I really love a slow-burn trend, a vibe that hovers on the periphery of your consciousness for some time and then seems to blossom all at once. Slingback suede clogs are 100% that trend for me. I can map out the points that have joined together, building them up into a big deal and an absolute must addition to my spring wardrobe.

Obviously, the Boston clog by Birkenstock has long been the style set’s off-duty shoe of choice. During the pandemic, when loungewear as daywear was de rigueur, they were elevated from cult status to absolute style classic. I love to see a muted-toned Boston paired with a perfectly slouched cashmere sock. It’s not new, but it just works.

The next step along the road of my comfy shoe obsession was more extreme. I started to notice people wearing Ugg slipper style shoes while out and about, often on the tube. While not quite brave enough to embrace the slipper-as-daywear aesthetic myself, I silently applauded these women, who looked as chic as they did comfortable. They wore fitted leather biker jackets with form-fitting tops, baggy jeans and an Ugg Tazz clog – a shoe that seems to sell out as soon as it’s back in stock. The brand have recently launched a slingback clog, the Goldenstar, which will likely prove to be just as popular.

It is so wonderful that fashion continues to embrace comfort as well as aesthetic. Clogs were front-and-centre once again at Roksanda Ilinčić’s a/w 2024 show in February. The designer, known for her use of strong colour had collaborated with Fit Flop on some bold-hued clogs that went straight to the top of my shopping list, and I know I wasn’t the only one admiring the functional footwear.

I have recently – twice! – spotted women wearing the next step in this flat shoe revolution, the slingback clog, out in the wild. My first official spot was at a panel talk I took part in for International Women’s Day; I could not take my eyes off a lovely neutral suede pair someone was wearing on the front row. My second spot came last week on-set, where the very chic hair assistant was rocking a Dr Marten pair with baggy jeans and an outsized stripe shirt. I instantly wished I was wearing her outfit, instead of my clog-free one.

Since then the floodgates have opened and I am seeing super-chic slingback clogs at every turn. Russell & Bromley’s delightful Hometime version, which comes in black leather or brown suede, is all but sold out in both colourways (as an aside, the R&B website has clogs as an option in their drop-down menu, which I very much enjoy). Birkenstock’s high-end collection have the 1774 IV Tokio in a range of hues from pink to orange, as seen in this month’s issue of Stylist, while their core collection has the Lutry, with a fabulous visible stitching detail that makes it all the more appealing.

Flat suede clogs are everywhere: how this off-duty shoe became a major wardrobe staple