What shoes to wear in the parks

[shandysugar]

I'm taking Keens, Skecher GoWalks, Old Navy flip flops, and possibly a pair of Tevas. I have terrible feet that get painful walking and blister easily. I had a horrible trip to Vegas where I ended up with 6 blisters on each foot and huge ones on the ball of each foot.

I was talking to my husband about this and he looked horrified at the amount of shoes I'm taking He told me not to even tell him, ignorance is bliss I guess

 

[TraceyPoppins]

I've worn just regular vans, and i regretted it. Most recently I bought a pair of Nike Free's, and they were so light and comfortable. Highly recommend for walking around the parks!

I bought a cute pair of Vans Old Skools before our last trip and they cut into my Achilles' tendons My only back ups were Reef flip flops (very comfy but not designed for 10 hrs of walking). This year I am bringing two pairs of running shoes along with the Reefs!

 

[staceyatdisney]

I alternate between extremely lightweight minimalistic workout shoes (New Balance Minimus) and some limited use of Converse All Stars. The Converse are sort of a minimalistic shoe just much heaver. Also, they have no "ground feel" and are much hotter. They work fine for me, however, I would not wear minimalistic shoes unless you are used to them all the time because they really work you legs, specifically your calves.

IMO this question is dependent upon the person. Age, fitness level, stature and previous injuries are all variables in the equation. Additionally, Disney is a fairly unusual "workout" on the body. How many of us walk and stand around for 12-15+ hrs a day? I've been running for 25+ years, I hit the gym regularly and have a high fitness level. Do my legs and feet hurt a bit when I'm at Disney....yup!

 

[Kiersten]

Try Asics. They are a bit pricey but they hold up well and are comfortable. You can probably find them at a local sports store like Dick's Sporting Goods or Sports Authority.

 

[tehniqi]

I don't say it to be rude though I fear offending someone but I think it's helpful to put height and weight requests to be included with recommendations in threads like this and any physical issues and perhaps occupation and fitness level. I'm 5'2" and at my high weight of 220 I needed footwear that was very different from what I needed at my low weight of 127. I also have flat feet and in my case that means constrictive arching shoes hurt much faster than something that is as "barefoot like" as possible.

I just think this is going to wildly vary depending on all those factors I listed.

 

[fairy oma]

I took my Teva sandals and 2 pairs of my Saucony running shoes, Body Glide and cushioned sole socks. I kept up with all of the grandkids and all of my long-legged adult kids and DH. No blisters, and at night I would roll a tennis ball across the soles of my feet. If my feet were really achy I would put a Salon Pas on the ball/arch of my feet after my evening shower and I was good to go the next morning.

 

[justgrace]

I couldn't believe how many people can wear flip flops or open-toed sandals in the park! I would be terrified of someone stepping on my toes and breaking my toenails! Even thinking about this makes me !

I only wear athletic sneakers in the park. Nike or I also like the Skechers GOWalk 3 slip on shoes. They are really comfy and I think they look cute! They're pink so I call them my "sleeping beauty" shoes!

That way my toes are adequately protected! lol

 

[KFlynt34]

I wore my sneakers with insoles. they were great i still hurt but im guessing less

 

[Badger88]

Agree with many of ideas above. Just make sure they are comfortable and you've broken them in first.

 

[neverl8]

I wear Asics (little pricey but you can find last years 'models' at great discount prices online...it's worth it!) And definitely BodyGlide (as someone else mentioned) It will help with the chafing! I wore converse through the airport a couple of months ago and I regretted it terribly.

 

[Tahariel]

I wore my Converse last time I went and was super comfy. However, I did wear them in, had a gel strip on the heel and had a pack of blister plasters handy (just in case). I had a pair of trainers with me to swap into if needed and some sandals with an ankle strap for less walky days.

 

[mattoxtr]

Our last trip in Sept 2011 I used my New Balance walking shoes and my Mickey Mouse Crocs.

 

[PrinceOfPeace]

What great suggestions....I've heard some of these....Jambu, Merrell, and Teva.....I've also seen something called fitflop....but not sure how comfortable that would be. Oh and clarks!....some family members love those.

 

[Missymoe4]

I'm taking Keens, Skecher GoWalks, Old Navy flip flops, and possibly a pair of Tevas. I have terrible feet that get painful walking and blister easily. I had a horrible trip to Vegas where I ended up with 6 blisters on each foot and huge ones on the ball of each foot.

I was talking to my husband about this and he looked horrified at the amount of shoes I'm taking He told me not to even tell him, ignorance is bliss I guess

This sounds like me. I bring a lot of shoes because of my horrible, hot feet.

 

[Missymoe4]

What great suggestions....I've heard some of these....Jambu, Merrell, and Teva.....I've also seen something called fitflop....but not sure how comfortable that would be. Oh and clarks!....some family members love those.

From my experience, I would not consider FitFLops. When they came out years ago I thought they would be great and cushiony. Boy was i wrong!! My ankles swelled up so much that I couldn't stand up, bend them, look "normal". It was a lesson for me.

 

[paulheather7]

We have found that the Skechers Go Walks are amazing! None of us had any issues while at Disney nor anywhere else. It's practically all we where any more except for flip-flops when not at Disney or doing a lot of walking.