The times are a-changin’. The weekday commute is no longer just about sweating on the Tube, eyes glued to your phone in case you accidentally make eye contact with a fellow worker or – God forbid – the man performatively reading Dostoevsky on the way to his incomprehensible job in Canary Wharf. According to recent statistics, hybrid working is the new normal for more than a quarter (28 per cent) of British working adults.

What does this have to do with HEYDUDE? Well, earlier this month (September 10) the casual footwear brand hosted a co-workspace at London’s 180 The Strand, designed especially to celebrate the “new commute” and the changing shape of the working day. 

Dubbed the Comfort Class Lounge, the one-day-only event gave attendees a comfy place to work, meet, take a break and grab something to eat between tasks. Of course, there was also a chance to catch up with the latest HEYDUDE collection – including the Paul Pro Classic for men and Austin Lift Clog for women – between the usual catch-up meetings, as well as catching up with the team behind the brand itself.

With the notion of a new commute in mind, the team at HEYDUDE note that modern living has ushered in a new hybrid work culture: outside the office, this might include lunchtime gym sessions, working from cafes, early morning run-clubs or dropping by a ceramics class on the way home. The old home-to-office-to-home routine has been replaced by a series of interconnected moments that make up the working day. This daily routine is also reflected in the lives of university students, who are increasingly finding new ways of working that don't include all dayers in the library, but instead a more well rounded combination of wellness, social activites and academia. 

In other words, footwear cannot solely be designed for a single destination – luckily, as always, HEYDUDE has all-day comfort in mind. Its latest collection is designed around lightweight comfort and versatility, offering an easygoing approach to the new commute, signalling how the days of dressing for one desk and one destination are no longer realistic. Whether you’re heading into the office, setting up shop in your favourite café or squeezing something social into the middle of your day, HEYDUDE is making a case for comfort that can keep up.

Take a closer look at the Comfort Class Lounge in the gallery above and shop the key pieces throughout the article.