I Bought My First Pair Of APL Slides And Here's Why They're 100% Worth $100

Even after consecutive days of all-day wear, they've never given me blisters.

Each and every summer, I look forward to a few things: beautiful weather, hours spent by the river/pool/ocean/lake, outdoor adventures with friends and family, and an overall relaxed vibe. And something that plays into all of those things is establishing the ultimate lazy day summer capsule collection. I don't mean "going-out" outfits (though, I love shopping for those, too) but rather the everyday garments I rely on for running errands, showing up to casual get-togethers, and taking Cash (my precious Jack Russell-Chihuahua puppy) out in.

Freeform / Via giphy.com

While I've had the clothes part down pat since discovering my beloved Beyond Yoga sets in 2020, I was lacking in the 100% comfortable (and convenient) summer shoe department. 

But then, as fate would have it, my best friend showed up to her bridal nail appointment in a pair of APL slides. And she wasn't the only one — her mom and younger sister were wearing the cult-favorite, admittedly-pricey slides, too.

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Having owned (and loved) a few pairs of the APL TechLoom Wave, TechLoom Bliss, and TechLoom Tracer sneakers, I had considered buying a pair of the APL TechLoom slides, but I wasn't sure of two things. 1) If they were really, truly worth $100. And, 2) if I needed to size up or down in them. (APL's sizing can be tricky because depending on the reviews you read, they're either true-to-size or run small. In my experience, the sneakers fit best when I size up half a size—I'm normally a 10, but at APL, I'm a 10.5. The problem is, the slides aren't available in half sizes.)

Thankfully, being surrounded by three women I trust (and one of whom had a pair of the slides in a size 10), I was able to determine once and for all which size would be best. And so, rather than ordering my normal size 10 — which, when I tried my friend's pair on, I found to be a touch too short — I sized up to an 11, selected the Blue Haze color (because the magenta hue I initially was drooling over was out of stock) and crossed my fingers that they wouldn't be gigantic on my feet.

After I ordered my much-anticipated pair, they arrived less than a week later and have been in perpetual rotation ever since. Here's why: Unlike so many slides (I have the classic Adidas memory foam slides, the trendy rubber Birks, and a pair of the Ugg Fluff Yeah Slides), the APL TechLoom slides are comfortable all👏 day👏 long👏

Rebecca Norris / BuzzFeed

While my other slides are comfortable for quick jaunts, they all give me blisters on the top of my feet if I wear them for any activity that requires steady walking for longer than 30 to 45 minutes. While I've found ways to deal with said blisters—premature bandaids and a series of anti-blister balms—I've always hoped for a pair of summer slides that didn't require any careful planning. And, much to my enjoyment, the APL TechLoom slides are just that. 

The incredibly lightweight slides are made with a 3D molded footbed that's covered in antimicrobial fabric — no smelly slides here! On top, the slides feature a soft, slightly padded TechLoom strap, which is truly what makes these slides stand out.

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Thanks to their flexible nature, I've never once gotten a blister while wearing them—and I've worn them for hours each day, for going on four weeks at this point.

It's because of their truly jaw-dropping wear that I continued to peruse the site in the weeks that followed my original purchase, hoping that a pair of the magenta TechLoom slides would magically appear. Eventually, I scrolled to the bottom of the TechLoom page and learned that all APL slides are unisex. "If your size is sold out, simply select a men's size on the site and adjust the fit down by a size and half," the site reads. "For example, a size 9 in women's is a size 7.5 in men’s."

And just like that, I felt like the luckiest gal in the world because when I clicked over to the men's shop, lo and behold, a magenta pair was waiting with my name on it.

Of course, given just how popular their TechLoom slides have become, APL just had to capitalize on the cult-favorite status of their slides. So, they released their Shearling Slides, which are sold in four colors and bound to make their way into my closet eventually...

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...As well as their newer quilted Lusso Slides, which are sold in 19 colors.

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They also offer Satin Slides and Calf Hair Slides.

But back to the TechLoom slides. Not quite sold? Perhaps reading a few more 5-star shopper reviews will convince you.

APL / Via instagram.com

"MUST TRY! I have these in three colors now and I keep checking for more new colors. They are incredibly comfortable and so cute too. I live in an industrial loft that has unsealed cement floors. So I use these as my house slipper, my dog-walking shoe, my go-get-groceries shoe, my meet-friends-for-coffee shoe. I went on vacation in Florida and wore these most of my time there. I basically live in these in the summer. To the point that I tucked away many of my other summer sandals because they didn't get much use!" –heatheretteBK

"These slides are comfy AF! I love them so much! I had to exchange them for 9s as the 8s were too small. I wear an 8.5 in the bliss and breeze shoes for reference. The size 9 fit perfectly in the slides! I have the champagne and just ordered the sea salt!" –Alyssa

"These are the best slides I’ve ever worn. Now I want every color." –Madelynn W.

"These are THE BEST slides hands down and so worth the $$. I bought a pink pair the other week and loved them so much I had to buy them in this beautiful nude color. Highly recommend!" –Sarah C.

See, rave review after rave review after rave review (and that's just a handful from the hundreds on APL's site, let alone on other stores' sites who carry the shoes). Because I like to keep it real, though, (and because I didn't see any reviews on the site that mentioned this in the same way), here's where my one notable complaint comes into play (of course, not so major that I'd veer away from my newly beloved slides, but still): Thanks to APL's funky sizing, you can't (or, at least, not everyone can) get their proper sizing simply by checking out the opposite department. Hear me out.

Rebecca Norris / BuzzFeed

As a refresher, I'm normally a size 10. At APL, I'm typically a 10.5, but since the TechLoom slides aren't sold in half sizes, I'm an 11. Using the brand's metrics for translating from women's to men's shoes, I would need a size 9.5 in the men's TechLoom slides. But, remember, APL doesn't do half sizes in slides (🙄). So it then became a question of go down a size or go up a size. Ultimately, I chose to go down, assuming that since I'm normally a size 8 in men's (10 minus the standard 2), a 9 would be better than a 10. Unfortunately, the men's 9 is closer to the women's 10, and the strap seems a bit wider, too. 

Had I tried these on in-store, I definitely would have asked for a size up, but since I ordered them online and I'm impatient—and because they still fit, they're just a tiny bit smaller than my women's 11 TechLoom slides — I kept them and wear them around just as much. 

My only other... acknowledgment (because it's not so much a complaint as it is a discovery) is that since the footbeds are made with mesh fabric, unless you get black or navy blue, it's easy to leave a footprint in them (even if you, like me, consider yourself to have very clean feet). The good news, though? They're machine-washable. According to the site, you can pop them in the wash on the cool setting and let them air dry. (Though, I'd recommend putting them in a lingerie bag for extra protection—not that I've tried that yet, but that's my plan if and when I do.)

Sizing quandaries aside, I'm in love with these slides. So, if you've been hoping for a pair of comfortably convenient slides and have never seemed to find the perfect fit, this is your sign to give APL slides a try. Get a pair of APL TechLoom Slides for yourself for $100 from APL, Nordstrom, or Free People (available in women's sizes 5–11).

APL / Via instagram.com