Footwear

[TripletDad]

Every body mentions good footwear for walkign around the parks.
We will be going to WDW July 13-19. Does anybody have sugestions for what type of footwear and brands? I hate to have our time WDW spoiled by sore feet.

 

[Alice28]

I just bought some New Balance walking shoes & they have excellent support. i've been breaking them in for our upcoming trip. I also have some Doc Marten sandals that I'm going to wear in the evenings or to the pool, etc.

 

[Muffy]

You can't go wrong with new balance sneakers or teva sandals for a WDW trip.

 

[TLinden16]

I highly recommend the Rockport World Tour line of shoes and sneakers. These are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. I've worn them all around Disney World four times without a problem.

Whatever you do, just make sure you bring two pairs of shoes or sandals per person. You never know when you are going to get stuck in a rain storm, or get soaked on a ride (particularly Kali River Rapids). My cousin made the mistake of only bringing one pair of shoes each for her and her son, and we got rained on two days in a row, and she had to use her hair dryer to try to dry them out (which didn't really work that well).

Karen

 

[TreeOfLife]

Whatever you get, get them good quality, water repellent shoes.

I do not like Tevas for a full day, the straps cut my skin. But I worship these Timberland hiking sandals that dry up within five minutes and are exceptionally comfortable.

I recommend that you look at llbean.com's site to see what appeals to you as well. With a lifetime warranty, you can't go wrong.

But if you'll go for sandals, get sports ones for the parks! They are designed to keep you comfortable as you walk, dry up quickly and avoid blisters. Sneakers give pretty much the same comfort regardless of the brand, but you may have to deal with wet shoes and socks for the rest of the day depending on where you go or if it rains!

 

[beattyfamily]

I get blisters every trip single trip. I usually wear walking sneakers and I've tried those socks that help with moisture.

This past trip (our 4th) I did NOT get blisters. I used only walking sandals! I switched between two kinds of walking Ecco sandals and I only started to get a blister on day 5 because I was walking in pouring rain. It went away once I put a moleskin over it. THen no more problems for the rest of the week. I NEVER wore my sneakers!

Good luck!

 

[LUVDVC]

I swear by Rockport and LLBean sandals. I usually buy a new pair and wear them a bit before the trip to soften them up.

 

[YangYang]

I have worn out a pair of Timberland sandals - they were great! After reading so many recommendations for Teva, I bought a pair on sale. I love them! I did get blisters when I first started wearing them but moleskin solved that and now I don't even have that problem. If I haven't worn them for a while, I will get blisters so I always try to wear them at home for a few days before a trip. I also agree with bringing more than one pair. I usually bring at leas a pair of tennis shoes (Nike walking) and a pair of sandals.

 

[TreeOfLife]

Yup, stay away from fancy, department store - spaghetti strappy sandals. Stick to sports footwear and you'll be in far better shape.

At the end of the day, your feet will appreciate the effort. And you'll be in far better shape to walk the next day if you get adequate footwear.

If you go to timberland.com, look up "river rush sandals", those are the ones I wear and gawd, they're old, they last forever! They are hiking sandals that dry up in no time, and provide awesome grip on wet surfaces.

LLBean has mostly Sokos and Tevas.

 

[dzneelvr]

The Nike brand Air Presto Faze feel like wearing cushiony bedroom slippers! Extremely comfortable and quick drying. Found them at The Finish Line for $29.99 (originally $84.99) and bought for me (ladies size 9) and my daughter (ladies size 8). Otherwise try nike.com.
Have worn them for the last two summer trips and never been sorry. In fact, I was stopped several times this summer at the parks and asked "cool shoes--what kind are they".

My hubby wears his tried and true sandals--always wear sunscreen on the tops of your feet if you do.

Avoid anything new, untried, or with thongs between your toes.

Have a great time!!

