And, though this may only be an issue in my house, insulation from stepping in unpleasant things, like wet bathroom floors after showers, wet kitchen floors after dishes, melted snow accidentally tracked in, or really anything wet at all. Cold wet socks are no fun.

Though, like Jennifer, I also do the knockoff Crocs thing rather than the sandal thing. If you're wearing crazy toe socks, you could even do flipflops.