Advice on good shoes to wear

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

Moleskin should be applied directly to your skin BEFORE any signs of blistering occur. (You would not want to pull moleskin off from a blistered area!!! Be sure to put it on BEFORE it happens.) Friction will cause a blister. As long as anything, shoe or sock, is able to rub against your foot, you can get a blister. I cut a piece that fits over the forward portion of the ball of my foot and also put some strips across toes that come in contact with shoes. Moleskin was my lifesaver for many trips. I still bring it, but I have found though that with my Aspire Earth Shoes, only my pinkies need protection as a preventative.
Earth Shoes have a negative heel. I have a high arch. For me, the balls of my feet took a lot of pressure even with the lowest of heels. Even standing for periods of time would be painful. The Earth Shoe takes this pressure off and going to Disney was the biggest test I could have put them through.

Be careful though, because I also believe the style and makeup of the shoe comes into play. These shoes have a really pliable sole and soft upper. There are some Earth Shoes that are not as pliable. Earth Shoes are not cheap, but for me, comfort is important. I am totally amazed when I see some of the shoes people wear to the parks. I couldn't do flip-flops and I can't imagine touring in high heels, but I have seen it.

In a perfect world the moleskin would have been placed on BEFORE the issue, however, I had never had that happen before with my inserts, and it was an effort to stop the blistering bc it was just a hotspot at that point. I tried applying it to my skin, but bc of the location on the bottom of my foot, it kept bunching up. Placing it on my sock prevented a blister from forming, stopped it from bunching up, gave the spot time to heal, and stopped it from hurting. The only thing that hurt was my pride bc I had to stick moleskin to my sock, and I felt like a dork!!!!!

It is really going to depend upon you and your foot. What works for one person will not work for another person. I've tried most of the shoes listed here and they gave my extra wide, high arched, long toed, has the indian "bump" on top foot blisters. (And my feet are two completely different sizes. That doesn't help.)

But my foot is different from the reccommender's feet and their feet are likely all different as well.

Try a pair of shoes out, take them out one weekend on a long hike or a day meandering. If you are blisterless at the end of the day, you'll be good. If not, that's one more pair of shoes NOT to use.

I wore my Toms the last time we went to Disney and didn't get a single blister for the first time ever! Toms shape to my foot instead of expecting my foot to follow a particular shape and, as they're made of wide pieces of fabric that have no binding points had no place to rub awkwardly against my foot.

Try the reccomendations and see how shoes fit you. But know that your foot may be different and that shoe may not work, even though someone else had good results.

This is exactly why I suggested going to a store that specializes in fitting shoes to each person's foot. Being able to try on several different styles and brands helped my feet to know what felt best.

 

[boymommyx2]

On our last trip I started out the first day with a pair of what I thought to be great shoes and had to switch mid-day the first day to flip flops. I highly recommend them. They are called Sanuk and they are made from the same material that they make yoga mats with. I felt like I was walking on air the entire trip! And maybe I was literally because every time the flip flops got wet they squished out tiny little bubbles with each step! It was a pretty funny sight I have to admit.

 

[pepe of ohio]

No matter where you buy your shoes or how much you pay....being in Disney is different than how you maneuver at home...I find in the heat and concrete of WDW your feet tend to swell being on them all day...what might feel real comfortable in the morning when your feet are rested and normal....will feel real tight and uncomfortable at the end of the day......feet do swell and no matter where, or who prescribed what...you can't predict the amount of swelling that will occur.....better to have one pair of sneakers half size bigger and wear heavier socks in the am....and as your foot swells, to prevent running, thinner socks in the pm.....or I wear the sneakers in the am and switch to flip flops in the pm, when my feet are swollen....just a thought..and if your shoes feel comfortable in the am, no amount of moleskin is going to help if there's no room left in your shoe.......

We figure on any given day at WDW, we walk from 4-7 miles and we're not commando or opening to close people....just average old people but bopping around the resort, down to the pool, back to the food court, down to the lounge and the few hours of walking in the park, on hot asphalt and concrete....our feet swell.....

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

On our last trip I started out the first day with a pair of what I thought to be great shoes and had to switch mid-day the first day to flip flops. I highly recommend them. They are called Sanuk and they are made from the same material that they make yoga mats with. I felt like I was walking on air the entire trip! And maybe I was literally because every time the flip flops got wet they squished out tiny little bubbles with each step! It was a pretty funny sight I have to admit.

I am going to have to look those up! They sound extra squishy!

No matter where you buy your shoes or how much you pay....being in Disney is different than how you maneuver at home...I find in the heat and concrete of WDW your feet tend to swell being on them all day...what might feel real comfortable in the morning when your feet are rested and normal....will feel real tight and uncomfortable at the end of the day......feet do swell and no matter where, or who prescribed what...you can't predict the amount of swelling that will occur.....better to have one pair of sneakers half size bigger and wear heavier socks in the am....and as your foot swells, to prevent running, thinner socks in the pm.....or I wear the sneakers in the am and switch to flip flops in the pm, when my feet are swollen....just a thought..and if your shoes feel comfortable in the am, no amount of moleskin is going to help if there's no room left in your shoe.......

