Can we talk shoes?

[disneyinthespringtime]

We did sneakers for everyone as the default but brought flip flops and put those on for wet rides or at the end of the day if we were not walking tons more and just needed to let our feet breathe. Highly recommend it.

 

[lovewdwdvc]

If you start to feel a blister go directly to first aid and get a blister bandaid from them.

 

[katyjeka]

Crazy as is sounds I wear flip-flops for most of our trip. My dh thinks I'm crazy but I have never had an issue with them. My only advice, I wouldn't buy new ones and break them in. We traveled with my sister and her family. She bought her kids new shoes, I warned against it. They were miserable. Have a great trip.

 

[choirbird]

Seconding (sixth-ing?) the Tevas. I’m a huge flip flop fan at home (the kind with arch support, also Teva brand, but not for Disney.

When I come back to the hotel, I lie on my bed and elevate my feet up the wall. This seemed to help. I also take turmeric capsules to reduce inflammation.

I plan to alternate sneakers with inserts, the same Brooks I use for working out, with the Tevas. I also DEFINITELY used a ton of Body Glide and blister bandages on our last trip!!

 

[YawningDodo]

Chiming in to support the advice to do what's comfortable for you, break them in ahead of time, and bring multiple shoes. I bring so many shoes on Disney trips because it's the only time I really feel I need to--I'm not someone who's fussy about having shoes that match my outfits and I don't tend to care about shoes in an aesthetic sense, but on Disney trips shoes are the one area where I go nuts and bring any I think I might need/want, because it can be such a trip-ruiner if you don't have the right ones for your current needs.

Not only bring multiple pairs of park shoes, but bring very different pairs. In 2015 I made the mistake of bringing two pairs of Birkenstocks, and when one pair rubbed me wrong the other pair, though it had softer straps and didn't normally bother me, rubbed in exactly the same places! I know people (my mother included) who live in Birks and swear by them, but even though I wore mine for months ahead of time I just never found them as comfortable as advertised and when my feet got sweaty the pair I had with faux leather straps rubbed the tops of my feet raw. I ended up wearing them with socks some days to get relief (and covering my feet in bandaids when I didn't), but I know I can wear other sandals without socks and be comfortable, so I just don't use the Birks for long days anymore.

So now, even though I love my Keens sandals (similar to what was pictured on the last page of this thread) and I have two pair of them, I only bring one pair of the Keens and my other shoes all have to be wildly different to one another. I mostly switch between the Keens and a pair of Sanuk flip flops, but I'll also have a pair of my regular sneakers on hand. I love the Sanuks; I bought them mid-trip at Disneyland and broke the "no new shoes at the parks" rule because I hadn't brought enough variety of shoes and I was getting sore from wearing the Keens too often. I absolutely love them; I started wearing them all day right in the middle of the trip, and even though I hadn't broken them in I had no blisters. They have good arch support (at least for my relatively flat feet) and the cloth straps don't chafe my feet.

 

[ScoutsMom21]

You've gotten some great suggestions from the others - my favorite being to bring a few different pairs of shoes. I personally find switching out shoes over the course of vacation makes a big difference.

Now, as someone that in addition to the miles clocked at WDW has also stood for 12-15 hours at a time over multiple days at trade shows, here's a few other tips to keep your feet feeling good all week.

1. Buy yourself a couple pairs of compression socks. True, that they'll possibly be too warm to wear in the parks. But when you're back at the hotel put them on for awhile. They really help not only your feet, but your legs.

2. There's a great, basic yoga move that I and my lady work colleagues use religiously at trade shows. You're going to feel silly doing it the first time but IT WORKS LIKE A DREAM. When you're back in your hotel room at night, lay down on the floor with your butt up against the wall and your legs pointing up the wall, heels resting on the wall. It helps all the fluid that's built up in your feet and legs drain (thanks to gravity). Sit like that for at least 10 minutes (the longer the better). You can also do this pose on your bed with your butt up against the headboard and your legs going straight up the wall.

 

[jenPSU]

I’m going to agree with the many that have said to bring different pairs ... not just for comfort, but in the event of rain or anything else that might get your shoes wet. I made my family bring two pairs minimum each, and my husband thought it was overkill. But wouldn’t you know it, we got caught in a couple afternoon storms, and our shoes were not totally dry the next day. There is nothing worse that putting on wet shoes in the morning!

Another tip regarding socks: I found that some socks I thought were fine actually ended up sliding down my heels after that much walking. So I buy ankle socks that have a nice thick heel that prevents them from sliding down. Huge difference!

 

[Pamela M]

No one has said it but I LOVE Hoka One Brand Bondi style shoes - they look clunky and awful but they have support and cushion. The walking doesn't get me it's the standing that makes my feet ache. I've heard good thing about Chaco's and bought a pair to try out.
I also agree with bringing more than one pair of shoes with you.

 

[billlaurie]

I asked a similar question and got some great suggestions. I have bought both Chaco and Ecco sandals, which seem to have good arch support. I will also bring my trusty sketchers for a backup but I don't do well with sneakers in the summer. We are going in June. I have been wearing the sandals around the house for break in, and will move outside when the weather warms. I ordered both the regular Chacos and the cloud version, which I find a bit more comfy. I did not buy the style with the toe strap and got the double thin strap version. My husband also prefers the cloud version but likes the style that has the widest straps with no toe strap.

 

[Belia]

Thanks so much for everyone's thoughtful suggestions!

