Tips for happy feet in the parks? (posted my results on pg. 6)

[DaisyDuck001]

Lots of great ideas on this thread. I would add, before your trip, practice not only standing, but walking. If you get in the habit of doing a lot of walking, it will be a lot easier at WDW.

 

[kristenm514]

Can I just say that this thread is both wonderful and horrible? I just ordered 2 new pairs of shoes for my May trip that I didn't even know I needed! But seriously, I am a runner and I never wear my running shoes for anything BUT running. That's a pretty standard rule that I've heard since I started running.

That said, my trusty Old Navy $1 flip flops certainly can't handle Disney, and closed shoes are hot and restrictive if you start to swell mid-day. I've just kind of sucked it up the past two years when we went to Disneyland, but that was with only two or three days of park touring. DD and I are going to WDW in May for a full week and I'm going to need to do better.

I just ordered a pair of Teva Mush originals (in a super cute print!) and a pair of Croc ballet flats on sale for $10 on Amazon, thanks to the advice in this thread. Thanks everyone!

 

[RAPstar]

Any opinions on either the Teva Hurricane XLT sandals or Nike Downshifter 5? I got both of them this year. I've used Crocs years passed and they just never worked for me. Tennis shoes are better, but I'll get some new, better socks closer to my trip.

 

[AthenaBolina]

Any opinions on either the Teva Hurricane XLT sandals or Nike Downshifter 5? I got both of them this year. I've used Crocs years passed and they just never worked for me. Tennis shoes are better, but I'll get some new, better socks closer to my trip.

The tevas are great and comfy, but for me the arch wasn't quite high enough. I swear by chacos!

 

[j2thomason]

The tevas are great and comfy, but for me the arch wasn't quite high enough. I swear by chacos!

I totally agree! I have plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis and a heel spur all on my left foot/ankle. My tevas and keens did not give me the support needed on my arch. I wear chacos and crocs year-round. I'm a teacher and stand up almost all day. Although if I wear my chacos too long at WDW the bottoms of my feet start to peel. Sounds crazy, I know. They aren't really blisters at all. It's like that waffled pattern of the shoe just makes me shed a layer of skin. It doesn't hurt like a blister, but it is uncomfortable and annoying. The same thing happened to my daughter when she wore her chacos at WDW. I wear my Disney crocs a lot at WDW, but try to change shoes often. I sometimes even rent a locker just to store an extra pair of shoes so I don't have to traipse back to the resort to change shoes and give my feet a little relief. I use band aids covered with moleskin when needed for blisters. I always soak my feet at night, but have never iced them or used Epsom salts. I will have to try that when we arrive at WDW in 10 days!

 

[j2thomason]

Just a quick update. I have been at WDW all week this week and have worn my Chacos everyday with no problems. As I had posted earlier, I have LOTS of problems with my feet. So to have no issues at all is shocking. The Chacos have kept the pressure off of my hale spur and kept my feet from getting so tired.

 

[elyse43230]

Just my two cents...

I always go in June (like OP), but even though it is hot, I still wear sneakers. I have a pair of old Puma's that are very worn in so with some good socks, these are great.

I also alternate with a second sneaker. This year I will be taking my Sketchers Air (with the AMAZING memory foam you have to feel to believe) that I got for Christmas. Wear these constantly. http://www.skechers.com/style/11848/skech-air/nvcl#Color=GYHP

Finally I also have a pair of crocs (The Cleo http://www.crocs.com/crocs-cleo-ii/11214,default,pd.html?cid=65L&cgid=women-best-sellers ), but these are my least successful WDW shoes. I get blisters if I don't use an insole and body glide so I am not one of those that thinks Crocs are the best thing ever.

Oh and pair of flip flops for the resort!

I didn't see this mentioned but, especially in June, always stay hydrated. We carry foldable water bottles (sometimes called Anti-Water bottles) that clip onto our bags and just fill them up with water fountains or QS stations. I know people don't like the taste, but I'm like, if it's wet I'm drinking it! I just think it's way more important to stay hydrated because dehydration can affect your body more ways than just feeling thirsty!

CVS is selling foldable water bottles 2 for $3 in their seasonal section! I just bought two today as backups if my fancy Vapur ones die!

 

[niffer5150]

i bring two different pairs of asics running sneakers. rotating them daily kept me from getting hot spots and different styles sit differently on the foot, keeping it fresh. i'm currently breaking in two new different pairs for our trip next january, gel 1160 and kayano 19's. early? yes, just "broken in" won't cut it for disney. i want mine near ruined because that's when they are the pinnacle of comfy.

 

[pixieMandy]

I swear by KEEN sandals. I have the Whisper and a nicer leather Paradise pair. Both have taken me all over WDW on 3 separate weeklong trips, all over NYC multiple times, all over DC, plus normal wear in between. I have never got blisters or sore feet. KEEN sandals are the only sandals my girls can take out of the box and wear all over WDW and never have any issues. They prefer to wear them over their sneakers, but when at WDW we usually will alternate days wearing KEENs with wearing New Balance sneakers with moisture wicking socks.

 

[think-like-tink]

I giggled at "happy feet". I pictured a little "Eric" dancing on Main Street.

