The Shoes We've Been Loving This Winter

Winter has a way of narrowing the wardrobe down. Variety is out the window and instead, you find yourself reaching for those extra comfy, super snuggly, ol' faithfuls day after day after day.

Our team knows this well. These are the shoes the team here has been living in this season, from the boots that carry a cold morning to the slippers waiting by the door at the end of it.

We spend our days around comfortable shoes, so we're a fussy bunch about which ones we actually take home. This is the honest shortlist, the pairs we keep reaching for, grouped by the way a winter day really goes.

Everything here is a current Comfort Co style with a healthy run of sizes as we write this in early August. Sizes do move quickly in winter though. If you've missed your chance on the pair that caught your eye, don't worry! Get in touch with one of our friendly Comfort Concierges and they'll point you to a pair we know you'll love just as much.

Ben Parnham

Senior Copywriter, The Comfort Co

Gold Coast-based host of The Comfort Walk & Talk Podcast and a father of two, who spends more of winter on his feet than he expected and has opinions about it.

What makes a shoe worth loving in winter

The difference between a good winter shoe and a bad one is MASSIVE. If you've got the wrong pair on, you feel it. Suddenly you're freezing, unsteady and in agony by the end of the day.

There's a reason for that.

When the temperature drops, circulation to the hands and feet drops with it. Which is why when you feel cold toes for the first time, you know winter has arrived.

A closed upper, a proper sole between you and the cold ground, and a lining that holds a little heat all make a real difference. Australian podiatrists flag winter as prime time for chilblains and cold-related niggles precisely because we tend to under-dress our feet.¹

The rest comes down to the usual trade off. For most companies, when you add more snugglyplush warmth, you lose structure. We've found ways to do both!

Just because it's cold doesn't mean we no longer want contoured arch support underfoot, a bit of cushioning on hard winter footpaths, and a fit that holds your foot without pinching if you have to add a thicker sock.

Out in the cold: the boots

Once you reach for the slippers, summer is OFFICIALLY over. So we always tend to reach for the boots to keep living in denial for just that little bit longer.

A good winter boot does the warmth-and-grip job without turning your feet into an afterthought by lunchtime.

These three cover a statement pair, an everyday workhorse and a lightweight all-rounder.

The Revere Damascus Wedged Boot in Onyx Black Lizard

The statement one · $229.95

This is the pair that gets the most "where are those from" of anything on the list. The lizard-textured finish reads as expensive, the concealed wedge adds height without a heel to balance on, and the wrapped sole gives you a stable base on a wet morning. It's a boot that looks like effort and feels like none.

Wear it with tailored trousers or a midi and let it do the talking.

The Scholl Karla Boot in Chocolate

The everyday workhorse · $120.00

If the Damascus is the "going-out" boot, the Karla is for everything else. It is a clean ankle boot with Scholl Orthaheel's famous support built right in. The chocolate is a warmer, softer alternative to black (but we love the black too) and works with denim, cords and everything in between.

At $120 it is the value pick of the boots. If this is your first pair of comfortable boots, these are the ones!

The Vitasole Viva Boot in Pine

The lightweight all-rounder · $119.95

There's nothing quite as awful as a wet sock on a freezing winter day. If that happens, we're not walking another step. Let alone a 10,000 of them.

If you're going to a festival or outdoor event (or just want to jump in a few puddles) these are a must.

The Viva boot brings that walking-shoe thinking to a winter classic. Your "just in case" boot that just might become your every day boot.

On your feet all day: the everyday shoes

Not every winter day is a boots day. Plenty are the school-run-into-work-into-a-supermarket-dash kind, where you just want to slip something on and forget about it. These three do exactly that.

The Revere Montmartre Wedged Loafer in Cognac

The one that fits every foot · $99.00

Revere built its name on fit, and the Montmartre is a lovely way in. It's a wedged loafer in a soft cognac leather that only gets better, softer and more "you" as it wears.

It also has a removable footbed, so you can drop your own orthotic in if you use one. It also runs multiple widths, so if a loafer has ever gaped at the back or pinched across the top, start here.

