Smoking slippers are just about the only form of smoking that is en vogue these days. 

While one could surely don smoking slippers to light up, you can rock our Hampton slipper for a slew of other occasions as well, whether headed to the office, out to walk the dogs, to a swanky new restaurant, or to your best bud's wedding. But I digress... what are smoking slippers?

Smoking slippers are an upscale slip-on shoe (aka loafer). 

Some are made with a suede "upper" (ours) for durability and versatility, while others may be with a more formal velvet (looks nice, but too formal to be truly versatile). Some are lined with leather (ours) for breathability, while others may be more of a satin quilted lining (plush, but cue the sweat if you aren’t wearing socks). Few have rubber soles (ours) for traction and comfort, while others may use hard leather (don't slip!). Some of them may be a solid color (ours), while others are adorned with embroidery (fun, but you can't exactly wear them daily given how much they stand out). So as you can see, despite being a "simple" shoe in terms of the construct, there are tons of points of differentiation. 

How can you wear them?

The world is your oyster, my friend. Don’t get too crazy with it though, and keep in mind each brand’s version is unique in its own way and likely has its own limitations. With the Hampton, we opted to balance looks with comfort and versatility. Of course we’re biased, but we can say with confidence our smoking slippers are the best you’ll find that can check all those boxes. We go just about everywhere in them, paired simply with jeans, chinos, or shorts; a button-down, polo, or t-shirt; a pullover or sweater if the weather calls for it; and in case of formal activities a tux or suit always plays. Ditch the socks though, trust us, and yes you can pull off that look.

So where did smoking slippers come from, and what’s with the name?

They landed on the scene in the 1800s as the shoe to don when entertaining swanky guests at your swanky manor. They came back in fashion in the 90s courtesy of Hugh Hefner and Tom Ford, and now once again in the 2020s there’s another well-earned resurgence along with innovative material improvements (i.e. the Hampton) to help them be at home in even more settings. 

Regarding the name, it’s debatable to this day. One theory is that they were named smoking slippers as they imparted their affluent owner’s with an easy way to transition from indoor slippers to outdoors for a smoke. Another is that Yves St Laurent created a women’s tux called “Le Smoking” which inspired the slipper as a complement to said tux.