Slides

$595 $357

Marni

We’re in the midst of a fashion moment for Trompe L’oeil—the practice of rendering extremely realistic, 3D-presenting graphics on 2D surfaces—and we’re pleased to report that slides haven’t just entered the chat, but are currently warping reality with the best of them. These ones from Marni, for instance, have a rubber sole and padded fabric strap, despite looking as refined as anything made of leather.

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Danner

Shelter Cove Slides

$75

Amazon

Danner doesn’t compromise on any of their high-quality, long-lasting, hard-wearing footwear, something proven by their rubber slide—perhaps the easiest thing to let standards slip on, if they were so inclined. . Made from a super comfortable, featherweight EVA rubber, the two-strap design locks in the foot well, and the outsole has more grip than most adventure models, which means that these are the perfect second pair of shoes for nearly any outdoor adventure.

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Suicoke

LETA-ab Slide Sandals

$280 $84

SSENSE

For the unfamiliar, Suicoke has turned the slide into an artform, and the LETA-ab’s are a masterpiece. The chunky sole is crazy comfortable once you’ve broken it in, the strap is showy and functional, and the Atop® twist-lock closure system gets you a custom fit with just one twist of the disc.

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While slides are a pretty pared-down concept, there are still some things to consider when zoning in on a pair. Here’s what we think about when we’re scouting for ours:

Intended use. We tend to start here. While plenty of slides are adept in multiple disciplines, if you have a use-case in mind—the gym, summer hikes, or the beach, for example—lead with that. Most slides are, indeed, relatively similar, but that doesn’t mean that all of them will deliver the same ride or handle the same elements or work with every outfit.

Materials. If you’re looking for something you can wear in or near water (or after the gym or sauna), you’ll want to prioritize rubber, nylon and other materials that don’t degrade or get waterlogged or crack when exposed to consistent moisture. If you’re trying to find something that wouldn’t feel out of place at dinner, leather, suede, cork and other materials that are found on more traditional footwear will play far better than rubber ones.

Construction. When it comes to molded rubber footwear, there’s only so much variance possible between models, but that doesn’t mean that the addition of a strap, the width of straps or the way those straps are attached are afterthoughts. And if they’re not molded, then all the same rules that apply to regular footwear apply to slides—how are the soles affixed to the upper, is it stitched or glued, etc.

To kick off the process, we leaned on our team’s collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of slides from household names, indie favorites, and artisanal imprints of the genre. We narrowed down the selection to 15 slides and personally tried them on a variety of settings and (literal) testing grounds, wearing them to the beach, around the neighborhood, and after workouts.

As tends to be the case, our testers owned some of the slides on this list already and a few were completely new to us. Ater thousands of steps, we recorded our observations on material, fit, and performance, and rejiggered our selections accordingly. Based on those evaluations, we ran the numbers, collated the anecdotal evidence, and emerged with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best slides for men right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the super affordable to the (very) expensive.