At $99, it's the sleeper hit of the list.

The Scholl Katina Zip Loafer in Chocolate

The easy one · $169.95

The Katina fixes the loafer's one flaw: actually getting into it. A neat side zip means no heel-jamming or shoehorn wrestling on a cold morning, and once it's on it reads as a smart flat, not a "comfort shoe". If you want something polished you can get on without bending down to fuss with laces, this is the one.

The Scholl Karley Casual Slip-On in Brown

The long-haul one · $169.95

When a day is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, the Karley is what we reach for. It's a soft, roomy slip-on with proper cushioning underfoot, the kind of shoe you stop noticing about an hour in (which is the highest praise a shoe can get from me). The brown is an easy neutral that runs a touch warmer than a straight tan.

Home with the heater on: the slippers

The first and last shoe of the day matters more than people think. Padding around cold tiles in bare feet is a quick route to sore arches and freezing toes, and a proper supportive slipper is a lovely thing to come home to. The trick is a soft shoe, not a shapeless sock.

The Scholl Easyfit Slipper in Navy

The support pick · $59.95

If your feet are tired or achy by the end of the day, the Easyfit is the value hero. It packs Scholl Orthaheel support into a soft, adjustable slipper, so it actually holds your arch while you potter about, and the adjustable closure copes with different foot shapes and any swelling that creeps in over a long day. There's a men's version in black too, so the whole household's sorted.

The Scholl Softy Slipper in Blue

The cosy one · $59.95

If the Easyfit is the support pick, the Softy is pure comfort. It's the plush, wrap-your-foot-in-a-cloud pair for a slow Sunday, with just enough structure underfoot that it still feels like a shoe and not a sock. The soft blue makes a nice change from the usual grey marle. After something a bit more fashion-led? Our Style Editor Dee has the Mia Vita Zen and Zap in her winter edit.

A word from Mia Vita

We've kept this edit brand-wide on purpose, but Mia Vita deserves its own moment. It's our fashion-forward label, built on hidden comfort. Where the support is engineered in so the shoe looks right at home in a boutique window and your feet are the only ones who know.

Rather than squeeze them in here, our Style Editor Dee has walked through the Mia Vita shoes she's been living in this winter, day by day, from the Ramona sneaker to a boot and a couple of very good slippers. If style leads your shopping, read a week in Dee's Mia Vita winter shoes, and if you're new to the label, Meet Mia Vita is the place to start.

Your winter shoe questions, answered

What are the most comfortable shoes to wear in winter?

The most comfortable winter shoes combine a warm, closed upper with contoured arch support, underfoot cushioning and a stable, grippy sole. For most people that means a supportive ankle boot for out and about, an easy loafer or slip-on for all-day wear, and a structured slipper for home. The Karla boot, Montmartre loafer and Scholl Easyfit slipper on this list are three good starting points across those three moments.

Why do your feet feel the cold so much in winter?

When the temperature drops, your body prioritises your core, so circulation to your hands and feet drops with it. That is why cold toes are usually the first sign winter has arrived.² A closed, lined shoe with a proper sole between your foot and the cold ground makes a real difference, which is why a good winter boot feels so much warmer than a thin flat.

Are boots bad for your feet?

Boots are not bad for your feet as long as they support them properly. Problems come from flat, unsupportive boots or ones that are too tight through the toes, not from boots as a category. Look for a contoured footbed, a fit that holds your heel without squeezing your toes, and enough room for a winter sock. Every boot in this edit is built on a supportive last rather than a fashion-first flat one.

Should I wear slippers or go barefoot at home in winter?

A supportive slipper is the better choice for most people, especially on cold, hard floors. Going barefoot on tiles or floorboards offers no warmth and no arch support, which can leave your feet aching by the evening if you are on them a lot. A slipper with a real footbed, like the Scholl Easyfit or Softy, keeps your feet warm and supported without feeling like you never took your shoes off.

Ready when you are. Shop the winter boots.