Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm a full-time telecommuting computer professional and live in Alaska, so these slippers are my work shoes. Here in Alaska, we don't wear shoes in the house (just like most of the rest of the world outside of the lower-48). I wear these about ten hours a day. Out of the box it was obvious these are well-made. The stitching is multi-strand heavy thread, and the sole quite thick. I work east coast hours, so my work day starts at 3:45 a.m. My initial concern was with the clog-style and heavy sole, these would cause a lot of noise on the hardwood floor in the kitchen while making my trips to the coffee pot. No worries there. These soles are thick, but quiet and flexible. The foot bed (inner sole) on these is removable and over 1/4" thick. Put this slipper next to what you have now, and you'll see an big difference in material and build quality. Not many slippers on the market are like these. I'll admit to being disappointed when I first tried them on. The fit was spot on (I wear a U.S. 13), but they just didn't hit my arch right. It felt to me like the arch was placed too far back. Like most shoes, I wore them an hour or so a day and eventually they did break in to where they are extremely comfortable. I'm not sure what all the layers are made of, but these broke in very much like the two types of cork-soled footwear I own, Birkenstock sandals and Xtra Tuf boots. Speaking of the fit, these do not slip off my heel when walking, a concern of some who may be considering a purchase. Your fit will determine how well they do for you, but for me they stay put. I'd say for the money and the quality, it would be tough to beat this deal. They're a big notch up from anything you'll find in the box stores, and well worth the extra bucks you'll spend. I'll post a follow up review in a few months and let you know how they are holding up. I suspect it will be another positive review! [Update 4 months later....] Well, it's been over four months now, and these have been on my feet ever day. You could say when it comes to slippers, I'm a POWER user. :) Anyhow...no wear outside of what any NORMAL person would expect. Slight wearing of the sole at the heel, but nothing above normal for this sole material. I expect the sole to be there for quite a while, but I'll report it if I have any blowouts. Let me address two of the very few complaints I've seen about these slippers: First, some folks say these are tight. To the high-quality slipper neophyte the materials and construction may cause the wearer to first feel these are small. Like any quality shoe these need time to fit your foot. Think of the first time you've ever worn a Birkenstock sandal. The leather will soften around your foot over time, and the insole will contour to your foot and arch. If you purchase these and don't like the fit, give these a good chance to break in before you send them back. Before you know it, they'll fit like an old shoe. Hmmm...I guess that's where that saying came from! Second, some folks were complaining about the inner-sole wearing prematurely. I haven't seen that at all, and I weight about 240 pounds and these are on my feet about 14 hours a day. If I can't wear them out, I doubt you will. Sure, I'm at my computer a lot, but between the coffee and bathroom breaks (a horribly vicious cycle) I think I still do a good job of stressing these. One other thing I haven't researched yet is whether Sorel sells a replacement insole for these. It's a good idea to buy insoles before you need them and the product is still marketed, as footwear manufacturers are quick to replace their product lines. To sum it up - these slippers are somewhere between the box store specials for $20 that will wear out in six months, and the brand you can't pronounce for $250 that you've never heard of but feel all the "elites" probably have on their feet. Those high-brow slippers are priced somewhere between "Ain't no way!" and "You gotta be kiddin' me!", and are likely no more comfortable and will last no longer than these. Well, that's all for my review of the Sorel Falcon Ridge Falcon Ridge Winter Slipper (a.k.a. Telecommuter Work Shoe). Overall, I'd buy these again in a heartbeat. [Update 2 years later....] I just reached the two year anniversary of owning these. The have been worn daily, and I can say that if you ignore the duct tape on the bottom, they're as good as new. Seriously, I really abused these things over a 24 month period, and the only thing that went out on them was the sole. My fault completely, as I wore them in my gravel driveway on too many occasions. A few pieces of brown duct tape, and the soles are as good as new. These slippers ROCK!