diff --git a/python-spec/src/somacore/types.py b/python-spec/src/somacore/types.py
index 62733978..edc4639b 100644
--- a/python-spec/src/somacore/types.py
+++ b/python-spec/src/somacore/types.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 """Type and interface declarations that are not specific to options."""
 
-from typing import Any, Optional, TypeVar, Sequence
-from typing_extensions import Protocol, Self, runtime_checkable, TypeGuard
+import sys
+from typing import Any, NoReturn, Optional, Type, TypeVar, Sequence, TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing_extensions import Protocol, Self, TypeGuard
 
 
 def is_nonstringy_sequence(it: Any) -> TypeGuard[Sequence]:
@@ -36,25 +37,45 @@ def __gt__(self, __other: Self) -> bool:
         ...
 
 
-_Cmp_co = TypeVar("_Cmp_co", bound=Comparable, covariant=True)
+_T = TypeVar("_T")
+_T_co = TypeVar("_T_co", covariant=True)
 
 
-@runtime_checkable
-class Slice(Protocol[_Cmp_co]):
+class Slice(Protocol[_T_co]):
     """A slice which stores a certain type of object.
 
     This protocol describes the built in ``slice`` type, with a hint to callers
-    about what type they should put *inside* the slice.
+    about what type they should put *inside* the slice.  It is for type
+    annotations only and is not runtime-checkable (i.e., you can't do
+    ``isinstance(thing, Slice)``), because ``range`` objects also have
+    ``start``/``stop``/``step`` and would match, but are *not* slices.
     """
 
     @property
-    def start(self) -> Optional[_Cmp_co]:
+    def start(self) -> Optional[_T_co]:
         ...
 
     @property
-    def stop(self) -> Optional[_Cmp_co]:
+    def stop(self) -> Optional[_T_co]:
         ...
 
     @property
-    def step(self) -> Optional[_Cmp_co]:
+    def step(self) -> Optional[_T_co]:
         ...
+
+    if sys.version_info < (3, 10) and not TYPE_CHECKING:
+        # Python 3.9 and below have a bug where any Protocol with an @property
+        # was always regarded as runtime-checkable.
+        @classmethod
+        def __subclasscheck__(cls, __subclass: type) -> NoReturn:
+            raise TypeError("Slice is not a runtime-checkable protocol")
+
+
+def is_slice_of(__obj: object, __typ: Type[_T]) -> TypeGuard[Slice[_T]]:
+    return (
+        # We only respect `slice`s proper.
+        isinstance(__obj, slice)
+        and (__obj.start is None or isinstance(__obj.start, __typ))
+        and (__obj.stop is None or isinstance(__obj.stop, __typ))
+        and (__obj.step is None or isinstance(__obj.step, __typ))
+    )
diff --git a/python-spec/testing/test_types.py b/python-spec/testing/test_types.py
index 3034e0c1..528a74ec 100644
--- a/python-spec/testing/test_types.py
+++ b/python-spec/testing/test_types.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import itertools
 from typing import Any, Iterable
 import unittest
 
@@ -17,5 +18,34 @@ def test_is_nonstringy_sequence(self):
                 self.assertFalse(types.is_nonstringy_sequence(non_seq))
 
     def test_slice(self):
-        self.assertIsInstance(slice(None), types.Slice)
-        self.assertNotIsInstance((1, 2), types.Slice)
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            issubclass(slice, types.Slice)  # type: ignore[misc]
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            isinstance(slice(None), types.Slice)  # type: ignore[misc]
+
+    def test_is_slice_of(self):
+        for sss_int in itertools.product((None, 1), (None, 1), (None, 1)):
+            slc_int = slice(*sss_int)  # start, stop, step
+            with self.subTest(slc_int):
+                self.assertTrue(types.is_slice_of(slc_int, int))
+                if slc_int != slice(None):
+                    # Slices of one type are not slices of a disjoint type,
+                    # except for the empty slice which is universal.
+                    self.assertFalse(types.is_slice_of(slc_int, str))
+        for sss_str in itertools.product((None, ""), (None, ""), (None, "")):
+            slc_str = slice(*sss_str)  # start, stop, step
+            with self.subTest(slc_str):
+                self.assertTrue(types.is_slice_of(slc_str, str))
+                if slc_str != slice(None):
+                    self.assertFalse(types.is_slice_of(slc_str, int))
+
+        # Non-slices
+        self.assertFalse(types.is_slice_of(1, int))
+        self.assertFalse(types.is_slice_of(range(10), int))
+
+        # All slots must match
+        slc_heterogeneous = slice("a", 1, ())
+        self.assertFalse(types.is_slice_of(slc_heterogeneous, str))
+        self.assertFalse(types.is_slice_of(slc_heterogeneous, int))
+        self.assertFalse(types.is_slice_of(slc_heterogeneous, tuple))
+        self.assertTrue(types.is_slice_of(slc_heterogeneous, object))