From Marrakech to Venice to Istanbul, there has been a long tradition of soft, low-profile slippers worn across the Mediterranean, shaped by centuries of cultural exchange across trade routes. Moroccan babouches, Turkish yemeni, and Venetian friulane may look a bit different from one another, but they share the same spirit: lightweight shoes designed for comfort on the move and made with beautiful, enduring materials.
Today, those same silhouettes—and some modern interpretations that draw from each—feel especially suited to travel. They’re easy to slip on during a long flight, or to don with a bathrobe while padding around your hotel room, but also look polished enough to wear out. Best of all, they pack flat and take up way less space in a carry-on than a pair of heels or bulky dress shoes.
1. Saint Laurent Leopard Grosgrain Slippers – Leopard is a neutral, right?
2. Sabah Forth Worth Babas – These cult-favorite Turkish shoes come in the best colors, but we’re partial to this pair made from a brown saddle leather that just seems to get better with more and more wear.
3. Flabelus Mary Janes – Equally as elegant as their beloved slip-on shoes, the added strap just turns these into the four-wheel-drive version. They might be the most versatile shoes ever—they can go from hiking along the Costa Brava, to poolside at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo during an unseasonably warm trip to Lake Como (when packing sandals feels absurd), to work dinners and dive bars and airport terminals. They can really do it all.
4. Jil Sander Black Slippers – Super soft, buffed nappa leather on major sale right now.
5. Ancient Greek Sandals Slipper – Inspired by traditional house shoes, these are handmade in Greece with comfy rubber soles and a really lovely soft satin that most definitely deserves to be worn out of the house.
6. Vibi Venezia Sabot – These filled the friulane-shaped hole in our hearts when Le Monde Beryl discontinued our favorite mule. They come in a dozen great colors (we love the ones with contrast piping!) and are so chic, even just to wear at home in a pair of Schostal PJs to transport yourself to Italy.
7. Le Monde Beryl Venetian Slipper – Yolanda first fell in love with this brand when she discovered the satin mule version of the shoe (sadly discontinued) at the Pellicano gift shop over a decade ago. It was a true workhorse shoe for years, and now that they don’t make the mule anymore, we are fans of the full-back version, which is a great year-round shoe.
8. Artemis Design Co. Kilim Slippers – Made from beautiful vintage Turkish Kilim textiles, almost all of their shoes are one-of-a-kind.
9. Ann Mashburn Joy Mule – Equal parts elegant and casual, this ballerina-inspired mule has a generous amount of foot bridge coverage which keeps clacking to a minimum.
10. Margaux Clara Flats – Margaux makes the most comfortable shoes, and these mules with 5mm of foam padding suede are no exception. We just can’t decide if we like the suede, satin, or leather best.
11. JW Anderson Babouche – The leather heel can fold up to cover the back of your foot, or down to wear these as a mule. Two shoes in one helps justify the price!
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Breucklen Berber – We never thought about owning a pair of pinstripe babouches, but it suddenly feels so necessary!
Moroccan Kilim Slippers – Each pair is completely unique, made from vividly-colored vintage Moroccan kilim rugs with goat-leather insoles. And the price is great!
Viani Milano Friulane – Made-to-order slippers you can wear everywhere, in the best shade of pistachio.
Le Monde Beryl Luna Flats – Handcrafted in Italy from a silky satin, we love the pointed vamps on these.
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