Puffy winter shoes are hardly ever "cool." They're more an obligation than an indulgence — how else are you gonna stave off frozen tootsies? Despite the occasional inclination towards insulating footwear with swag, the generic fur-lined slipper is de rigueur. But what if said slipper was cool?

SUBU, founded in 2016, exists for one reason. It only makes one type of shoe, geared towards one particular season. But, in the realm of winter shoes, SUBU is peerless. The brand's appeal goes beyond the comfort and usefulness of its puffy backless slippers. They may make look like little loaves of bread but SUBU's slippers are capable of looking surprisingly cool, a feat made possible by an impressive slate of collaborators.

It all starts from a solid foundation. A Teflon coating typically reserved for nonstick cookware shields the outside of SUBU’s house shoes from water while quilted insulation and a plush lining retain warmth above a pillowy four-layer insole. It’s a comprehensive recipe for cozy feet. And stylistic innovation.

Every winter, SUBU’s roster of fashionable collaborators swells. Last year it partnered with French fashion label A.P.C. for fleece-lined slip-ons, Sandy Liang for cutesy bow-tied puffers, and MASU for Verdy-designed clogs. This year, it's continued collaborating with Carhartt WIP, updating flame-resistant Cordura puffer slippers with a woven Carhartt patch and a hairy animal print. That’s just the start. 

Fellow Japanese label TOGA is one of SUBU’s new companions. Known for loafers decorated with Western-inspired silver hardware, TOGA brings yeehaw energy to a fuzzy knitted mule with a decorative strap of silver ornamentation. There’s a satisfying tactility in the frizzy outers seen here and in SUBU collaborations with knitwear label PAMM and workwear brand refomed, the latter of which is almost more sneaker than slipper.

The hardy outer shell of SUBU’s puffy shoes can be plenty textural, though. Just ask ANACHRONORM, a specialist in artfully aged denim, which created a custom nylon oxford upper dyed and washed to appear like it's cracking and eroding. 

In SUBU's world, the options are limitless.

Some brands, like collaboration-mad label Wind And Sea, simply add their logo prominently on the top of SUBU’s back-strapped puffy slippers. Others, like the streetwear line AFB, cover the shoes in a thick layer of hair to create beastly slip-ons. 

It's funny that a brand whose signature shoe most closely resembles baked bread is so capable at creating genuinely cool shoes but, much like bread, quality products come from quality materials. And, in SUBU's case, the quality was always there.

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