Your Essential Guide To Fall/Winter Bin Shoes

With the change of seasons, I switch up my wardrobe, skincare, haircare and, of course, my bin shoes. This footwear is essential for recycling-bin trips and quick dog walks, but in the colder months, my requirements change. What’s the perfect fall/winter bin shoe? It’s a little warmer, natch, and has additional waterproofing. I also need footwear that’s roomier, to accommodate a thicker sock. And I still want them to look good because there’s no excuse for entry-level Crocs. Happily, there’s plenty of choice these days (has my one-woman campaign for bin-shoe visibility actually been successful?). —Aileen Lalor

If you’re looking for a designer collab, there’s Reebok’s hookup with Japanese brand Mountain Research. The hiking-boot-inspired Beatnik mule has a leather upper and rubberized outsole. There’s also an adjustable strap that goes behind your heel, so your shoe stays on as you attempt the perilous journey betwixt front door and garbage area.

For the ultimate sleeping-bag-for-your-feet experience, try Baffin’s Cabin slipper, which the brand says offers “the stability of a shoe, the comfort of a slipper and the flexibility to be exactly what you need it to be.” Sounds like a bin shoe to us.

The North Face’s ThermoBall Traction V Mules have a serious name, but a very pretty design. They are slip-on, with high traction soles and are said to be “ideal for base camp, après ski, or shuffling out to grab the morning paper.”

If you’re looking for something fluffier, try Reef’s Beach Bum Slip Ons, which have a cushiony footbed, vegan leather strap, and terry-cloth upper. Fluffier still is Vans’ Shearling Style 53 Mule DX, which has a suede upper and is trimmed and lined with shearling, with a grippy rubber sole.

Bookending this story there’s another collab, this time between my hero/nemesis, Crocs, and everyone’s favourite Slurpee-seller, 7-Eleven. These clogs are in no way snuggly and—of course—hideously ugly, and yet I still can’t quite bring myself to hate them. And all the while, my editor’s words ring in my ears: “Stop trying to make bin shoes happen.”