Appropriate shoes for the park,Merrell,flip flops??

[toromom]

Hello

My family and I will be making our first visit to DL and DCA this summer. I am trying to get recommendations for good comfortable walking shoes. I was looking at the Merrell Lorelei,does anyone have any reviews good/bad of these shoes?

Also I love my Nike Comfort Thong flip flops because of the cushion sole
Are flip flops a bad idea for the parks?? Would I have to worry about losing them on a ride?

Tia
TM

 

[kylie71]

Flip Flops, while comfy are not pratical for standing and walking all day in the parks..... You could have you foot ran over by a stroller.
I like Teva sandals, they also have a good sole and support for your ankles.
$80.00 at REI...
Be safe and have fun.
Lori

 

[rtfelt]

I love flip flops in the parks (Rainbows). It's all I wear in the summer--as long as they are cushiony. Your socks won't get wet on Grizzly Rapids, and I think my feet last longer than in athletic shoes. You stand more than walk, so a cushiony sole is more important than a stable walking surface. The only real ride where you may loose them is Soarin' but you can just put them in the pocket under your seat if you're worried about it. I used to take mine off and put them there, but now I just keep them on my feet and have never had a problem.

 

[4th Gen Disney Fan]

When I was a kid I only wore sandals to parks because I would seem to always get my shoes wet and have to wear wet sneakers for the rest of the day. When I was in the park earlier this month I wore my Nike sandals the first day. My feet were so sore by the end of the night. The rest of the trip I wore my old standby Vans low top skater's shoes. I didn't manage to get them wet this time. Strange...

 

[KateDrake]

I've had bad luck with flip flops because they tend to give you hot spots in between your toes. So I would stick with something else. I've really liked Keene sandals, they are great for hiking and my feet last all day. I have some Merrell running shoes I love as well, so I think those are both good brands.
When I want to be more fashionable at DLR, I tend to wear Tom's shoes. They are super comfy and have a little bit of cushioning, but I know not everyone likes them for all-day wear. I've also had good luck with Clarks-brand ballet flats, I absolutely love them! A lot of people wear running shoes, but I hate wearing socks to the parks, so I always go for one of those options.

 

[nicolispicoli]

I would only wear sturdy flip flops or sandals that you are used to wearing. I went in February and while I always wear flip flops, I hadn't in awhile because NorCal wasn't as warm as good ol' SoCal. They weren't rubbing, but they did cause a horrid case of flat foot. I went running to Sanuk in DTD. If you are going to wear sandals or flops, they have great comfy ones!!

 

[OnTheRoadAgain]

The lightest-weight, athletic shoes you can find, IMO. I think they keep your feet safer and cleaner. (And bring flip-flops if you have a spot for them... they come in handy on water rides if you hate wet feet.)

 

[Vexorg]

I've tried a number of different things, and some things have been better than others, but I have yet to find something that won't leave my feet thoroughly sore after three days in the parks. Normally I prefer a pair of Tevas, but I've had problems with hotspots developing, and I think I'm about ready to write those off. I've heard good things about Chacos, does anyone here use those, and if so, how well do those work?

If I'm not wearing sandals, I usually prefer Vans for everyday wear, and did reasonably well with those for my most recent trip.

 

[nannyz]

Bear in mind that in big crowds, your toes will get stepped on and stubbed. I always wear closed-in shoes.

 

[stubby]

I love flip flops in the parks (Rainbows). It's all I wear in the summer--as long as they are cushiony. Your socks won't get wet on Grizzly Rapids, and I think my feet last longer than in athletic shoes. You stand more than walk, so a cushiony sole is more important than a stable walking surface. The only real ride where you may loose them is Soarin' but you can just put them in the pocket under your seat if you're worried about it. I used to take mine off and put them there, but now I just keep them on my feet and have never had a problem.

I second the flip flops. Tennis shoes made my feet blister...so I switched to flip flops on day 2 and never looked back. Never had my foot ran over and they didn't hurt my feet.

 

[720L]

After our last trip I will never wear flip flops again! My feet were so filthy at the end of the day it was disgusting. And I had someone step backwards on my toenail and it broke part of it off. I wear flip flops all summer and my feet are never dirty, I can't figure out why they are so gross after being in the parks.

