indoor school shoes; hallway slippers
Refers to shoes worn inside school buildings, typically soft-soled and kept at school. Often contrasted with outdoor shoes (下靴).
See also: 上履き (うわばき)
When we arrive at school, we change into our indoor shoes.
I forgot my indoor shoes, so I spent the whole day in slippers.
Waterproof overshoes worn over regular shoes, mainly in rainy or snowy weather. Less common in modern daily life; often replaced by rain boots or waterproof footwear.
In the old days, we used to wear overshoes to school on rainy days.
Compound of 上 (うわ, 'upper, above') and 靴 (ぐつ, 'shoes'), literally 'upper shoes', referring to shoes worn on top of regular footwear (overshoes) or shoes worn inside (indoor shoes).