JB: I agree, though I’m still a Birkenstock loyalist. Some of the women we talked to recommended Birkenstocks, but I also think there’s a post-Birkenstock movement of wanting the comfort of a Birkenstock but with a little bit more style - something you could wear to dinner and look slightly dressed up in. HR: And shoes that can still look nice, too. But it’s like you said, people are really looking for the kind of footwear that you can wear in that one-mile radius and still be comfortable. They were like, “This isn’t a slide, really, but you do slide your foot in.” Which, fair. But a couple of the guys I spoke to also pushed clogs. When I think of slides, I think of those Adidas sandals with all the nubs in the sole or the Birkenstock Arizona. One thing that surprised me was how vast the definition of slides is to some people. A lot of the slides recommended by the stylish people we spoke to really fit that concept. Something you mentioned when we first talked about this, and that a trend forecaster I spoke to for a story last year mentioned, is this idea of “one mile wear,” which is a Japanese concept for clothing and shoes that you’d wear within a mile of your house, but still look presentable.

It’s like, I go downstairs to check the mail four times a day, and the last thing I want to do is lace up shoes. And I’m curious what made you think about slides. I found myself wondering about the best versions - and the most stylish, too. I think the most important function of a slide is whether or not they’re comfortable enough to wear inside but also rugged enough to take a stroll to the bodega or around the block. Jordan Bowman: Slides hold a special place in my heart and right now, everyone wants something you can wear just to go across the street. Why do you think they’re relevant for this moment? Hilary Reid: We both wanted to write about slides, so clearly slides are on the brain right now. But first, we had a few things to discuss. To figure out why, we reached out to a panel of stylish people to find out their favorites. That’s what happened with slides - shoes that you slip your foot in and out of, without having to lace or buckle anything - which felt particularly right for this especially local moment. Sometimes we notice them at the same time.

As Strategist writers, we’re always noticing trends.

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