The Most Comfortable Type Of Shoes To Wear At Airports, According To Flight Attendants And Travelers

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In airports, the only thing you can control is what's physically attached to your body. You won't get to decide how long you'll have to wait in security, but you can pick what shoes you wear while you wait in line. While no outfit can make the annoyingly inconsistent TSA rules easier to understand, the right shoes make a real difference. And when everything around you is loud, crowded, and unpredictable, the best way to get through it is one comfy step at a time. 

If you want to stay comfortable while the world around you isn't, start with your shoes. We checked in with seasoned flyers and flight attendants to find out their comfiest travel day footwear, and nearly all of them recommended the same type of shoe: slip-ons. Across all sorts of styles and brands – Allbirds, Birkenstocks, Crocs with socks, laceless Sketchers, and even "snoafers" (sneaker loafers) – travelers consistently pointed towards slip-on shoes as the best way to waltz through airports with happy feet.

Flight attendants, who spend up to 16 hours a day moving through airports and airline cabins while adhering to uniform requirements, recommend slightly more classy and functional options, like Dansko clogs, Ecco loafers, or even Crocs ballet shoes. Everyone has a brand and style they swear by. One flight attendant we spoke to, Andréanne Racine, told us she always wears Clarks, specifically the Calla Ease Loafer, which she said might not be the sexiest shoe on the market, but feels like walking on clouds. When you're spending your day in the clouds, there's nothing better than walking on them, too.

This relatively unsurprising feedback from veteran travelers and flight attendants is excellent news. There are so many styles of slip-on shoes, meaning you can find a pair that matches your look and march into the airport with confidence. The best part is that slip-on shoes are having a real moment. Thanks to a rise in athleisure styles, it's easier than ever to slip your shoes on and walk through airports on cloud nine. Nowadays, it seems like every shoe brand has a slip-on model: High-tech choices like Salomon, casual mainstays like New Balance, and newcomers like Hoka all have shoes that aim to feel like house slippers without looking like them. Crucially, many trending slip-on shoes are closed-toe, which is important because flight attendants frequently say open-toe footwear is something you should never wear on a plane.

It doesn't get much more comfortable than loafers, and the sneaker-esque tune-ups modern models are receiving gives them just enough pop to make them great airport shoes. And remember, your footwear doesn't stop with your shoes. Many flight attendants also recommend finding a great pair of compression socks for traveling. Flight attendant Andréanne Racine told us she always flies with Venosan compression socks, which are good quality, not too pricey, and come in a super nice range of colors to match any pair of snoafers in your closet. On travel days, there is nothing more stylish than looking clean and feeling comfortable. As long as your chosen footwear has no laces, and there's no daylight between your toes and your fellow passengers, you are now free to move about the country while staying comfy.