Help on footwear....

[dsnygirl2006]

Hi Everyone,
Well my trip last year was almost ruined because of such severe blisters on my feet, wore my skechers tennis shoes on day 1 which cut my feet to pieces, tried my crocs the next day and by mid-day, it felt like needles going into my feet, I bought 4 pair of shoes at WDW and nothing worked, by the time I get them bandaged up in the mornings to head out to the "world" it looked like me feet were is casts....I sit a lot during the day at my job, most of the day actually....I would love some advice on tennis shoes, sandals, flip flops, etc.....that would be wonderful for WDW...thanks everyone.....

 

[MomofKatie]

I do the Crocs/Bodyglide combo. In the AM, after I get out of the shower and dress, I put a coat of Bodyglide on the balls of my feet, between the toes, and around the heel. I then walk around barefooted for a bit to let the Bodyglide "soak in". When I'm ready to head out the door, I put on my Crocs.

This method works for me- I am Pooh-sized and don't usually do a whole lot of walking. I made it through a full 7 days of walking around WDW with my Bodyglide and about 4 different pairs of Crocs- I rotated them, never wearing the same pair 2 days in a row. No blisters- I used to get a couple big nasty ones on every trip.

Oh, and at the end of the day, I'd massage my feet with Peppermint foot lotion- I found some Dr. Scholl's brand in the footcare section of Target.

Hope you can find a good system for you- good luck!!

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

I like my Keens and Teva flip flops best. Never got a blister with either pair.

 

[Mousema]

I use the Body Glide with East Spirit walkers and runner's socks. I make sure that I go back to the resort in the PM and redo the Body Glide and put on clean sock. I also use the Dr Scholls Pepermint Foot Cream. No blisters, no tired legs and feet. I am Pooh sized.

 

[7165red]

I have problems with my feet as well. where can I buy Bodyglide?

 

[MomofKatie]

I have problems with my feet as well. where can I buy Bodyglide?

Go to www.bodyglide.com and do a search for stores in your ZIP code that sell it. I got it at Dick's Sporting Goods- most large sporting goods stores and large hiking/camping/outdoor gear stores should have it. It comes on a blister pack and is shaped like a solid stick deoderant.

 

[englishteacha]

Here's my advice, for what it's worth. Wear comfortable, well-broken in shoes. Make sure they have good support...20 year old sneakers might not be supportive enough anymore! I wear New Balance sneakers. They're super comfortable. I always bring 2 pair with me-my current pair and an older pair, in case I get a blister or they get wet. Make sure you wear comfortable socks. Try them for a good walk before you leave. I bought new socks last year and didn't try them before WDW...I got blisters on my little toe from where they rubbed wrong. I switched to my old socks for the rest of the trip with no more problems. I also used bodyglide on my feet (got it at REI). I started walking regularly (2-3 miles at a time) about 2 years ago, after being fairly inactive, and my feet are much happier at theme parks now than they were before! It gives me a good chance to try out and break in my sneakers, too.

 

[Savy48]

I absolutely love my rainbow sandals! I've worn them to amusement parks before and never once thought I was going to get a blister. They are the most comfortable pair of sandals I've ever worn. If you are a fan of flipflops/sandals, I would definitely recommend these. They are light-weight and you can get them wet. Since they are made of soft leather you don't have to worry about wet fabric tearing up your feet.
You should get them a few months in advance and break them in, over time the soles of the sandals will form to your foot. I would also recommend buying them from a store where you can try them on as opposed to ordering online. Every foot is different and so are each style of rainbow, I've noticed that some can be a little more tight across the top of the foot than others--- I always buy the ones that fit my feet and avoid the ones that don't. So I'm not sure if the leather straps ever stretch out to fit the feet. Buying them from the store will just help you avoid having to send them back if you do order online.
Happy walking!

 

[Savy48]

OH yeah! Here's a site where you can check out some rainbow sandals just to see if you are interested.

northatlanticsurf.com

 

[mb168]

I think after you got blisters, everything else was a poor reference. I doubt there was a shoe on earth that would have felt good. Kind of like getting a sunburn, you're just miserable the rest of the trip regardless of what you put on. I was skeptical about the Crocs too but tried them on a recent park commando day and they were great, just Crocs ands footie socks (it was a little cool.) Our big trip in June I'm sure we'll get wet so it'll be sans socks. I've also worn Nike sandals and enjoyed them. Staying dry helps a lot so I like to go with a breathable shoe, can't get much more breathable than either of these.

