Our 4 Favorite Clogs for Shoulder-Season Travel and Everyday Wear

If there’s one piece of gear I absolutely hate, it’s shoe laces. They’re clumsy, time-consuming, and always come untied at the wrong moments. Shoe laces are the last thing I want to deal with while trying to finish a tempo run, haul in groceries, or traipse through a busy airport with lots of gear—which is why I’m in love with clogs.

I understand that shoe laces are a necessary evil if you want to do anything more than walk. But I will go to my deathbed loving slip-on shoes because they’re so easy and still hold feet adequately for all kinds of low-key adventuring.

During the summer, I live in sandals—Arizonas from Birkenstock for everyday and travel, and the classic Chaco Z/1s for the river, fishing, and basic hikes. When temps drop, I immediately transition to clogs.

Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of clogs for everything from working at home to a 10-hour plane ride. These four favorites are some of the best clogs you can buy.

Birkenstock Lutry

$155 at REI (Men’s)

$155 at Tillys (Women’s)

I, like many of this country’s teenagers, love the look of the Boston or Tokio clogs from Birkenstock. But I prefer the Lutry for everyday use because of the back strap, which flips up and down, a feature that is more useful than you might think. With the strap down, these clogs hold the heel securely and are great for wandering around the streets of a foreign city, walking the dogs, or even a little hike. Flip the back strap up to rest over the instep, and they take on a much more casual and stylish look and slide off and on in seconds, making them some of the best clogs for going through airports, hanging out at your Airbnb, or when you just need to scream out the door to get the kids to school on time.

Crocs Classic Lined Clog

$60 at Crocs

$60 at Dick’s Sporting Goods

Nothing makes me feel cozier on weekend mornings than sliding out of bed and putting my feet directly into these fuzzy-lined rubber clogs. I prefer them over regular slippers because not only do they make great house shoes, but they also have outsoles, allowing them to seamlessly transition to dog walks and trips to the coffee shop. Up at our family cabin, I love them for chopping wood because I can slip into them without socks, go do my work, then come back, kick them off, and walk around the wood-warmed concrete floors barefoot. There’s a stigma attached to Crocs that they’re only for kids and frumpy people because they’re so ugly, but that only makes me love them more. The only downside is that the insulation gets funky after a couple years.

Bedrock Mountain Clog

$175 at REI

$175 at Bedrock

The pandemonium surrounding the theft of a Mountain Clogs shipment has died off, but the clogs continue to occupy a unique and well-loved space among the world’s best clogs. Birkenstock launched an all-terrain clog this year, but it’s still fairly muted compared to Bedrock’s version, which comes with a tough-as-nails nubuck leather upper, sticky and tough Vibram outsole, and webbing that lets you cinch the clogs down for an ultra-tight fit. If I’m traveling and tight on space these clogs will do everything—from longer hikes to meetings with my boss—and they last forever. I’m ten months into my current pair and they still look almost new. I also love that the clogs develop their own unique patina and can be re-soled when the outsole wears thin.

Haflinger Classic Grizzly ($155)

$155 at Amazon

$155 at Zappos

Made from felted wool, the Grizzlys are warm without socks, never stink, and work as house shoes, but also travel well thanks to a supportive cork footbed and rubber sole. The company was founded 50 years ago in Germany, so they scream Euro in the best way possible and pair with everything from your bathrobe to a nice pair of jeans. While Birkenstocks are now a very public fashion statement, I’ve noticed that Haflingers tend to be worn by people who like to fly under the radar but still love the design, the materials, and the history. I actually made a close friend because I pointed out his Haflinger clogs at school pickup, and we got into a long discussion about the value of clogs and wool.