When a man enters the state of ihram for Hajj or Umrah, he must be careful about what he wears on his feet. The basic rule is that a man in ihram should not wear normal closed shoes, socks, boots, or footwear that covers the ankles. He should wear open sandals or slippers that leave the feet sufficiently uncovered.
The main Islamic reference for this ruling is the hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was asked what a man in ihram may wear. He ﷺ said that the muhrim should not wear certain fitted garments, and he also mentioned that he should not wear khuffayn, meaning leather socks or footwear that covers the feet, unless he cannot find sandals. In that case, he may wear khuffayn. This hadith is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
For this reason, the safest and most practical footwear for men in ihram is a pair of simple open sandals or flip-flops. The sandals should leave the ankles uncovered and should not cover most of the upper part of the foot. A good ihram sandal is one that has a sole underneath the foot and only light straps over the foot. It should not look or function like a normal closed shoe.
Men should avoid wearing trainers, sneakers, boots, loafers, leather shoes, Crocs-style shoes, socks, or any footwear that covers the ankle. They should also avoid sandals with straps that wrap around the ankle. If a sandal has a back strap below the ankle, it may be acceptable, but the safer choice is to use simple open sandals without anything covering the ankle area.
It is important to understand that stitching is not the main issue. Some people think that anything stitched is forbidden in ihram, but this is not correct. A sandal may have stitching and still be permissible, as long as it does not cover the foot in the prohibited way. The issue is not whether the sandal is stitched, but whether it covers the part of the foot that should remain uncovered.
There is some difference of opinion among scholars about how much of the foot must remain exposed. Many scholars focus especially on the ankles, while some scholars, particularly in the Hanafi school, are more cautious and say that the top middle part of the foot should also remain uncovered. Because of this difference, the safest option is to wear sandals that expose both the ankles and the top part of the foot.
If a man cannot find sandals, the hadith gives a concession that he may wear khuffayn. This is an exception for need, not a normal choice. If suitable sandals become available later, he should change into them.
If a man has a medical need, such as a foot injury, diabetes-related foot problems, severe pain, or a doctor’s instruction to wear special footwear, he should not harm himself. He should first try to find open medical sandals that follow the ihram rules. If that is not possible and he genuinely needs closed medical footwear, he may wear what is necessary, but he should ask a qualified scholar about whether fidyah is required.
The practical recommendation is simple: before travelling for Hajj or Umrah, buy comfortable open sandals or flip-flops and test them before the journey. They should be comfortable for long walking, easy to put on and remove, and safe on marble floors. The ankles should be uncovered, and the top of the foot should be mostly open.
