The KEEN Howsers are warm, easy to slip on, and sturdier than your average slipper. They’re great for both indoors and outside, which is why we think they make the perfect camping slippers. This post was sponsored by KEEN.
If your summer has been anything like ours, you’re more than ready to trade the warm weather for a crisp fall day or even some snow. California has had a few too many record heat waves this summer, and we’ve taken respite with several camping trips to cooler weather.
As the mornings and evenings have gotten colder, we’ve switched out hiking sandals for kicking around camp to the coziest slip-ons from KEEN. KEEN recently launched an update to their Howser line, which includes fleece-lined slip-on slides, chukkas and boots perfect for keeping your feet warm. The Howsers are just as soft and comfortable as your favorite pair of cabin slippers. But, they have a few key features that make them easy to transition to the outdoors too.
Shop the KEEN Howser line
We brought along our KEEN Howser chukkas and boots on our latest camping trip to slip on for the colder weather as we hung out around the campfire and took walks through the woods. Here are a few reasons why the KEEN Howsers make the best camping slippers.
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Tech Specs
AKA why the KEEN Howsers are so comfy AND great for outside.
Super cozy lining
First things first, all of the shoes in the Howser line feature a soft microfleece lining to keep your toes warm and toasty.
To ensure they stay smelling fresh, the lining incorporates an eco anti-odor formula for natural odor control.
High-traction rubber outsole
The main thing that makes the Howsers great for both indoors and outdoors is a rubber outsole that is non-marking, but also has good traction. You won’t be scuffing up indoor floors if you decide to stay inside all day, and they’ll transition to an outdoor slipper as soon as you feel like heading outside. I took my Howser Chukkas on a couple of flat, easy forest walks and my feet were warm and comfortable.
The anti-slip outsole curves up around the edges and up over the toe. This gives your feet a bit more protection when walking along a dirt path with roots and rocks. Plus the extra rubber helps your feet stay dry if you encounter mud or a little puddle.
Easy to slip-on
All of the Howsers are super easy to slip-on, so it’ll only take a few seconds to warm up your feet and be ready to go.
Foot-shaped
I started learning a lot about what makes a more comfortable shoes a few years ago when I was tired of uncomfortable hiking boots that kept squishing my toes. The Howser’s are foot-shaped shoes and feature KEEN’s signature wide toe box, which means my toes have plenty of room to wiggle and don’t feel cramped.
Created with Sustainability in Mind
KEEN dubbed their conscious approach to sustainability the Detox Your Shoes journey. They audited their supply chain and manufacturing processes to use better materials and eliminate harmful chemicals.
KEEN made several key sustainability improvements in the materials used for this second edition of the Howser line. The quilted nylon is made with recycled P.E.T. plastic. A few of the chukkas and boots use leather, which is from a LWG-certified tannery. This means the tanneries follow specific guidelines to clean the water and prevent harmful chemicals from leaching into the ground or water supply.
While traditional anti-odor formulas typically rely on pesticides, KEEN uses a natural, bio-based compound for natural odor control.
Which Howser for you?
The Howser is a complete line of winter shoes from slip-ons to boots. Take a look and find your favorite.
Howser Slide
The KEEN Howser slides are the easiest camp or cabin shoes to slip on. They have a low profile, so your feet can find your way into these cozy shoes even when you’re half awake and stumbling out of bed or crawling out of your sleeping bag in the morning. The slide uppers come in cute plaids, fluffy fleece or quilted nylon.
Howser
The Howsers are still easy to slip on, but are a little more shoe and a little less slide.
Howser Chukka
The Chukka’s are my favorite out of the Howser line, I think the styling is really cute. All of these ankle-high boots in the new line have an elastic cord to tighten.
Howser Boot
The Howser boots are ankle-high slips on with no laces or ties. I know KEEN says don’t call these a slipper on its website because these are so much more, but they really do make an amazing camp slipper.
Kids’ Howser and Howser Boot
The Kids’ Howser is similar to the adult version with fluffy microfleece lining and quilted nylon exterior. Hudson has been wearing the Howser Boot which is an all-around amazing kids’ winter boot.
While the Howsers may have started out as outdoor camp slippers, they’ve gone on a lot of other adventures too. All the kids’ versions of the boot are super easy to slip on because of velcro sides that peel open and shut.
These boots are good for really cold weather; they’re rated to -4°F/-20°C thanks to the KEEN.Warm insulation, which is a lightweight insulation created from charcoal bamboo. I’m always looking for kids’ winter boots that are lightweight, flexible, and warm, which can be a pretty tough combination to come by. But thanks to that lightweight insulation, they’re easy for kids to run, skip and dance, all while staying warm and without being weighed down by a heavy boot.
Shop the KEEN Howser line
Fit and Sizing
I love that the Howsers and almost all KEEN shoes feature a wide toe box, so no squished toes here. These KEENs are foot shaped shoes and so comfortable.
Both the men’s and women’s shoes ran true to size, or maybe a tiny bit bigger to accommodate for thicker socks.
The kids’ Howser boots ran small. Compared to the kids’ KEEN Kootenay boot (a great warm and waterproof boot) in the same size, the kids’ Howser seemed to run almost a full size smaller. I’d recommend sizing up at least one size from what your child normally wears, especially if you plan to pair them with thick wool socks when you head outdoors.
About KEEN
KEEN launched back in 2003 with their very first shoe, the Newport sandal. That’s how we were introduced to KEEN – I bought Hudson his own pair of these do-anything Newport sandals back when he was two. They looked great for the beach and hiking, easy to clean and rinse out, and had a protective bumper to protect his toes. KEEN has launched quite a few shoes since the original Newport sandals, from hiking boots to the cozy Howser slip-ons. KEEN’s goal is to create the footwear you need to enjoy the outdoors in the most sustainable and environmentally friendly way possible.