Design
Quality of Materials
Value for Money 
Craftsmanship 
Customer Service My wife is an avid user of slippers around the house, and until recently, I didn’t understand the draw.
I have fairly strong minimalist tendencies, so having an extra pair of shoes to clutter up the interior of our house always seemed unnecessary.
My wife explained that they keep your feet cozy and prevent you from getting little pieces of dirt or food stuck to your feet, but that’s what socks are for, right?
Wrong.
While my logic wasn’t incorrect, the major draw for house slippers, even beyond what my wife had mentioned, was the luxurious comfort you get to wrap your feet in.
After several days of relishing in this comfort after work, I quickly realized an interruption in my cozy indulgence: taking out the trash.
This simple act required me to exit my house slippers, put on shoes with an appropriate sole for the outdoors, and then put my slippers back on. Obviously this isn’t a huge deal, but given my usual laziness after the work day I wondered if there was a slipper that could do it all.
That’s when I came across Mahabis.
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What Is Mahabis?
In the Summer of 2014, a man by the name of Ankur Shah was searching for slippers in London. As he searched, he became increasingly frustrated by the lack of quality options.
Having spent a large amount of money on quality shoes that he wore for maybe 7-8 hours per day, it seemed ridiculous to him that he should have to settle for something subpar during the relaxing hours of the day.
After hours of searching, Mr. Shah came to the conclusion that premium slippers didn’t exist, and after doing some marketing research, confirmed his suspicions when he found that thousands of other people were searching for the same thing.
Being an entrepreneurial individual, Mr. Shah recognized this market opportunity for what it was and capitalized on it. His hypothesis was confirmed yet again when, on the first day of launching Mahabis, he sold 10,000 pairs.
Mr. Shah describes Mahabis as the reinvention of the slipper. The way we live and interact at home has changed and evolved drastically, but slippers have not, at least until Mahabis.
These premium slippers are designed in London and manufactured in Portugal, and feature distinctive, clear lines and colors that reinforce their unique qualities in the world of slippers.
Techniques and innovations used in the construction of high-performance shoes were applied to the design of Mahabis’ footwear, which enabled them to achieve the perfect balance of performant and comfortable slippers.
The brand characterizes itself with the motto, “Time well-spent leads to a life well-lived”, and invites us all to increase the quality of our time by first increasing the quality of our comfort.
Things to Consider Before Buying Slippers from Mahabis
The first is how you intend to use them. If you’re looking for a pair of slippers that you don’t have to take off throughout the day due to their comfort and appropriate style, Mahabis is the perfect choice.
If, instead, you just want a plain pair of slippers that you can slide on and don’t need to be seen in public with, you may want to stick to generic house slippers. Mahabis makes great slippers as well for just staying at home, but they can be expensive.
While a generic pair of house slippers can run anywhere from $20-$60, Mahabis’ offerings start above $90, with most coming in between $110 and $130. If you have some cash to throw for comfortable indulgences, Mahabis’ footwear is very comfortable and designed to fit like high-performance shoes, ensuring a snug and versatile fit.
If $110 for a pair of slippers you’re just going to shuffle around in after work sounds ridiculous, Mahabis isn’t the right choice for you.
Lastly, Mahabis’ products are known for their distinctive designs. The clean, simple lines create a profile that isn’t seen in other slippers. Combine this with a large number of colorways for the uppers and soles, and you’ve got a very distinctive pair of slippers.
If you like to stand out and run against the grain while prioritizing your comfort, Mahabis is a great place to find a quality pair of slippers.
After decades of seeing the same old slippers on the market, Mahabis brings redesigned styles appropriate for inside and outside the home. I’m impressed by the versatility and comfort of their slippers, especially through design details like the neoprene heel cup. They run on the expensive side, but I think their versatility justify the cost.
Mahabis Slippers Review
I was curious to get a good grasp of Mahabis’ slipper offerings, since some are designed more for the home, and others are designed for both. As such, I picked up a pair of the Mahabis Classics and Mahabis Breathes.
Their products ship from Europe, so standard shipping costs $5 and takes 5-11 business days. It was a bit of a long wait, especially in the days of one and two-day shipping, but I was hoping the wait would be worth it.