 

[CamoMama]

Hello

My family and I will be making our first visit to DL and DCA this summer. I am trying to get recommendations for good comfortable walking shoes. I was looking at the Merrell Lorelei,does anyone have any reviews good/bad of these shoes?

Also I love my Nike Comfort Thong flip flops because of the cushion sole
Are flip flops a bad idea for the parks?? Would I have to worry about losing them on a ride?

Tia
TM

On my last trip I wore my Nike flip flops with cushioned soles during the day then went back to my room before dinner and changed into jeans and tennis shoes for the evening. It was great for the water rides, my toes were just fine, and although after 3 days my feet were aching it would have been the same no matter what shoes I wore because I walked so much.

 

[gardengirl2790]

The best advice I have read from others is to wear shoes to the parks that you already have that are very comfortable to you. My teenager swears by her tennis shoes that she uses all the time, and I LOVE my Danskos. I have worn this brand to the parks countless times and they have always been comfortable all day. This is just my two cents! Have Fun!

 

[chrissiecutie]

After our last trip I will never wear flip flops again! My feet were so filthy at the end of the day it was disgusting. And I had someone step backwards on my toenail and it broke part of it off. I wear flip flops all summer and my feet are never dirty, I can't figure out why they are so gross after being in the parks.

LOL- so glad its not just me! When I wore my cute flat sandals, they were filthy! I found myself washing my feet in the bathroom several times throughout the day! But then I wore my Teva Mush flip flops...ahh...much better! I seriously LOVE these flip flops!

Personally, I like switching back & forth between flip flops & tennis shoes. So when I'm not wearing my Teva's, I'm wearing my New Balance tennis shoes. Luckily, I found a cute & comfy pair of NB...those shoes can be hideous! I highly recommend trying both of these!

 

[pixiewings71]

I have a pair of lightweight mesh walking shoes, they are light on my feet and comfy to walk in all day. If they get wet it doesn't take long for them to dry. I usually take at least 2 pair of tennis shoes so I can change them out, I like to wear jeans at night so when I go back to my room to change I'll change shoes. If we don't go back to the room I'll wear a different pair the following day.
I refuse to wear flip flops in crowds, I work part time at a country bar, I've seen girls in flip flops get stepped on by guys in cowboy boots, it's not a pretty sight.......

 

[Lavender Mom]

Twice now I've bought expensive "comfortable walking shoes" for Disney, and twice I've ended up preferring my regular sandals. We were there five days and I never had any problems with stubbed toes or lost shoes. My feet were sore and tired at the end of each day, but I'd swear they were worse on the days I wore my expensive "comfortable" shoes. I'd broken them in before we went too...

 

[Nox54]

This is interesting to me. I didn't realize (and I guess I don't pay enough attention when I'm at the parks ) so many people wore flip flops or sandals there.

Last two times at the park I ended up with blisters. Maybe it's time I tried sandals.

 

[blackjackdelta]

My daughter had her toenail pullback when a running guest( I use the term losely) hit her and ripped it. I would love to wear my jump boots but really looks stupid with my shorts.

I think open toed anything is a disaster waiting to happen, just my 2 cents.

Jack

 

[isisisme]

My prefered shoes are my tevas and my Merrill's sandles (sorta flip flops). I wear athletic shoes on occassion in the mornings, but always swap out by lunch time. I had actually purchased a paid of flips flops in DL one year to wear on the plane home.
Oh my goodness!! those were the best shoes ever! I wore them every day for a couple of years until they started to break down too much (yes, even in winter, I am a little crazy). I wore only those in the park and never had sore feet.

I have never had my toes stepped on or ran over with a stroller (my DH has stepped on the heal of my shoe a few times though..)

I agree with everyone. don't get shoes just for the park. Wear comfortable shoes that you were all the time. You might want to have sandles for the second half of the day if your feet swell.

 

[chrissiecutie]

Maybe it's just me, but I've never had anyone get close enough to me to step on my feet.

Perhaps it's the HUGE scary bear of a hubby standing next to me or maybe I just enjoy my personal bubble. But really...even in the busiest of times, I've never had a problem. Getting a toenail ripped off seems more like a icky freak accident to me. I mean...think off the thousands of people who wear flip flops each day and maybe only a handful come away with a squished foot or ripped toenail. Odds seem pretty good to me!