Cozy Comfort: Deckers X Lab Winter 2023 Collection

Intro

If you’ve followed us for awhile, you know that we’ve been huge fans of Deckers X Lab, ever since we put our first pair of X-Scape NBK LOW on our feet. What we thought was a bit out there at the time (this was pre-pandemic) has now become the go-to style of 2022 and beyond. We’re talking chunky midsoles and comfort in spades, both of which Deckers excels at.

But it wasn’t until we got our feet in their slippers and shoes with wool-lined interiors that we became full evangelists in the church of latter day Deckers. Truly, nothing else compares to the comfort and quality that Deckers puts out, and it continually blows our minds that they’re not bigger than they are. They’re the hidden secret of the footwear industry, but hopefully not for long.

After all, Deckers X Lab isn’t just some startup company– they’re the innovation lab for Hoka, Ugg, Sanuk, and Teva. Once you know that, it starts to make sense, as you realize that most of their footwear models are a blend of all those brands. The midsole comfort and rocker of a Hoka midsole, the wool and premium leather of an Ugg, the slightly blocky shape of a Sanuk, and some straps thrown in for Teva.

Deckers X Lab Andes SPSK Boot

The quality of the footwear is top-notch; we’re not sure we’ve come across better footwear construction in all the years we’ve been testing. We’ve put our Deckers through hell over the last couple years and– aside from some outsole wear– they’re as good as ever.

We urge you to read this list with caution. Most of our friends and family who end up buying a pair of Deckers start collecting them like Pokemon, finding excuses to get just one more pair. Also, we should offer a disclaimer that this is what you’ll be buying all your family for Christmas from now on (it’s what we do, so it’s okay).

Anyway, check out the newest Deckers X Lab footwear and pick up a pair that will get you through the winter months. We’re training for the Tokyo Marathon right now, and we can assure you that the wool-lined comfort of Deckers is what we slip on immediately after every long run. And in the morning, in the evening, for dog walks, for Christmas parties, at lunchtime, during the workday, and… you get it.

KO-Z EZ Clog

Use: Ridiculous comfort around the house or outside

Okay, so this may be a women’s clog, but if you translate a size and half up from a men’s size, you’re getting everything you need. Robbe’s been wearing this nonstop around the house over the last two weeks, because, well… just look at it. 

The outside is made from EcoTan premium Twinface sheepskin, curly shearling, and suede leather, while the inside is a full submersion into 80% natural wool and 20% recycled polyester comfort. It fits like a glove and doesn’t crush down like those cheaper slippers you buy every year. That ain’t sustainable. But this is a higher form of sustainability, because it’s ultimate comfort in a package that’s built to last. Because this thing has an actual midsole (called Aeorkush), meta-rocker geometry, and a liquid rubber outsole with great traction. Wear it wherever the f*** you want. Just know your feet will go through withdrawal if you try and put them in anything else.

PRICE: $160

KO-Z EZ SCUFF

Use: Comfort with just enough security

When you need to just slip something on for any activity at a moment’s notice, the EZ Scuff is here for you. A clog-style slipper (but with enough of a heel counter to keep your foot inside), the Scuff features a premium shearling upper with a touch of stretch and a thick wool interior for incredible comfort. A multilayered recycled foam midsole provides a ton of comfort, and the liquid rubber outsole provides a ton of traction and durability. I mean, it’s basically like a shoe and slipper had sex and you somehow were lucky enough to adopt its offspring. What more could a parent want?

All that to say, it’s a great slipper and offers pretty much all of the best benefits of a Deckers recovery shoe at one of Deckers’ lower price points.

PRICE: $135

KO-Z EZ CABRIO

Use: Slip on and go for us lazy runners

Like the Scuff, the Cabrio offers pretty much all the comfort, just with a stretchable, crushable, higher heel counter that stretches around your foot to provide the perfect fit. Basically, this is for all us lazy runners that never untie our shoes, except we don’t have to feel bad for slipping them on and off. Thank you, Deckers, for stopping the stigma. 

Like the Scuff, you get that fluffy wool interior lining with a sheepskin upper, so you’re wrapped in the warmest and most comfortable of foot blankets. But a blanket needs a bed, and your foot sits on that bed– an insole of memory foam topped with looped wool.

Again, durability and lifespan isn’t an issue in this slipper– you get that multilayer EVA midsole and a liquid rubber outsole that gives this all the durability of a shoe, inside the package of a slipper. So take them outside, inside, the whole way to your bedside, because you probably won’t take them off once you have them on.

PRICE: $140

KO-Z Chrysalis

Use: All-weather boot with comfort for any condition

For the women out there, the Chrysalis is a weather boot (not waterproof but very water repellent), designed in France by renowned weaving artist Naine Marchal. It features a textile panel in the calf that was woven by hand on a manual loom, meaning– this thing is legit hand-crafted. It’s an ultra-limited drop, and features everything that makes Deckers X Lab excellent. An upcycled EVA midsole gives it a soft and custhioned feel while the meta-rocker geometry gives it a smooth roll through the stride. Inside, you’ll find a 10mm wool interior for ultimate comfort, with a memory foam insole topped with a bed of looped wool. In short, it’s high quality and comfort in a hand-crafted package.

PRICE: $220

X-SCAPE SPSK MID

Use: Flexibility of a sneaker, but with a wool-lined interior that is heaven

This was our favorite Deckers footwear from last year, and we have to say it still holds the throne (I’m wearing them as I type this). It’s a sneaker, but it’s a boot, and it somehow blends the two perfectly. The wool-lined interior is snug and as luxurious as it sounds. The Twinface sheepskin upper is supple and soft and resists light rain. A midsole made from ultralight PU foam wrapped in protective TPU gives you comfort over any walking distance. I swear you could run in these if you really wanted to, and oftentimes I find myself doing just that to get my kids to school on time. It’s a winter staple, and the return is well worth it money spent, which is hard to say for most footwear out there.

PRICE: $200

KO-Z Andes SPSK

Use: All-weather boot with premium features and warmth

If “everything and the kitchen sink” were a boot, this would be it. You already know we love Deckers X Lab, but the love just got kicked up to a whole new level with the Andes SPSK winter boot. Seriously, only Deckers is crazy enough to pull this off, but we’re glad they did. It has all the premium features, with no punches pulled.

Let’s start at the top with a felted wool collar. Offers protection from deep snow and anything else. Remove it if you want (I did). A stretch leather calf makes it easy enough to get the boot on and off, especially since it has an extended waterproof zipper with a nice leather pull tab on it.  Of course, the boot is lined with 3mm of shearling wool and the suede upper features a PFC-free Never Wet® Durable Water Repellent treatment. The real icing on the cake, though, is the Vibram N-Oil Litebase outsole, made with 90% natural ingredients, but still offers that exceptional grip that Vibram is known for.

After wearing these for a few days, they do feel a bit bulky (they are a boot, after all), and definitely need to be broken in a bit. The rocker in this one is pretty obvious so it doesn’t quite feel like a normal boot, but it’s something you get used to. And they look so damn good. Deckers did not skimp on the quality of this one, and it shows. Of course, you’re going to pay for it at $275. But Deckers has proven that they only put the best quality and care into the construction of their footwear, and you won’t find anything better on the market in its competitive range.

PRICE: $275

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