Best walking shoes?

[Bell30012]

Makes sense. But don't your feet just plain get hot wearing socks and full shoes in the hot summer months? Then again, I live in sandals from April-Oct and I live in Canada! LOL

Think about it, do you ever see soldiers go on a road march in flip flops? Marathon runners wearing flip flops? People who walk in hundred mile marches like Nijmegen, in flip flops? There's a reason. People mistakenly believe that open shoes like sandals are going to keep their feet cooler. They don't. See if you see any podiatrist wearing sandals. You won't. They wear shoes that give them arch support and protection. They also wear socks. Socks cushion every blow that your foot has to take. Try it one day. Wear good quality socks and athletic shoes one day, flip flops another.

 

[KookyDisneyFam]

My two faves are Sketchers walking shoes and Asics Nimbus 16. The Nimbus shoes are like walking on clouds...LOVE!!! And Sketchers walking shoes have that nice memory foam feel. Both are great but sore feet seem to be inevitable in whatever you wear!

 

[meowser]

Think about it, do you ever see soldiers go on a road march in flip flops? Marathon runners wearing flip flops? People who walk in hundred mile marches like Nijmegen, in flip flops? There's a reason. People mistakenly believe that open shoes like sandals are going to keep their feet cooler. They don't. See if you see any podiatrist wearing sandals. You won't. They wear shoes that give them arch support and protection. They also wear socks. Socks cushion every blow that your foot has to take. Try it one day. Wear good quality socks and athletic shoes one day, flip flops another.

You do realize that there are flip flops that have amazing arch support? My Abeo flip flops have been a a miracle for me. Because it's a flip flop, my bunion has plenty of room and isn't confined. And they are the most supportive shoe I own and have the best arch support. And that includes the Danskos I own. I am so happy that spring is arriving and I can start wearing my flip flops again because my bunion has been confined in shoes and boots all winter and is really hurting. Summer in the Abeo flip flops really makes my feet feel so much better! And it's been years (almost 20) since I've found a pair of athletic shoes that are comfortable on my feet. Even when I've found something in the store that feels great, when I get them home in a real world situation, one of my feet goes numb within half an hour. I cannot figure out why. I can walk better and longer in 4" heels than I can in athletic shoes. Now my hiking (backpacking) boots are amazing, but definite overkill for Disney.

But you are right about protection. The flip flops have no protection and that's a choice I make. The fact that they are so much more comfortable and pain free for me outweighs the danger of no protection. DH would never make that choice though!

I will say that I don't really like them in the rain because they have leather straps.

And to answer the general question... I agree that it is such a personal decision and everyone is different. I bring several shoes and alternate between them. The Abeo sandals are my new favorite and I can go all day in them! I have successfully worn Crocs in the past. Nowadays they don't have enough support to last me all day, but they are certainly great for half a day (and rain). Danskos are pretty good, but even with good wicking socks, still are generally too hot for me at Disney. I still bring them and may wear them for a bit. DH has found GoWalk 2s to be the best he's found so far. However they're not perfect and he's still looking for a better Disney shoe.

 

[Lm3js]

I went through this exact same thing planning for a summer trip to WDW. I ended up with J-41 "Misty" and here was my rationale (this after buying 8+ pairs of shoes on Zappos/Amazon and sending all but this pair back and then buying a second pair later).

1. You want closed toe. People and strollers will step on your feet
2. You want arch support. Long days of walking and this will help your back
3. You want breathable - especially if you go in hot weather
4. You want quick dry -- especially after the water rides. Socks and Trainers are THE WORST.
5. You want something that is cute with shorts, pants and/or skirts.

J-41 Mistys have all of this + you can take out the insoles to clean and/or also put them in washer. They are also deep enough you can put your own orthotics if you have them. Super comfy -- but agree with other posters that you have to wear any shoes before you go to get them acclimated to your feet/walking. They come in a lot of color combinations so will go with a lot of different outfits. I didn't want flip flops as they make you take those off on Soarin and I was afraid they would also fall off my feet on other rides. J-41 also has other styles that would be suitable. These are my go-to for amusement parks.

 

[xlxo]

1. You want closed toe. People and strollers will step on your feet

Love my steeltoes on a crowded train.

I say look closely at your favourite shoes.... do they wear evenly? If not, you might want to consider some orthopedic inserts. Not cheap, but my ortho inserts made a huge difference in my search for comfortable shoes.

Good Feet worked great for me at first, but I had a complicated foot problem that needed podiatrist visit for proper inserts.

 

[David M.Jhonson]

Walking shoes carry the right design to provide sufficient comfort to walk for hours. They minimize the stress and impact on your feet preventing injury. Uncomfortable shoes can force the rest of your body to adopt a particular gait to compensate for it. The associated effect is back pain, shoulder pain and limping – never a good thing.