Finding the Best Shower Shoes: Tips & Tricks

Let’s talk shower shoes.

Popular for college dorms, pools or the gym, shower shoes should have some basic features. We asked our readers for their favorites and came away with several key points to consider:

• Non-slip soles. The treads on shower shoes should be textured to keep from slipping. Yes, that seems obvious, but we were surprised when we tried out several brands to find that many had slick or smooth soles.

• Drain holes or not? Some shower shoes have holes to let water drain. That’s a nice feature, especially in more humid climates—these enable quicker drying. If you are considering buying these shoes for use at a pool, then drain holes are probably less important.

• Massaging foot bed. There was a split opinion on this among our readers: some folks like foot beds that are textured, while others preferred a smooth and soft option. The first type are supposed to be massaging for feet  . . . and we can see that point. But we’re not sure everyone really wants that!

After spending several hours trying out these shoes in a variety of environments, here are the ones we think are best.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!