 

[tn4mickey]

I agree that you need to wear good athletic shoes either walking shoes or sandals. If you wear shoes be sure to wear socks. We've also discovered it helps to have at least two pairs of shoes and to switch back and forth. When we go back to the room midday we generally change. I've had problems in the past with blisters on the bottom of my feet. (Our last 2 trips I wore a pedometer and we averaged just under 10 miles each day!) I do better with thinner, smooth socks. The thick cotton did not work as well. It's funny I had read on the boards about moleskin and bought some, have not needed it since. I guess it helps just being prepared!

 

[RamseyTrio]

Last time we went I had a pair of sandals from Clarks that I bought at The Walking Store. They were WONDERFUL and I wore them everywhere we went. I have also found the brand SIMPLE to be comfy as well. As posted before stay away from department store sandals. Tevas hurt our feet although I know many people swear by them. My DS had sores from the straps rubbing him the wrong way even though they were not tight on his feet.

Here's my tip -

bring a pair of flip flops to wear on any ride that has water involved in it. They are lightweight so they won't take up a lot of room in a bag, you can gchange into them quickly before getting on the ride, they dry pretty quickly and it'll save your feet and regular shoes from getting ruined. Plus they are cheap to buy and if you lose them or throw them away you won't be upset.

 

[sue Z]

I have tried Nikes and spalding but my favorite shoe/sneaker for walking in WDW are EASY SPIRIT!! My feet never got tired in them when I wore them 2 yrs ago unlike my feet in 2000 and 2002!

This yr I made sure I didn't miss the annual Easy Spirit sale that is held in January!!! Only will wear them a few times to break them in and will wear them when in the parks and bought a pair of Easy Spirit clogs for wearing in DTD and where ever else I go!!!

I sure did miss getting those last yr!

 

[missyndda]

DH and I usually bring two pair of fairly new running shoes to alternate their wear. However, I think the socks are a key element, too. I suggest Wigwam Long Distance made from CoolMax. They are nice and thin and keep your feet cool. (FYI--Last time we were in the World, I wore my pedometer and walked 51 miles in 3 days. That's a lot of walking!)

 

[Pig Pen]

I have tried everything, but what worked best for me in hot, humid September was my GAP flipflops. They were thick on the bottom so they cushioned my arches, were water repellent during massive afternoon thunderstorms, and didn't give me blisters.

My sneakers get wet and then rub. They also get hot and sweaty. I tried alternating with two pairs, but I just got blisters in different places.

I tried sports sandals and haven't found a comfy pair yet. That doesn't mean they are not good, I just haven't found any that fit my feet.

 

[popy]

Wear a old pair of your tennis shoes to a
running center and have them help you
choose what is the correct shoe for you.

The folks that work in these centers are high
mileage runners and they can watch you walk
and examine your old shoes to get you into the
right pair.

All feet are different , but they make shoes to
fit the different.

Take a dry pair of socks with you to the parks,
the shoes dry out but the socks don't,
the dry sock sure feel good.

 

[letfuller]

My DH and I purchased walking Oakley sandals. I found some on clearance a few years ago and found them very comfortable. I also bought some Skeetcher walking shoes and they are very comfy, as well. No matter what you decide, break in those shoes!!!

 

[jenjenmouse]

I wear Easy Spirit walk/run shoes and have never even had sore feet. I used to be albe to wear Keds, Nike etc and not even think about it but one year I bought these shoes and now I can't wear anything else. Never had a blister either. Check them out!

 

[gonga]

Another vote for Nike Air Presto! Nike Air sole feels like you are well.....walking on air. the top of the shoe is made from a breathable, washable, fast drying material. The best walking shoe, its like they were designed for Theme Parks. Mine are 2 years old (I use them only for Disney!), I have washed them in the washing machine 2x and they look like brand new. When I bought mine there was a site on Nike where you can design your own shoe by choosing your own color combo and have your name put on them - pretty cool! don't know if they still offer that option, but the shoes are the best. Nike.com

 

[SuzEm]

Another vote here for Easy Spirit, except I wore their walking sandels. I went prepared to get blisters and my feet never bothered me, and I wore them every day! I took another pair of walking shoes, but the sandels were so incredibly comfortable I didn't want to swap out. I'm going to have to find another pair for my trip this summer and take my old ones as a back up!