Hint: it’s like walking on sunshine.

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So far, 2023’s biggest buzzword seems to be “recovery.” Everywhere I look, I see recovery supplements, workouts, treatments and tools. It seems the theme for this year is taking care of yourself and allowing your body time to rest after years of focusing on a go-go-go, active lifestyle.

And I won’t lie – I’ve been eating it up. Massage guns? I have two. Foam rollers? I use them before and after every workout. Muscle cool-down gel? A gym bag essential. But recovery slides — that’s a new one for me.

I was never an athlete, so my only knowledge about post-practice slides was from seeing my sister slip into a pair of cushiony, memory foam sandals after a soccer game. My thought was, “Well, duh, she can’t wear her dirty cleats in the car.” It never occurred to me that those shoes might aid in helping her feet recover from a tough game. Although, back then, I doubt those bulky velcro-strapped slides had much real recovery technology behind them.

Up until FP Movement introduced the Halftime styles, I would go from the gym to a full day of running errands in my training sneakers. I would work out or walk or run in my tightly tied sneakers, sweat in them, and then wear them around for the rest of the day — no thought about it.

So just what are recovery slides?

The Benefits of Recovery Slides

To be completely honest, my main motivation for buying the Halftime was because they’re really cute. They come in fun colors, they go with everything, and I’ve seen so many people style them in such cool ways. I opted for the closed-toe clog style, but they also come in a traditional sandal slide version.

I wasn’t really thinking of the need to switch out my sneakers so that my feet have time to rest, recover and breathe. Which is funny because I do this in other ways. Even if I have something to do after my workout and don’t have time to shower, I pretty much always take off my sports bra before I leave the gym. I struggle with breakouts on my back and shoulders, so I try to take off my sweaty bra, so it doesn’t make that problem worse. But I never thought about giving my feet that same extra care.

When I got my Halftimes — a PVC clog-style slide with a lugged sole and a molded, arched footbed — I threw them in my gym bag for the heck of it. They’re supposed to be good for pre- and post-workout, and I had lots to do after my leg day and wanted to be comfy.

I finished my workout, a long one full of split squats, squat jumps, and lots of moves that required really pushing through my heels and staying on my feet. I got changed and slipped on my recovery slides, and felt almost instant relief. I had been putting a lot of pressure on my lower body during each exercise, so changing my shoes literally felt like taking a weight off.

It sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Like, duh take off your tight shoes and put on more comfortable ones after spending a lot of time on your feet. But recovery-focused slides take that a step further and continue to support your body and do extra work for you after you’re done working out — now these shoes have become a vital part of my routine.

I love that they have a high arch on the footbed because it feels really supportive and reinforces my natural arch. A lot of the time sandals and clog-style shoes can have really flat soles and do more harm than good to your feet, but these have a lot of structure, so they feel both comfortable and sturdy enough to wear anywhere. Plus, they’re made from PVC, so they’re really easy to wipe clean— which is great because I like to wear them inside and outside.

Now that I’ve incorporated these shoes into my recovery routine, I feel like I can’t go back. I think about how I used to stay in my sneakers for hours, and I just can’t imagine that was good for my feet. They were swollen from my workout and stuck in sweaty socks — which can cause bacterial growth and blisters! When I put on my slides, I feel like my feet can rest, and breathe, and I can show off a cute pair of socks.

I am so here for making 2023 the year of recovery, (literally) stepping back and seeing how I can better support my body. I put in the time on my physical fitness through working out, but now I’m learning to spend just as much time making sure my body can recover to be at its very best.