Travel Tip: Make sure your shoes are well "broken in" before you leave for your trip. You do not want to start off your trip by developing blisters all over your feet.

[Walking Shoes/Hiking Boots] [Sport Sandals]

Keep your feet happy by wearing comfortable, practical, and durable shoes. Beyond comfort, having shoes that can be worn in many scenarios is also important. For this reason, I generally do not suggest people bring tennis shoes/trainers for their main pair of travel footwear, especially if you are only bringing one pair of shoes with you.  Why? Well, if the need arises for you to be "dressed up," tennis shoes/trainers just do not cut it. Many restaurants/clubs have dress codes that specifically do not allow tennis shoes/trainers or sandals/flip-flops. Also, if you plan to do any hiking or adventure walking, a low-profile hiking boot or sport sandal will serve you better than tennis shoes/trainers. For those reasons, I would recommend bringing a pair of great shoes that can be used for any occasion.

Walking Shoes/Hiking Boots

What to look for in a walking shoe/hiking boot:

• neutral color (solid black or brown)
• waterproof or water resistant construction
• good, comfortable foot-bed, suitable for your arch or lack thereof
• rubber soles with good traction to prevent slipping
• shoes with metal grommets for laces to go through
• light-weight shoes

What to avoid in a walking shoe/hiking boot:

• bold or multi-colored shoe or laces
• smooth soled bottoms
• non-rubber soled bottoms
• shoes without metal grommets for laces to go through
• really heavy shoes

Some brands to consider:

• Columbia
• Dr. Marten's
• Merrell
• Naturalizer
• Rockport
• Sketchers
• Timberland

Click here to see examples of good walking shoes/hiking boots.

Place to buy walking shoes and hiking boots.

Sport Sandals

What to look for in a sport sandal:

• rubber soles with good traction to prevent slipping
• good, comfortable foot-bed, suitable for your arch or lack thereof
• adjustable straps, preferably Velcro
• anti-order foot-bed coating
• smooth foot-bed (heavily or deeply grooved foot-beds are very hard to clean)
• padded straps to prevent chaffing

What to avoid in a sport sandal:

• smooth soled bottoms
• non-rubber soled bottoms
• non-padded straps
• heavily/deeply grooved foot-bed

Some brands to consider:

• Ecco
• Kamik
• Merrell
• New Balance
• Nike
• Teva

Click here to see examples of good sport sandals.

Place to buy walking shoes and sport sandals.