We figure on any given day at WDW, we walk from 4-7 miles and we're not commando or opening to close people....just average old people but bopping around the resort, down to the pool, back to the food court, down to the lounge and the few hours of walking in the park, on hot asphalt and concrete....our feet swell.....

You are right about that for sure! I just posted a pic of my swollen foot in my thread about PF! My foot looks disgusting and massive! I have pretty small feet, but they were swollen to 3x their usual size!!! On our first trip I had bleeding under the skin in my feet, and I had to lay around for a week after with my feet propped or the doctor wouldn't do my hysterectomy that was badly needed! I was not allowed to be swollen or have any sort of internal bleeding! What we do to our bodies for Disney!!!!

 

[aubriee]

I freely admit to being a flip flop diva and have well over a hundred pairs. Prior to developing plantar fasciitis I swore by Teva Mush, Reefs, Nike Celso's, Haviannas, Chaco, Nike, Sanuck Yoga Mats, Spenco, and Crocs. Since developing plantar fasciitis though, I require more support. In order of comfort I now swear by Ohana OluKai (don't care for the other Ohana styles though--not as comfortable), Sketcher Tone ups, Orthaheel Tides or Waves, Montrail Molokini, Volatile Keralee (other styles of the Volatiles are not as comfortable though), and Fit Flops. For me nothing beats the comfort of the Ohana OluKai's though.

 

[KNovacovschi]

I'm glad to know that my feet are not the only ones that swell like a balloon. Could you provide a link for the earth shoes. They sound like they would be good. I usually love my crocs but last time they just caused lots of blisters and pain.

 

[MissDisney121]

I have worn both Teva Mush flip flops and Sanuks (my favorite) which are made out of yoga mat material.Both are good but the Sanuks were so comfortable and definitely my favorites.

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

On our last trip I started out the first day with a pair of what I thought to be great shoes and had to switch mid-day the first day to flip flops. I highly recommend them. They are called Sanuk and they are made from the same material that they make yoga mats with. I felt like I was walking on air the entire trip! And maybe I was literally because every time the flip flops got wet they squished out tiny little bubbles with each step! It was a pretty funny sight I have to admit.

Ok...I bought my first pair of Sanuk's off of ebay just now. I am stoked at the price I got for a brand new pair. And, if I like them, there are tons of listings for them. If I don't.......I know karate. J/k.

 

[ObsessedWithDW]

AIRMAX, enough said!! Liking walking on a cloud.

 

[*MomTo2Princesses*]

I wear my Teva Mush to every park, every day. They are so comfy and fine to get wet. My DH wears his Sanuks, and the girls wear Keens. Whatever you decide on, make sure to break them in for a couple of weeks before your trip!

 

[kuhltiffany]

Another vote for Keens. I have both the sandals and the running shoes and can wear them for hours with heavy backpack. they're also awesome even if they get wet. We travelled for 6 weeks last summer and that's all I wore!

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

I wear my Teva Mush to every park, every day. They are so comfy and fine to get wet. My DH wears his Sanuks, and the girls wear Keens. Whatever you decide on, make sure to break them in for a couple of weeks before your trip!

Ok, I want to ask you something. Did it take a while for your Teva Mush to break in enough to be comfy? I ask b/c I bought two pairs, and neither of them has been easy to break in. They don't really mush for me. They are both the Mandalyn Wedge. One is the regular thong between the toes, and the other has multiple crisscross straps. They aren't super uncomfortable or anything, but I am nervous to wear them for a long time b/c I don't see them mushing like I expected them to, and with PF amongst other issues, I get nervous b/c I can be set back pretty far if I make a shoe mistake. I bought my son the regular mush flip flops, and he has asked for another pair b/c he loves them. Just curious. I just want my mushes to mush!!!

 

[Meetmeinmontauk]

New Balance Women's WW850 Toning Shoes.

I bought a pair about 2 weeks before my trip last May & they are AHMAZING! They are toning shoes but they didn't really feel like they were toning. They are the lightest & most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever owned in my life. I switched up my shoes 1 night we were there to a pair of flip flops & it killed my feet after barely an hour. I am SO thankful I bought the NB shoes! I got them on sale for around $70 but they are THE best!

 

[bearloch]

Hey if your feet or any part of yu have sweeling issues take a water pill evey day you are in Fl!! also I live here and if I start to swell at all! I have cooling mats from dollar tree they are made to bring down fevers but they work wonders on feet!!!! I put them on the top of my foot if I am swelling or just plan suer hot! but I have not had much issues becasue the water pill works great!!! and Im a Pooh!! shaped person! u can ask ur Doc or u can sometimes get them over the counter at drug stores !!

