Note: this item was provided for review.
A few months ago we moved into a new house, which meant two big changes for us. Both basic: our garbage bins are outside, and we have a detached shed/storage building that houses an auxiliary fridge and freezer. This means we have to go out to these a few times (or more) each day, and since we are a no-shoes-inside house, it’s a lot of on and off with shoes to go outside.
Enter these Kyrgies Outdoor Wool Slides, which are effectively the same wool slides I’ve reviewed before, with an added rubber sole.
These are awesome, so much more so than I thought they would be.
Materials
These are pretty simple, handmade in Kyrgyzstan. They are wool (chemical-free) and sustainably sourced rubber. Simple, done.
As with the others I have had, they are well made and cozy.
In Use
Here’s what Kyrgies says about these:
Featuring a durable, natural crepe rubber sole, our Outdoor Slides are built for light outdoor wear while keeping all the comfort of our classic wool felt.
I have to confess: I didn’t read that until just now, as I was writing this. And the thing is, I wore them all over the backyard in what might be classified as a little more than “light outdoor wear”.
You see, one of the things I’ve been doing is a bunch of work on the house, which means the work is being done inside, but you know, the messy bits are outside. Cutting up trim and studs on a miter saw, ripping down base on a track saw, washing out paint brushes, washing off drywall tools — that’s all outside stuff.
I am also a little lazy, so while I had shoes right there, these Kyrgies are just so much easier to slip on, you know? So I did all of the above in the Kyrgies. And then the family found out that these are for wearing outside, and suddenly every run to get something out of the freezer, or to take out the garbage, became the duty of the Kyrgies — for all four of us.
And it’s rare in this house that things I think are really great warrant a comment from others, but everyone who slipped these on commented, “oh these are nice”.
And the thing is: these are nice.
The wool felt is soft, and immediately comfortable. They are fast and easy to slip on your foot as you walk out the door. The rubber sole offers very good grip even on wet stone.
The only downside I’ve found is that sometimes I forget these are my outside slippers, and neglect to take them off when I come inside. The upside is that I’m literally wearing my favorite slippers outside.
They are perfect for a quick run to the mailbox, tossing trash in a garbage bin, maybe even walking a dog — though my cat declined that testing. They did do a great job while I cut miters on trim, sanded wood, and washed off drywall taping knives.
Those little white specks you see — that’s either some paint or drywall mud splashing on them. They got wet a couple of times, but as wool will be wool, they never felt cold or uncomfortable, and they dried quite quickly.
Overall
This is one of those items where everyone in the house is glad we have them. They will be an instant re-buy from me when/if they wear out and need replacing. They aren’t as supportive as a full shoe would be, nor would I want them to be — they are perfect when you need to quickly dash out.
I am debating getting a second pair so I can keep one pair at the front door, and one at the back.