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When it comes to controversial trends, nothing seems quite as divisive as hyper-comfortable footwear. And though the dad sandal is still firmly in our shoe rotation, there’s a new style on the block that definitely has us questioning our own taste. Meet the latest purchase to make your friends wonder how you're really doing in lockdown: the Boston.
Half clog, half house slipper, this latest ‘ugly shoe’ has certainly been making an appearance in many a WFH #OOTD. Perhaps our innate desire to be rugged up and cosy has led to a collective sartorial blindspot, but when celebrities start getting on the bandwagon, it’s hard to deny the emergence of a trend.
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Looking through the archives, you’ll see Whoopi Goldberg rocking them in the ‘90s, Keira Knightley bringing them into the early ‘00s and Sienna Miller, Kanye West and Amanda Seyfried all sporting worn-in pairs throughout the years. But, of course, it’s when Ashley Olsen started getting snapped pairing a black suede pair with her tailored suiting and luxe outerwear that we really began to see these shoes for what they are: a simple solution for complicated times.
These are the shoes you can slip into to go to work in your dining room, instead of just a slightly thicker pair of socks than the ones you wore to bed (or not; socks in bed is another controversial topic). It may sound silly, but there's plenty to attest to the power of a routine or uniform for separating home life from WFH life. For this author, it was wearing some kind of shoe that weren't house slippers.
While their cushioned interior makes them perfect for walking around the house in unbridled comfort, their sturdy soles and coverage also make them très appropriate for grocery shopping, coffee runs and afternoon walks, too. Better yet, they're not the kind of fad lockdown trend that's destined for the dark corners of your closet once we’re out and about again.
Bostons tend to come in strictly neutral tones but the real question is whether to go suede, smooth leather, or shearling!