After that, you may just have a hard time going from little walking to LOTS of walking so it still may not matter what you wear. You may want to try to do some walking in whatever you decide to wear.

Runners never buy new shoes before a marathon, cyclists never buy a new seat before a race, in virtually no sport does the athelete buy something new to wear that has lots of contact with the body prior to the event. They would have already put many miles on the product in training before the event, race day is not the time to product test.

If you're going the walking shoe route, dont buy them anywhere with a "mart" in the name, Payless, or whatever the discount cheap shoe store is in your area.

 

[aubriee]

Teva Mush flip flops . I swear they are the most comfortable shoe ever made. I always carry several pairs (Crocs, Nike, Reefs, other Tevas, etc) but always seem to wind up in my Teva Mush flip flops.

 

[scrapperjill]

I use to LOVE LOVE LOVE the Teva mush flip flops...until I tryed some Chaco's now i'm in LOVE with those.

 

[aprild873]

I like the Teva Mush flip flops myself, so I'll be bringing those for sure. Has anyone worn Birkenstocks? I have a pair of those that I just bought from shoebuy, and was considering those as well, but not sure how comfortable I will be.

 

[dsnygirl2006]

For those of you who wear the Teva Mush flip-flops....do they not cause you to have a blister in your toes?? I think they look very comfy and would be willing to try them, but after a long day at WDW how do they feel?
Thanks

 

[mom*to*2*princesses]

I have several pairs of Teva Mush and they are seriously the most comfortable shoes I own. They don't cause blisters because the between-the-toe part is pretty soft material, not plastic. However, I do not wear them for park touring. I find that my legs are very fatigued after walking a lot in any flip flops. I have to have something that has, at a minimum, a back strap. I have Teva Pretty Rugged Leather sandals and regular running shoes that I'm bringing for this trip. My mushes will be for the pool only!

 

[1disneychic]

Another vote for Tevas. I don't have the flip-flops--just sandals (with a backstrap), but they are soooo comfortable. I also take tennis shoes that are broken in so that I can alternate shoes. Sandals one day, sneakers the next. This helps me prevent blisters--no rubbing in the same spot all week.

 

[colleen costello]

I swear by SAS shoes, which are really ugly but very comfy. One of the joys of turning 40 is that my motto is now "It's better to feel good than look good." Even with these, however, I always tuck a pair of soft sox into my bag and when my feet start to feel hot (blister alert!) I put on the socks. I figure at Disney no one CARES that I am wearing dorky sandals WITH socks

Also, did you know the Disney resort gift shops sell Moleskin? This is great stuff that I learned about on these very boards. It is basically just stretchy felt fabric with sticky on one side. You cut a piece, peel off the backing and stick it over the hot spot or blister -- instant relief! It cushions your foot and keeps your skin from getting rubbed anymore. I never head to Disney without the stuff anymore.

 

[crazyhunter98]

well i am a big guy about 6-3 and 380 and last year i tried crocs but did not care for them and i used my everyday sneakers not very expensive and never had a blister and we did a lot of walking but the big thing for us was body-glide this is really great stuff i had a $50 pair of sneaks and had a great time at the parks wore them everyday so make sure you buy some body-glide

 

[Aimerskoeh]

I just bought a pair of crocs today to take with me to the park...and I am going to be bring my shoes as well...the ones I wear to work everyday...and I am going to try and buy some body-glide before we go to try it out, but only one place locally sells the product.

 

[want2bamommy]

Teva Mush flip flops . I swear they are the most comfortable shoe ever made. I always carry several pairs (Crocs, Nike, Reefs, other Tevas, etc) but always seem to wind up in my Teva Mush flip flops.

I am going to try to find the Teva's at a local store and give them a try. Many of you seem to agree on these Mush Flip Flops. I went for 4 days in Aug/Sept and had sore feet with blisters after the first day and it was unbearable. I wore Crocs (Nile), my regular walking sneakers and regular sandals. I am going for 10 nights later this year and need to figure something out.

Thanks!

Missie