 

[DakotaRose]

It helps if your feet are used to the shoes. Before your trip, spend several hours a day in your Disney shoes/sandals, preferably walking and standing a lot. By the time you travel, those little muscles, ligaments and tendons in your feet won't be in such shock on a long Disney day.

 

[missastrocat]

By the 2nd or 3rd day, my feet are covered in blisters. I've tried Chacos, Teva Tirras, Crocs, and many types of sneakers to no avail.

One thing that did help me were the type of socks I used. You may think it funny, but the socks with the individual toes helped reduce the pain of the blisters and the rubbing between my toes and ball of my foot. The brand my husband and I use are the Injinji brand. We get them at REI but I've also purchased them on Amazon.

Does anyone who uses the Teva Mush sandals have issues from not having a heel strap? Do your feet feel like that are constantly holding up the flip flops?

I have issues with any kind of pattern to the shoe where the bottom of my feet touch. I get insta-blisters or they feel like they are on fire (croc massaging bumps.. yea right).

 

[jmulvaney]

I love my Keens and Tevas, but I walked all over Boston last summer in a couple pairs of Kalso Earths. They were fabulous, so I think I'm going to bring them to WDW this summer.

 

[JennyMP03]

Thanks to everyone still commenting in this thread!

I've gone to the shoe store and tried on:
--Keens Whispers: supportive design for a sandal, but the inside sole felt too hard for my foot
--Skechers Go Walks: the memory foam insole felt nice, but not enough support overall. I felt it would slip off my foot.
--Chacaos: omg, how does one make the straps work, I don't even
--Skechers Go Walk sneakers: again, I like the memory foam, but they felt too tight and restrictive otherwise


I feel like I would be good with something like the Keens if they had that memory foam insole. I am still trying to figure it out! I have gone to the shoe store three times, tried things on, and bought nothing. Ha!

 

[practicallyperfect77]

My last trip to WDW was in Dec 2013. I knew I would be ok with closed toe shoes. A couple months before my trip, I went to a running store and got fitted for some good walking shoes. I tried to go on lots of walks to get my body used to that movement. (I have a desk job so not lots of walking during the day). I probably only managed 3 walks a week, but I did remarkably well. I arrived at RD every day but 1 and stayed til close as well so lots of time on my feet. It wasn't until the last day that my feet really hurt, but I also did all 4 parks that day so I figure I deserved it. I have bad achilles pain in my right ankle and did lots of exercises and stretches to help that too. And every night when I got back to my room, I rubbed my feet with peppermint lotion and took some advil.

As for open toe shoes - I'm still battling the darn archilles pain and have a cruise coming up in a couple weeks. My PT told me the only sandals he recommends are orthaheels. I about died paying $60 for a pair of flip flops, but have worn them all over the house today and they are doing fine. They do have an imprint on the bottom though and I'm curious how that will feel if my feet get wet.

All that said, I highly recommend going on walks before your trip. Heck you can even practice some power walking so you can get to the front of the line at rope drop (if that's your thing....I shouldn't assume everyone has this goal).

 

[rachel09985]

I used to have really bad feet at disney. It was miserable... I think i found something that helps finally!

I just got Asics which are amazing...I alternate them between Teva Mush Sandals every other day. It really helps to alternate between two different types of supportive shoe.

 

[pharaoh]

I swear by the Skechers Go Walk shoes. A friend got them before her first Disney trip last August, and wouldn't stop raving about them, so I got a pair to try out and fell in love. I wore them to work (retail, so a lot of walking around) for about a month before my trip in January to get them nice and broken in, and they were great.

Ended up buying two other pairs so now I have two pairs of the sneaker Go Walks, and a pair of ballet flat-style Go Walks and they are all amazing. They come with me on every trip and have not failed me so far.

On my Disney trip I wish I had extra pairs because I could have done with rotating them, but overall my feet were pretty happy.

I have done Disney in Keds, Vans, flip flops, kitten heel boots, and those giant red and black Mickey Crocs, which I bought one year in the middle of the day because my shoes DIED and I could not walk anymore in them. The Go Walks win hands down.

I have tried the Skechers with the memory foam and do not like them. My feet are wide and the pair I had were already kinda narrow, and after a busy day of work where I was running around a lot, they got so tight that I got INSANE blisters on the tops of my feet. The memory foam was super comfy but the actual shoe was horrible.

I do have Nike memory foam sandals and really like them, though. But I have not worn them on long walking days so I don't know if they would be good for Disney.

 

[nagshead]

Going to try olukai

 

[JennyMP03]

Since this thread was bumped, I'll say that I eventually settled on Teva Tirras when I saw them for sale on zulily.

They seem okay! I've used them for walking the park, mall, and treadmill. I won't know for sure until I'm there and walk Disney for several days in a row, but I think they'll work as good as anything else for my troubling feet.

I also bought a $10 pack of gel insoles. It seems like I can keep them in my sandals well enough since the Tirras close at the heel, ankle, and over the toes.

 

[Stefecatzz]

I am curious if anyone has any experience w/the Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotic Inserts that you get from using the machines at Walmart or CVS?