For those that are sick of wearing uncomfortable dress shoes in the office for eight hours a day, a new Chicago startup is raising money to create what they call the Office Slipper.
Office Slippers, founded by Mike McLaughlin, is a gender-neutral Chelsea boot look-a-like that blends into most office dress codes, but is still comfortable like a slipper. On the outside, the boots are suede and have a rubber sole. And on the inside, they have a plush lining with a memory foam sole. They come in three colors: brown, navy and black.
“It feels like a slipper,” McLaughlin said. “It’s warm. It’s durable.”
Though the shoes appear like everyday boots, McLaughlin said they are not designed to be worn outside. His advice is to keep them at the office and change into them upon arrival.
McLaughlin launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $20,000 for the shoes on March 12. As of Friday morning, the Kickstarter campaign had raised more than $2,500. If the campaign hits its goal, shipments of the shoes are expected to begin in August.
McLaughlin, who currently leads the e-commerce team at Chicago-based marketing firm InnerWorkings, got the idea to make an office-appropriate slipper back in 2017 when he brought his own pair of actual slippers to the office. Immediately, his company’s human resources department told him he couldn’t wear them in the office because they weren’t “work appropriate.”
“Even though I thought they kind of blended in, I had to take them off,” McLaughlin said. “I’ve been in the workforce for eight years and adjusting to it has been kind of difficult for me. It’s cool having a real-world job, but the fashion just doesn’t click for me.”
After the slipper incident, he began prototyping Office Slippers. Now, he wears them regularly.
“I’ve been wearing them for a long time now,” McLaughlin said. “I know it’s a great idea.”
Once the Kickstarter is over, McLaughlin said the shoes will retail for $70 on the startup’s website through Shopify.
Office Slippers isn’t the only local upstart that’s tried to sell comfy attire that doesn’t make you look like a slob. Public Rec made men’s sweatpants that are both comfortable and stylish. The product’s Kickstarter campaign raised nearly $180,000.
