Best shoes for long miles in the parks

[GaryDis]

To those of you suggesting changing socks...is this because of sweating? We'll be there in December, so that may not be an issue. But I wanted to make sure there wasn't another reason. Thanks!

I was the one recommending that. And now that I think about it, the advice came from the leader of a weekend-long square dance event, where the participants were more likely to be wearing cotton.

I'm not sure if it's sweat or the compression of the socks, or both, or something else. I know that it helps me when I'm wearing cotton socks, which is most of the time unless I've planned ahead.

But your feet are going to sweat from a lot of walking, even in December in Florida. Maybe not in February.

 

[Mr & Mrs DD]

Thank you! I'm willing to try anything to stop the blisters!

It works, but be sure to grease them up good. Get between your toes and everything. Good luck with it. Enjoy your Disney visit.

 

[momofkids]

Best foot cream ever! Kept the whole family's feet blister free. We used it every morning and night quite liberally. I also recommend changing shoes halfway through the day if possible.
http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11161009

 

[elle101me]

It works, but be sure to grease them up good. Get between your toes and everything. Good luck with it. Enjoy your Disney visit.

I just wanted to report back and thank you! 14 days and not one blister!! Oh, how I wish I had know about Vaseline years ago!

 

[bumbershoot]

Yay for the poster who updated that the vaseline worked. (and brought the month-old post up so I could add my 2 cents for the OP)

If you don't want vaseline, there's Body Glide (available at running shops, REI, walmart) and Gold Bond makes a chafing stick as well. Some just use deoderant. Bottoms of the feet, tops of the feet, between the toes, on the front of the toes if you move around in your shoes a lot....

For reference I have tried Keens and they absolutely destroyed my feet. Definitely took a bit of the magic out of our trip.

I have wide, flat feet

"Do you offer wide or narrow width shoes?

We do offer wide shoes in our Men's Utility collection. Currently, we don’t offer narrow or wide widths for women."

Don't use Keens with wide feet, unless you already know they work for you.

I tried wearing Crocs flip flops in the parks and had blisters within a half hour.

My fitted, good, running shoes were killing me on a DL trip. I talked to a lady in line at rope drop one morning, and she said she had the same problem and to get Crocs Athens. Warned me of the first day blisters. She swathed her feet in adhesive bandages and recommended I do the same if I got them. I got them and didn't. Blister city! But my foot BONES felt so much better. So the next day I put bandages all over the tops of my feet and in between the toes where the thong goes, and it was HEAVEN. Now I never have a problem even when I got newer Athens, because my feet were used to the material I suppose.


OP you have to find your own foot-heaven. Others recommend plush running shoes; those kill my ankles. I have to work my feet and ankles or they end up a mess. So I've gone to lower and lower amounts of support and cushion; I love my New Balance Minimus shoes, with almost no support (they are basically Vibram 5fingers, but with a toe box not the glove style). Their only problem is there are vents in the bottom of the shoe, so if I walk/run in a puddle, my feet are wet. Nike Frees are my other go-to shoe because they have minimal support but don't get my feet wet. Switching between those and Athens and I'm good. But by NO means does that combo work for everyone!


If you do go the running shoe route, don't JUST go with a place that has the treadmill, but make sure they have a great return policy as well.

Also, ever notice that the treadmill places never have you run with the shoe that they've recommended ON? Yeah, big gap there. It's how I kept getting sold on more and more supportive shoe while my gait got worse and my feet got weaker and weaker. No one ever watched and notice *that I do the EXACT same thing with my feet* in the supportive shoes as I do with bare feet, LOL. Key was to strengthen my feet, not support them in hopes that I wouldn't be able to do the same things. (minimal shoes with careful ramping up of miles, pilates, and yoga all with foot-strength as a goal = I can now make an arch when I have NEVER had an arch before! and my feet feel so much better all the time)

 

[epcotty]

Reebok or Nike sneakers

 

[nkereina]

My fitted, good, running shoes were killing me on a DL trip. I talked to a lady in line at rope drop one morning, and she said she had the same problem and to get Crocs Athens. Warned me of the first day blisters. She swathed her feet in adhesive bandages and recommended I do the same if I got them. I got them and didn't. Blister city! But my foot BONES felt so much better. So the next day I put bandages all over the tops of my feet and in between the toes where the thong goes, and it was HEAVEN. Now I never have a problem even when I got newer Athens, because my feet were used to the material I suppose.

Good to know. The funny thing was I tried wearing my Crocs flip flops around while running errands at home, to break them in and see how it went. They were great! But the second I got in that FL humidity, it resulted in the blisters. I attributed it to the moisture and sweat from the humidity rubbing against that plastic/rubber. I gave up on them after that but sounds like it just takes getting used to.

 

[ciera321]

Love my Keen Whispers! Extremely comfortable (my Fitbit has logged over 14 miles) for all day wear, waterproof, and if they get wet, they dry out fast. The only shoe I wear when I'm on my feet for long periods.

 

[hsmamato2]

you're gonna get a different answer from everyone... I like (in liked order)Birkenstock sandals-Teva Mush sandals,Jambu (cute slip on shoes with strap) or crocs clogs (don't like the slippery sole on crocs) -- all of these shoes tend to conform to the shape of the wearers foot,like my super high arches- and I need that for comfort. It all depends on weather which one I pick for the day... I tried Keen(too flat) I tried my nice nike air sneakers(not enough foot cushioning) Birkenstocks are far and away my fave choice.