Unboxing
Besides differentiating themselves in the look and feel of their slippers, Mahabis also differentiates their packaging.
For someone who’s very used to opening the standard shoe box, Mahabis’ shoe boxes took me a few seconds of inspection. I didn’t really mind this—it’s nice to encounter something new in footwear every once in a while.
The top portion of the shoe box folds over the side and slides into the bottom portion of the box, and when pulled back, reveals two vertical doors that open like falcon wings, each one covering a shoe.
The top, inside flap contains the friendly greeting, “Welcome Home”, which quickly sets the tone of the comfort soon to be experienced.
The unique design of the shoe box also gave me a sense of the attention to detail that goes into Mahabis’ products through the entire product life cycle. If they chose to be this detailed with their product packaging, hopefully their products would showcase the same care and thoughtfulness.
Mahabis Classic
First Impressions
The Classics embody the signature clean lines and profile that Mahabis is known for. I picked up the “larvik dark grey x black” version.
On taking them out of the box, the first thing I noticed was their weight. These slippers are surprisingly light, especially considering the TPU sole. The construction looked to be sturdy—no loose threads or spaces between the sole and uppers.
One of the distinctive features of these slippers is the neoprene heel cup, which I’ll discuss later in the review. I assumed from online photos that this was something that could be folded down, in order to give more of a mule-style profile, but it doesn’t.
I wish the heel cup was made in other colors to match either the sole or the uppers, but black is the only option, which I found to contrast too strongly on some of the more adventurous colorways.
Sole
The sole of the Classics is what makes these shoes unique. While most house slippers have a sole of some sort, no other brands that I’m aware of use 100% performance grade TPU, which is the same material used in high-performance footwear, like running shoes.
This performance sole gives surprisingly good grip on hardwood and tiled floors, and ensures durability to rough environments outside the home. While the Classics fall into the category of a house slipper more than a downtown-outing footwear choice, they’re perfect for trips to the outdoor trash can, mailbox, and garden.
I live in the city, and although taking out the trash is technically going out in public, if I’m already in lounge clothes there’s no way I’m changing into jeans and a tee just to take out the trash. With the Mahabis Classics, I didn’t even have to change footwear to complete my chore.
One thing I was slightly concerned about was tracking dirt and debris from outdoor spaces to the indoors. The TPU sole has some grip sections, but nothing deep and grooved that could trap dirt and make it difficult to remove. I found that the soles cleaned completely of all visible dirt with a few wipes on the doormat.
Construction Quality
The upper portion of the slipper is made from a soft wool and polyester mix. The wool ensures a cozy, warm fit while the polyester goes a long way in making these flexible and durable. This mixture is comfortable but obviously not meant to be durable, so I wouldn’t attempt any yard work in these.
There’s one visible seam on the upper portion of the slipper, which means there’s little chance the uppers will rip or tear from casual use.
The upper portion is stuffed with a soft wool lining, which helps to regulate temperature and bring some gentle compression to your foot. Compression helps draw blood to the affected area, which can address pain and swelling in the feet if your dogs are barking.
In the heel, the neoprene cup angles slightly forward to ensure a snug foot with the back of your foot. From a visual inspection I was assuming that the neoprene could cause some chafing through long periods of use, but the material is soft enough to the point that I didn’t find this an issue.
Since this neoprene cradle keeps your heel in place, it has to withstand a large amount of wear and tear. I was curious to see how firmly attached it was to the shoe and I can assure you that sucker isn’t going anywhere.
Fit and Sizing
I have slightly wide feet, but found no issues with how the Classics fit. I ordered my normal size and found it perfectly comfortable, but if you’re looking for wide sizing Mahabis recommends just ordering up a size.
Also, if you usually order half sizes, Mahabis also recommends ordering up a size so you don’t accidentally practice foot binding.
I found that the wool lining offers a fair amount of grace, so if you’re worried the slipper will be too big, remember that the wool lining gives the interior more of a snug fit.
