I swore I'd never abandon my Vans, but the Allbirds Tree Loungers have officially replaced them as my favorite slip on sneakers

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I tend to be a bit of both a curmudgeon and a luddite when it comes to fashion, and refuse to pay more than, say, $50 for any one article of clothing. In fact, the price was a huge factor driving my then-deep love for Vans slip-ons … until the Allbirds social media ads with glowing Tree Loungers reviews started taking over my feed back in early 2021.

It wasn't long after that, and upon hearing some testimonials from coworkers around the Insider Reviews office, that I finally broke my own price rule and dropped a cool $100 on a pair of sneakers for the first time.

Frankly, I'm so grateful I broke that rule, because I'll never buy another brand's shoes for as long as Allbirds sticks around. Both varieties of its slip on shoes — the Tree Loungers and Wool Loungers — are well worth the steep asking price.

Allbirds Tree Loungers Review

My first pair of Allbirds were the Men's Tree Loungers in Mist Gray, which are still holding up strong years later. They're comfortable enough to be worn around the house as slippers.

They have this incredible, what I call 'invisible', fit in that I often forget they're on my feet while working. The mesh material made from eucalyptus trees does wonders for my awfully sweaty feet.

However, I will say they don't do that much better than the usual shoe for odor, as I'm a guilty offender in that department. They also don't hold up well to bacon grease stains, much like any shoe, so don't wash dishes while wearing them.

All told, the fit is incredible here, and they don't feel as if they're going to fly off my feet at any moment yet they're loose enough to make me often forget I'm wearing them.

Allbirds Wool Loungers

More recently, I ordered a pair of Allbirds Wool Loungers for the winter months, in a gray similar to what I'm used to wearing already – again for $100.

Made from Merino wool, this take on my new favorite is considerably stiffer in its make than the all-mesh Tree Loungers, but they're also so much warmer.

These definitely take a little while for the wear to set in and feel more natural on your feet, but they're worth it for those runs to and from the car on winter errands or — from personal experience — just lounging around drafty spots in an older home.

The bottom line

All told, I love Allbirds shoes far more than any slip-on I've ever tried. They sure aren't cheap shoes, but considering my first pair held up so well after a year, I'd say they're well worth the price.

I should also mention that Allbirds started selling golf shoes at some point without me noticing, and now I know what my next Allbirds purchase will be.