 

[SM101]

I like Sketchers slip-on style sneakers rather than the tie ons. I bring 3 different pairs, and rotate them. If I'm back at the hotel in the middle of the day, I change to a different pair and put fresh socks on.

I usually put some Aquaphor on my feet before I put socks on. Aquaphor is the bomb for feet - it's an ointment that is similar in texture to Vaseline - if you have dry/scaly feet/elbows/lips, there is nothing better IMHO (I keep a separate small tube for my lips) At night before bed, I will wash my feet, apply more Aquaphor and clean ankle socks as well. When you wake up in the morning, your feet are super soft and feet great.

Yes. This means I can go through 3 or 4 pairs of clean socks in one day. For any trip over 5 days, I'm going to do laundry anyway, so it's not a huge issue.

I also bring a pair of Teva sandals to wear when we're not heading back to the park (going down to the pool, wandering around the resort) and a pair of flat but dressier sandals to wear to dinner.

General foot maintenance is really important as well - I pumice callouses to keep them in check (I'm prone to them), moisturize, and get my toenails properly cut on a regular basis. I also walk a lot anyway, so I have plenty of time pre-trip to break in new shoes.

 

[PeasandCarrots]

First I strongly advise athletic (sneaker) shoes over any kind of sandal. Unless you wear socks with the sandals and they strap on securely you risk blisters no matter how good the brand. Second, to be specific, since you said you have wide feet, I do too and I love Altra (the brand). But it's best to go to a professional athletic shoe store and try on different brands and be sure to wear them at least a couple of weeks so you know before your trip if they are going to give you problems. Also remember Zappos has free returns for up to 30 days and free return shipping.

 

[Xennia]

Shoes depend on your foot shape. If you haven't figured it out by now.

 

[bamacmac]

Hello!

My husband and I are heading to Disneyland in October. Our last Disney trip was to Disney World and I had a terrible time out of my feet. They ached and were sore and I ended up with pretty horrific blisters.

I would love to know what people would suggest.

For reference I have tried Keens and they absolutely destroyed my feet. Definitely took a bit of the magic out of our trip.

I have wide, flat feet and I am somewhat overweight still despite losing some weight since our last trip.

So, what would all of you suggest?

You and I sound very much alike. I've tried lots of different kinds of shoes in the parks and I was so concerned about this for my trip last month. I had a stress fracture the month before my trip and was in a walking boot. Was dealing with plantar fasciitis too. I researched and asked people and ordered so many different kinds to try. The ones I ended up going with proved to be amazing. And in the reviews online for them someone mentioned that she got them for a Disney trip as well they were a miracle for her.

They are made by Vionic. Here is the link: http://www.vionicshoes.com/muir-vioinc-sandals.html

I have flat, wide feet and these were great because they are so adjustable. But my favorite thing about them is that they were immediately comfortable right out of the box. I had immediate relief from my foot pain. No breaking them in or anything. I'm about to order another pair! I walked 50 miles in my week at WDW and my feet felt great! I was seriously amazed! If you order them from a website like Zappos they have free returns if they don't work out for you.

OH and NO blisters. There is literally no way these shoes could cause a blister.

 

[Mr & Mrs DD]

I just wanted to report back and thank you! 14 days and not one blister!! Oh, how I wish I had know about Vaseline years ago!

Great, you are very welcome. I'm really glad it worked for you. I got such bad blisters every year until I started doing that.

 

[MischaOz]

Maybe I'm weird. I usually just wear my regular old J Crew rubber flip flops during the day. I'll put on sneakers or ballet flats when it cools off at night.

 

[Lisaloo]

I also have wide flat feet. I bought a pair of skechers on-the go boat shoes and the flip-flops based on how comfy my other skechers were. The kind with yoga mat in them. Just the right amount of support and bounce for me. I wore my older pair and walked for miles all over Vegas with no pain. Planning on wearing one and carrying the other in the parks so I can switch off.​

I wore the boat shoes in July. Brought a couple of pairs, khaki and navy...extremely comfortable.

 

[Eeyore's-tail-tack]

I like Easy Spirit Romy

 

[mamattorney]

Love my Teva Tirras - I walk 5 miles a day in them during the summer - whether at Disney or not. So comfortable and almost infinitely adjustible all over (my feet swell at Disney). Comfortable out of the gate and never even an inkling of a blister.

 

[LSUfan4444]

To those of you suggesting changing socks...is this because of sweating? We'll be there in December, so that may not be an issue. But I wanted to make sure there wasn't another reason. Thanks!

Yes, it is because of moisture. Even if it will be cold, you're feet will still sweat and the to things that will cause blisters will be friction and moisture. The best two ways to help in these areas are shoes that are properly fit and fabric that helps the feet stay dry. Aim to find a pair of socks made of no more than 2% cotton.

 

[myjourney]

I have tried most of these expensive brands and the only shoes that keep my feet from hurting with all the walking is crocs. Not the flip flop but the clog with the strap in the back style, and I wear socks with my crocs They have some cute Mickey ones at DTD.