 

[aubriee]

Hey if your feet or any part of yu have sweeling issues take a water pill evey day you are in Fl!! also I live here and if I start to swell at all! I have cooling mats from dollar tree they are made to bring down fevers but they work wonders on feet!!!! I put them on the top of my foot if I am swelling or just plan suer hot! but I have not had much issues becasue the water pill works great!!! and Im a Pooh!! shaped person! u can ask ur Doc or u can sometimes get them over the counter at drug stores !!

Be careful with those fluid pills. They pull fluid off of you, but they also pull potassium really bad. For some reason, my feet never swell, except when I'm in Florida. I told my doctor about it and now she gives me a prescrition for PRN Lasix, that I take only when I need it down there. However, she told me to never take one without also taking a potassium pill with it. The only problem is the normal potassium level is 3.5-5 and if you get too much potassium in your blood stream it can affect your heart, so you have to be careful with both.

 

[jusero]

I looooooove my Merrell Mocs! They are the only shoes I can take straight out of the box and wear them all day with not even a hot spot. And they have great support. I have been wearing them to the World for the past five or more years and will wear nothing else. Well, I do wear clothes too. Of course, I must admit, they are not the most attractive shoe, but I go for comfort over style on my feet.

I am happy to say they now have all kinds of styles that are pretty comfy and stylish too: sandles, sneaks and kinda deck-looking styles. I have not had the courage to wear any of them in the parks, though. There is nothing I hate more than being on sore feet all day. I may try my sneaks this year, though. I have been wearing them at work (I am on my feet on hard surfaces all day in retail) and I have not had any problems.

 

[3Paige14]

My mom, aunt, and I wear our Teva Sandals when we go (actually just pulled mine out of the closet earlier this week). They're comfortable and adjustable to accommodate any foot swelling. They're also easy to clean.

 

[aripantaloon]

I've always worn tennis shoes, but I'm thinking about getting some sandals to try. For those of you who wear a flip flop style (or any style that is more of a slip-on), do you find that it's harder to keep them on during certain rides like Soarin' or that it's harder to run if you need to for any reason? When I am home and wearing my clarks flip flops and the kids want me to run on the sidewalk on the way to school (for example), it's hard to keep them on properly when I run. My feet hurt because I'm stiffening them to try and keep them on or I'm much slower than I should be.

 

[BareNecessities]

I apparently have very sensitive feet that blister quite easily. We will be in WDW in June, so I know its going to be hot. Add that to the tons of walking we'll be doing, and I feel my feet starting to blister just at the thought!

I have found before that wearing flip flops or sandals instead of sneakers cuts back on the blistering quite bit. The problem is that none of my flip flops/sneakers offer very much support. So while my feet stay blister free the rest of my feet/body ache from not having good support.

Can someone recommend a good high quality flip flop or sandal that will offer comfort and support? Also, I'm open to recommendations for good sneakers as well. That way, I can have both options available.

I wear various Merrell styles, but anything with that special support (I think it's called Q-something) works great! I'm going to try one of their flip flop styles this summer. I think they might be the best yet!

Until then, I will rely on their open back, mesh Mary Jane style, which has never let me down at WDW. I don't like completely closed shoes when it's warm - way more blisters, boiling hot and swollen feet. Merrell's open sandals did pretty well on one trip...but I did end up with one big blister under my pinkie toe after the first day. Maybe a moleskin would solve that.

Meanwhile, I've found that a flip-flop style called Cheeks (sold by that infomercial guy Tony Little) will give me great support for many hours at WDW - but after a full day or two, I really found I wanted a bit more arch support. I have to say though, they did pretty well.

I've tried the flip-flop style made by Crocs, and while they were cushion-y, they were too "spongy" and slippery. My feet actually slide off them!

I recently bought a pair of "glove" type shoes by Merrell, and they gave me a serious workout the first time I wore them. You are supposed to break them in, while your muscles get used to them. Not enough arch support for an all-day outing at WDW either.

 

[aubriee]

I've always worn tennis shoes, but I'm thinking about getting some sandals to try. For those of you who wear a flip flop style (or any style that is more of a slip-on), do you find that it's harder to keep them on during certain rides like Soarin' or that it's harder to run if you need to for any reason? When I am home and wearing my clarks flip flops and the kids want me to run on the sidewalk on the way to school (for example), it's hard to keep them on properly when I run. My feet hurt because I'm stiffening them to try and keep them on or I'm much slower than I should be.

I live in flip flops pretty much year around (except at work), so am used to them. For Soarin the CMs tell you to take flip flops off and just leave them on the floor in front of you. You come back to the exact same spot, so it's easy to just slip them back on. There is no other ride at WDW, where they'd be a problem. However, if you happen to be going over to Universal there are some rides, where you'd need to sit on them.

As far as running in them, this 53 y/o grandma doesn't run, so I don't know. I do walk my dog every day wearing flip flops though and have never had a problem keeping up with a 90lb akita, who likes to walk faster than I do.