The footbed is made from adaptable, 100% open-cell PU foam which helps your feet to not feel smothered. The open-cell variant of PU has small cells that are not completely sealed, which allows for greater air flow and air cushioning.
This helps the footbed contour to your foot as you move, ensuring a comfortable experience with every step. I can attest to this—there’s some shoes you step into where your whole body physically feels lighter and more relaxed, and the Mahabis Classics are one of them.
Break-in Period
There was no noticeable break-in period with these slippers, at least in the sense that they weren’t uncomfortable to start.
Do they get more comfortable as you wear them and the footbed contours to your foot? Absolutely yes.
The Mahabis Classics are comfortable from the get-go, as all good slippers should be.
If you like your slippers light and comfortable like the rest of us, you'll like the Mahabis Classic. With their wool/polyster upper, these fall more into the lounging-around-the-house slipper category compared to the more robust Tencel mesh Mahabis Breathes.
Mahabis Breathe
First Impressions
Mahabis expanded its footwear collection with the Breathe, which is a slipper meant for Summer. I chose the sleek “skien black x alta white” variant for max versatility.
From a style standpoint I wasn’t immediately convinced that these would have a place in my wardrobe when I unboxed them, but my opinion changed quickly after putting them on.
These slippers are light and breathable, and I’ve found them to be perfect for all day use in the hot summer months whether it be around the house, in the backyard, or even for casual outings.
Sole
The Breathes differ in every major area from the Classics, but without sacrificing any comfort.
The sole of the Breathes is made from an EVA plastic, which allows it to be lighter and more flexible than many traditional rubber soles. This EVA sole is also made with 5% corn flour to reduce environmental impact.
No, you can’t throw them into a vat of boiling oil and make tortilla chips.
I found that the sole performed well in rough environments, like gravel walkways and over rocky terrain. The EVA material that makes the sole is light and flexible as promised, and the added durability makes for a very versatile shoe.
Regarding slip resistance, the bottom of the Breathes sole is engraved with a geometric pattern that helps to displace water and give ample grip in wet environments. I also found that the grip was sufficient on ramps and slanted surfaces that might otherwise cause you to slip.
Similar to the Classics, the engraved pattern on the bottom of the Breathes is shallow enough that I can dislodge and completely clean any dirt or debris from the bottom of these slippers with a few wipes on a doormat.
Construction Quality
Featuring the same distinct profile as the Classics, the Breathes are constructed with a light, mesh Tencel upper that allows air to circulate around your feet and keep them cool.
I’m a big fan of the Tencel upper construction, which is plant-based and biodegradable. I’ve encountered Tencel fabric on Ballerz’ boxer briefs, which are light and cool enough to keep you comfortable and dry all day.
The same goes for the Breathes, which I personally love because if any area of my body needs moisture wicked away and airflow increased, it’s my feet. My wife likes to refer to the stinky state of my feet as, “Parmesan feet”, due to the scent similarity they have after a long, hot day of wearing suffocating shoes.
The Tencel mesh upper goes along way in keeping my feet from entering the Parmesan stage, and I’m grateful for that.
I was slightly worried that the mesh might chafe on the tops of my toes, especially where the shoe creases as I walk, but I haven’t had any issues.
Like the Classics, the Breathes also feature the same neoprene heel cup, which gently cradles the back of the foot and keeps it in place.
Fit and Sizing
Once again I found no issues with the sizing for the Breathes, and was surprised by how comfortable they were out of the box. You can look at a slipper like the Classics and know that you’re about to step into foot nirvana, but the paired back construction of the Breathes had me less confident at first glance.
They’re much more comfortable than you might expect, which can largely be attributed to the cork footbed. Nope, they didn’t take a bunch of wine bottle stoppers and put them into the footbed of your shoe.
Cork can be manufactured into a soft, flexible insole that has the same elasticity and bounce as a cork wine stopper. This material also has the benefit of being good at moisture absorption, and since the bottom of our feet is often where the sweat is worst, this is ideal.
This cork insole, combined with the Tencel upper, makes socks unnecessary for your comfort while wearing these slippers.
I’m a big fan of the simple style of these slippers, and the comfort and breathability is enough to make them a staple shoe around the house in the summer.
