The Lowdown
The quality and the craftsmanship of the Rockport Men’s Rhyder Tie Slipper is excellent, and I expect them to last a long time. They’re comfortable to wear at home, but if you leave the house to run an errand while still wearing them, you aren’t going to look like a slob!
Overall
Pros
- Available in three colors with either pebbled leather or leather nubuck
- Synthetic shearling lining is soft and comfortable
- Uppers look like driving moccasins
- The rubber sole grips well in the house and makes them acceptable to wear outside for quick errands
Cons
- The style may not be for everyone
One of the results of working from home during the pandemic has been a total changer in what qualifies as “workwear.” A decent shirt, sweatpants, and slippers have been appropriate for the last two years; the Rockport Men’s Rhyder Tie Slipper strikes a nice balance between casual work-from-home slippers and something you can wear to run errands.
For most of the past two years, I’ve been wearing a pair of casual slippers that Raina bought me at the start of the pandemic. They are soft, comfortable, and they look like slippers.
That’s not a problem in and of itself, but it has become a bot of an issue a few times. For example, there was one occasion when I ran out to the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions, only to discover that I was walking into the store in my house slippers. Oops.
Rockport may refer to their Men’s Rhyder Tie Slipper as a slipper, but they actually sit somewhere between slippers and shoes.
The inside of the Rockport Men’s Rhyder Tie Slipper is all “slipper.” This is thanks to the soft, synthetic shearling lining. Sure, as the company suggests, this lining “keeps your feet warm and cozy,” but it is also thick enough that the soft material comfortably cradles your feet.
In addition, the twin-gore panels built into the slipper add to the ease of slipping them on and off.
But that’s where the “slipper” part of the Rhyder Tie Slipper ends.
Available in black, vicuna, or navy, the Rockport Men’s Rhyder Tie Slipper’s upper comes in either pebbly leather or leather nubuck. Using these natural materials gives the slipper the look and feel of regular shoes.
Add in a leather tie that offers some degree of adjustment if you need to make the fit tighter with a rubber outsole that provides a reliable grip when walking up and down wooden stairs, and you cross the line from slipper to slipper-shoe.
The rubber sole also means you can wear these slippers out and about without looking like you are wearing slippers!
Rockport describes them this way:
Meet your new favorite pair of house shoes. Inside our Rhyder men’s slippers, you’ll find a cozy shearling lining that’s addictively comfortable. Perfect for indoors and outdoors, these moccasin-style slippers have a pieced rubber outsole tread that keeps you steady on a variety of surfaces.
I have to admit, however, that Raina doesn’t love the look; they remind her of the shoes that frat boys wore when she was in college. I, on the other hand, really like them! They are comfortable, and while “slipper-like,” I think they look like a pair of driving moccasins and can pass as “outside shoes” when needed.
The quality and the craftsmanship of the Rockport Men’s Rhyder Tie Slipper are excellent, and I expect them to last a long time. They’re comfortable to wear at home, but if you leave the house to run an errand while still wearing them, you aren’t going to look like a slob!
The Rockport Men’s Rhyder Tie Slipper retails for $100 (currently on sale for $89.99); they are available directly from the manufacturer.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Available in three colors with either pebbled leather or leather nubuck; Synthetic shearling lining is soft and comfortable; Uppers look like driving moccasins; The rubber sole grips well in the house and makes them acceptable to wear outside for quick errands
What Needs Improvement: The style may not be for everyone