Let’s face it: When we think of Ugg, what immediately comes to mind is the sheepskin-lined boots that made the brand famous — and kept our collective feet warm for the past few decades. But a couple of years ago, Ugg pivoted. Majorly.
Enter: the Fluff Yeah Slide. Part slipper, part sandal, part cartoonish puff bomb, the shoe couldn’t be more different from the classic boots we know and love. But despite this, Ugg sold more than 100,000 pairs of the Fluff Yeah in 2019, making it the brand’s bestselling product of the year. And today it still continues to rake in a massive amount of glowing reviews from consumers, including more than 8,200 on the Ugg site (not to mention more than 24,000 on Amazon and nearly 8,800 on Zappos).
Ugg Fluff Yeah Slides (starting at $89.57; amazon.com, $99.95; zappos.com or $100; ugg.com)
What makes the Fluff Yeah so beloved? Well, not surprisingly, there’s a lot of focus on the fluff. We tested a pair out for ourselves and can confirm that the shoe’s downy sheepskin material feels simply sublime underfoot. Seriously, these slides ensconce your feet in buttery softness that is so plush it feels opulent every single time you slip them on.
And for those of you who are prone to hot feet, fear not. The genius design of the Fluff Yeah (reminder: It’s an open-toe, slingback slide) provides an air-to-fluff combo that offers up constant ventilation. Read: You will never, ever suffer from swamp feet when donning your Fluff Yeahs. Over time the sheepskin does become a bit matted, but it maintains a softness that still feels cozy and comfortable (and it never gets pilly or rough).
We actually found the elastic strap to be a necessity, as it provides constant stability to a somewhat squishy/slippery surface. While we could probably do without the oversized Ugg logo on the slingback strap, it’s par for the Fluff Yeah course — there’s absolutely nothing understated about this shoe!
In terms of fit, unlike Ugg boots where you typically go up a size, we recommend sizing down on the Fluff Yeah — if you’re a 7.5, for example, order the 7. While we love a lot of the slide’s features (including the height-boosting 1.5-inch platform and all the wild colors it comes in), our favorite detail was that despite looking like an indoor slipper, the Fluff Yeahs can be worn outside, thanks to a durable rubber sole.
Really, the only downside of Ugg’s latest and greatest shoe, which comes in dozens of fun colors and patterns, is the price. At $100, the slipper isn’t cheap, which is why we were thrilled to discover a similar slipper on Amazon that offers lots of the same perks but at a fraction of the cost.
Meet the Halluci Cross-Band Soft Plush Fleece Slippers. Priced at just $23.99, the slippers come in 11 colors and are, like the Fluff Yeahs, super comfortable. Comprised of a super-soft fleece upper and a memory foam insole, the Hallucis also have a waterproof, anti-slip EVA sole, which means you can wear them anywhere you choose. Need more proof they’re great? Just look to the slippers’$2 29,000-and-counting positive reviews.
Halluci Cross-Band Soft Plush Fleece Slippers ($23.99; amazon.com)
We tested these puppies out as well and agree with the chorus of Amazon devotees that they are indeed incredibly soft and fluffy. We’re also big fans of the crisscross design that is — dare we say it — a bit more refined and mature than the Fluff Yeahs, which skew slightly younger with their more flamboyant design. If you’re a 40-year-old mom, for example, the Hallucis were definitely a better match style-wise. That said, the puffy, fluffy facade of both slippers look truly adorable when paired with jeans, leggings or PJs.
The downside to the Halluci pair is that ultimately you pay for what you get. The slippers shedded off and on from day one, and after a few months of daily wear, we found they stretched out slightly and the insole became less soft and pilly. But considering their price tag is a quarter of the Fluff Yeahs, those downsides aren’t too steep. After all, you still get to own a super-cute, super-soft pair of slippers for just under 25 bucks.
More to note about the Halluci pair: The slippers do not have the platform lift of the Fluff Yeahs, which means you’ll be decidedly shorter. Also, they too run a bit big, which is why we recommend sizing down.
Regardless of whether you’re in the mood to splurge on the Fluff Yeahs or score a major deal on the Amazon alternative, the overarching lesson here is that we all need to be swaddling our feet in some open-air, fluff-bomb sandal-slippers this year.