I got a message from my friend today asking me what kind of shoes she could wear whilst traveling that wouldn't be completely hideous. Shoes are so important when you are traveling! When you travel, you are always on your feet, seeing the sites and dancing the night away. So comfort plays a huge part in the "right" travel shoe. Now thinking about shoes that are classified as "comfortable" I immediately think of runners and flip flops (no one even mention Crocs, OK?). Neither of these I would say are particularly "stylish".
If you plan on doing lots of hiking or exercise on your trip then perhaps consider bringing some runners, but apart from that then perhaps not. Apparently wearing white runners screams "I am a tourist" and if anything is screaming that, then it is probably also screaming "pickpocket me!"
(Doesn't this scream "tourist" to you?)
You should definitely bring a pair of flip flops with you though. I feel like if you aren't doing heaps of walking, you're somewhere near a beach or just want a casual look then they are great. Also, you will need these for the showers if you are staying in hostels...no one wants to get foot fungus whilst traveling!
Alright, so what are some viable options for not looking completely hideous when traveling? I hear that Converse shoes and tennis shoes are quite comfortable for traveling in. However, when I traveled to Thailand in January, I brought along with me some cheap tennis shoes that were really horrible. I found that because they weren't incredibly worn in, after a while they started to rub the back of my heel and it ended up feeling like I was walking on the ground. So if you are going to wear them, then make sure they are well and truly broken in before you leave. Also, majority of the time tennis shoes come in white and after you have been walking around for a while they get quite dirty. So I recommend getting them in a darker color to hide the dirt a bit better (or maybe just stain guard and waterproof your white ones).
Your best options are to take whatever shoes are most likely going to match your outfits (ballet flats, boots, tennis shoes etc.) All of these are OK. The thing that is really going to make a difference is wearing insole comforters and gel cushions on the inside the shoe (wish I had thought of this before I took my tennis shoes to Thailand!). This will give you added comfort, stop the shoe from rubbing and make it feel like you aren't walking around barefoot on the ground. They are also really inexpensive and will save you from having to buy a brand new pair of shoes just so you can walk for long periods of time. The best part about gel cushions is that they come in many different shapes to suit your needs and you can wear them with different types of shoes (flats, boots and even sandals). So there is no need to ditch your pretty shoes and replace them with hideous, walking shoes, just add these and you'll be sweet!
(Insole comforter)
(Gel cushions)
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