We're leaving in FOUR DAYS. I bought a pair of Hoka Bondis and a pair of Topo sneakers. I'm going to alternate those at the parks. I also want to bring sandals to the parks in case we get caught in the rain- I tried two different pairs of Tevas, but they just weren't comfortable. Something about the straps was wrong. I got a pair of cushy flip-flops from Born on clearance. I know most people say flips are a no-no, but I live in them over the summer so I'm thinking that as an emergency back-up for soaked feet they'll probably be ok.

Honestly, I'm worried about my choice of sandals. We'll see! I'll report back!

 

[Jdogbeanie]

Agree with hoka and keens!and compression socks a must after the park.

 

[YawningDodo]

No one has said it but I LOVE Hoka One Brand Bondi style shoes - they look clunky and awful but they have support and cushion. The walking doesn't get me it's the standing that makes my feet ache. I've heard good thing about Chaco's and bought a pair to try out.
I also agree with bringing more than one pair of shoes with you.

I run in Hoka Arahi 2's and love them for that; I've never tried walking in them but I could see Hoka's being good. Good support, good cushion, and I don't know about the Bondi, but the Arahi has a little bit of a rocker sole that propels you forward and reduces the effort each step takes.

 

[YawningDodo]

Thanks so much for everyone's thoughtful suggestions!

We're leaving in FOUR DAYS. I bought a pair of Hoka Bondis and a pair of Topo sneakers. I'm going to alternate those at the parks. I also want to bring sandals to the parks in case we get caught in the rain- I tried two different pairs of Tevas, but they just weren't comfortable. Something about the straps was wrong. I got a pair of cushy flip-flops from Born on clearance. I know most people say flips are a no-no, but I live in them over the summer so I'm thinking that as an emergency back-up for soaked feet they'll probably be ok.

Honestly, I'm worried about my choice of sandals. We'll see! I'll report back!

If it's what you're used to wearing, it will probably be fine. I've seen tons of people in flip flops at the parks and I'm a convert to it myself. I wore my Sanuks for a 17 hour day in which I did all four parks and did not have any more foot pain from it than you'd expect in any quality pair of shoes. I think the opinions against flip flops tend to assume that you're using cheap, flat ones with no support or cushioning, and/or they come from people who have had their feet run over by strollers when they wore sandals (a potential risk, but not one I've experienced myself despite wearing sandals on crowded days). And, too, some people are just bothered by the strap no matter what, but if you're used to them I would not assume that they'll suddenly stop working for you.

 

[Twitterpaited]

No one has said it but I LOVE Hoka One Brand Bondi style shoes - they look clunky and awful but they have support and cushion. The walking doesn't get me it's the standing that makes my feet ache. I've heard good thing about Chaco's and bought a pair to try out.
I also agree with bringing more than one pair of shoes with you.

I bought a pair of Hokas but they don’t have enough room for my arch-support insoles.

 

[cjnix29]

I can not wear tennis shoes in the parks. Not for a whole day. The only times I ever have gotten blisters at Disney is when I wore tennis shoes, good ones that wouldn't do that at home. I LOVE my Keen Venice H2s. I bring a couple of different pairs, in various stages of wear. Good when it rains, good support, and my feet can breathe. I occasionally, on short outings, will wear my birkenstocks, but couldn't do that all day. 6pm.com is a great website for sandals! It's where I usually buy my keens, at a great price.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Thanks for this thread which reminded me that it's time to buy new walking shoes; once a year they are done and into the trash they go.

Easy Spirit mules (or clogs as they've renamed them) work on urban streets, whether cobble-stoned or cement, camping trips, WDW - any place I'll be doing a good bit of walking. I even wear them to signature restaurants at WDW as some are fashion forward styles. In fact I wear them at least 5 days out of the week which probably explains why they need replacing annually. No need for moleskin and such since they fit properly. One of the well made features of these shoes is they have a cupped back so your heels aren't exposed which many podiatrists think is important for well balanced footwear. Great arch support and reasonably priced.

Like PPs I always travel with 2 pairs of walking shoes so one can rest while I wear the other. Never had a problem with wet feet as shoes tend to dry out quickly on rides like Kali or Splash Mountain in the FL sun although I do wear flip flops to the water parks.

 

[jamesg]

Brooks Ghost GTX (Gore-Tex) running shoes. All the comfort of a cushioned running shoe plus the water protection of Gore-Tex.

I typically visit WDW in January so I find having a Gore-Tex shoe a safe bet with the colder/wetter weather.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

I haven't been down to the World in 17 years, and I can't remember what I wore the last time I was down there. I'm fairly certain I wore some kind of sandal. Either way I'm glad I found this thread.

 

[LVSWL]

I think that our need for support and comfort change as we age. 17 years ago I was wearing Teva flip flops and swearing by them. In the last few years I have been a lot more comfortable with Clarks or Cloudsteppers, Baretraps, good sneakers. I make sure that I am not taking shoes that I haven't broken in and worn walking in at home. That being said I also take plenty of moleskin, because no matter how comfy your shoes are you are likely to get hot spots or blisters with all the walking. Not wearing the same pair of shoes days in a row is also a good idea.

 

[gorkt]

I agree with the advice to alternate shoes. I usually bring a well worn pair of sandals and a soft breathable walking shoe, like gowalks. This year I will bring some allbirds. They are super comfy. I also pack some fabric bandaids and neosporin for the inevitable hot spots.