Break-in Period
Like the Classics, there was no noticeable break-in period for the Breathes.
The cork footbed actually becomes indented by the weight and shape of your feet over time, which makes for permanent contouring and nice arch support the more you wear these.
Overall, the Breathes provide comfort and breathability from the first step.
With its cork footbed and mesh Tencel upper, the Mahabis Breathe slipper offers a lot more comfort than first meets the eye. Combine that with a flexible EVA plastic sole, and you've got yourself a versatile slipper that will actually hold up outside on rough surfaces.
What do Other Reviewers Say About Mahabis?
Reviews for the Mahabis’ slippers, and especially the Classics, are hugely positive. The Classics have nearly 28,000 reviews on their website alone, most of which are 5 stars.
Satisfied customers reported their satisfaction with the comfort and design of the shoe most frequently, while others loved that the slippers are true to size and perfect for going outdoors without having to change into a new pair of shoes.
Of the negative reviews I could find, most had to do with shipments getting lost, or otherwise never receiving their orders. Most issues seemed to be quickly resolved, and the correct pair of slippers eventually received by the customer.
Despite this, it was difficult to find any reviews where customers were dissatisfied with the fit or comfort of these slippers.
My Thoughts Overall On Mahabis
What I Like
- Both pairs of shoes are very comfortable and complete their intended use cases well.
- The Tencel fabric and cork sole of the Breathes makes for comfortable wearing all day, even in the hotter months.
- The TPU performance sole brings extra comfort and wearability to the Classics.
- Mahabis is committed to using sustainable materials in its packaging and products, which can put buyers who are environmentally conscious at ease.
- The neoprene heel cup in both pairs of slippers is super comfortable and does a great job of holding your heel in place.
- One tree is planted for every pair of Mahabis sold.
What I Don’t Like
- From my knowledge of the materials used in the construction of these slippers, they could probably be less expensive.
- The neoprene heel cup only comes in black, and you can’t customize its color.
Who is Mahabis for?
Mahabis’ slippers are for anyone who wants to indulge in comfort for as long as they can. Their redesigned slippers make it possible to take the cozy outside with a variety of versatile slipper offerings.
If you’re a long term user of generic house slippers and think spending over $40 for your after work comfort is ludicrous, Mahabis likely isn’t the brand for you.
If, however, you’re looking for quality, distinctive slippers that you can go outside of the house with while staying comfortable and clean, Mahabis is a great place to start.
The Verdict
Mahabis set out to redesign the slipper to give it more practical use cases, and they did just that.
Featuring clean lines, a distinctive profile, and fun color combinations for the uppers and soles, these slippers help you to stand out while you indulge in comfort. Better yet, the performance soles for these slippers allow you to take your comfort out of the home, whether that be to the back yard or for casual outings.
Although some may not find Mahabis’ designs to be attractive or their cost to be approachable, Mahabis has a loyal following of satisfied customers who find the cost well worth the comfort.
If you’re looking for quality, durable slippers that can be used both inside and outside the home, I recommend checking out Mahabis.
After decades of seeing the same old slippers on the market, Mahabis brings redesigned styles appropriate for inside and outside the home. I’m impressed by the versatility and comfort of their slippers, especially through design details like the neoprene heel cup. They run on the expensive side, but I think their versatility justify the cost.
FAQs
Are Mahabis Durable?
Mahabis are durable because of the performance-grade TPU or EVA soles each pair has. These are light, flexible, and durable materials that will withstand rough surfaces.
Do Mahabis slippers smell?
Mahabis slippers don’t smell, especially with a little upkeep. The inner lining of Mahabis is wool, which is naturally odor-resistant, but if you still notice some unpleasant scents you can remove the footbed from the shoe and wash it.
Is Mahabis out of business?
Mahabis is not out of business. Although it entered into an administration period in late 2018, it was bought out by Simba Sleep founder James Cox and is still selling slippers today.
Do you wear socks with Mahabis?
You can wear socks with Mahabis, but you don’t have to. Each pair of slippers is designed to be comfortable without socks, but it comes down to your personal preference.
