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Under normal circumstances, I would never condone wearing shoes in the house—I am a staunch enforcer of a “shoes off at the front door” policy. Not only does it help keep things clean, but I also look forward to the daily routine of sliding out of my work shoes and into slippers (I like to imagine they await my return home just as eagerly). I’ve only ever made one exception to my at-home shoe rule once, and it was during middle school. As a tall teenager, I owned exactly one pair of heels. They were blue 1950s pumps that my neighbor—who also serves as my pretend grandmother, and forever fashion icon—gave me, and they had a giant Union Jack on them. This was in the wake of Ginger Spice’s iconic Union Jack dress so these shoes meant everything to me. I just didn’t feel comfortable wearing them anywhere but at home for fear of towering over my friends. Every night, they would wait for me under my desk and I would wear them to do my homework after school. To this day, I’m sure those shoes still are at my parents’ house, worn-in on top but without a single mark on the sole.
With the unprecedented times we currently find ourselves in, I have been trying to find ways to bring back a little normalcy to my work-from-home routine. I’ve found myself missing putting on a pair of shoes every day—I do work in the accessories department at Vogue, after all. So, I thought back to my cheery shoe choice as a teenager and decided it was time to find a house shoe that wasn’t a slipper (which, trust me, I still plan to wear plenty of during non-working hours). Luckily for me, one of my favorite shoe brands has just introduced a new slip-on mule that is perfect for bridging my house shoe gap. Jack Erwin, which has long made my go-to loafers, is the minimalist shoe lover’s dream brand. Now, it has launched a flat that I would normally snap up to wear out, but is comfortable enough to wear in, too. These soft suede slides are just what I need to feel a little more polished and professional while sitting at the computer. And when things begin to improve, you better believe they will make their debut on the streets of New York. Until then, though, these upgraded slippers will be my work-from-home shoes much the same as my Union Jack pumps once were. Old habits die hard.
