Most comfortable walking shoe for WDW

[CJRN]

I have crocks, but I think I may get keen's.

 

[Chuck65]

I'll throw a vote in for New Balance. My feet love these shoes!

 

[beattyfamily]

Used to get blisters every trip UNTIL....

I wore my Teva Pretty Rugged leather sandals and put Bodyglide on my feet to prevent chafing/hot spots/blisters.

No more blisters.

 

[whogirl'smom]

Airwalk croc type shoe (from Payless Shoes) worked for me, DH and DD5, hands down. I have high arches, DH has almost flat feet, and DD is somewhere in between and we all agreed that these were the best! We wore Nike's one day and changed shoes that afternoon back to the Airwalks. We all wore them barefoot and no blisters, redness or rubbing anywhere. These do come without holes in them for fall/winter, too.

 

[whogirl'smom]

Is anyone here a fan of birkenstocks?

I love my Birkenstocks, too, but they just don't have that "spring" in the support like Airwalks, or even good NewBalances have. Maybe it's because they're 16 years old!!!

 

[wdwmickey]

I love my crocs and I always wear them with socks! I also love my birkis!! (no socks) I have never gotten blisters or hotspots with either.

 

[hvivona]

If you're like me you have very high arches and need that extra arch support. My podiatrist suggested Ryka, Asics & Saucony. I had the best results with the Saucony, they have high arch support and feel awesome! My podiarist warned me to stay away from reebok & Nike because they just don't offer enough support for those high arches.

 

[Mulan'sMom]

Is anyone here a fan of birkenstocks?

I wore 2 different pair of Birks at WDW - one was an Arizona model (two straps) the other a Gizeh thong. Both were wonderful. I also wore my Crocs-knockoffs from Payless (Airwalks, I think they're called.) I got a slight blister wearing them on the very outer side of my left foot. Go figure. I guess my feet were too confused by all of the shoe options to act up too badly!

 

[love2teach]

I have found that Adidas are the most comfy when there is a lot of walking involved.

 

[lustergirl]

I like to wear a pair of reebok walking sneakers or maybe this year I will try a pair of crocs, especially the disney ones. Anyone know where to purchase them??

 

[domiii]

It is sneakers and socks for every one in my family. I have made it my mandatory rule. We've never had a problem. The only time I change is before I go on Kali Rapids - I wear water shoes - I hate wet socks.

 

[Tinkalink]

Tinkalink's DH putting his two cents in:
New Balance. I need good socks also because my feet are almost flat and I Sweat ALOT!
I don't really know about Crocs except that I've seen them in the mall and they appear to be a single plastic/rubber molded clog. I went that route 20 years ago and just remember my feet getting blistered due to the sweat and friction.
I used to swear by Nike cross-training shoes until I tried on a New Balance 764, it made the Nike feel like a concrete block. I really have nothing against Nike -or any of the others mentioned above -it's just that I found My Shoe.
My two friends love their Tevas. I am not a sandal guy, again because my feet sweat anything that gets between the sole and my foot will cause friction and I get blisters.
FWIW I am amazed when someone brags about buying a cheap shoe- not a discounted one, there is a BIG difference. Why would anyone be so frugal on the parts of their body that have such a critical and repercussive effect? You make a bad choice due to price and damage your arches, hurt your heels,ankles and strain your back and knees. I just laugh to myself.
Whatever you do, take your feet seriously. Find one that fits your feet properly and has the right support. Don't be pennywise and dollar foolish, some brands are $$$ but your feet are worth it.

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
I got terrible blisters from wearing Nikes, so last year I wore Croc Scutes, they're a slide and they were the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn to Disney. I wore them in August without socks and didn't get any blisters. I couldn't believe how great they felt. I bought the Disney Crocs for my December trip and I wore them with socks. They were comfortable, but not as good as the Scutes. I just ordered the new Croc Capri flip flop for this summer. If they feel good, I'll take them to Disney along with my Scutes in August. My DD wore Teva Mush flip flops last August and she thought they were really comfortable and didn't get any blisters. Also we had body glide, but didn't need to use it.

 

[LilGMom]

I got terrible blisters from wearing Nikes

I did get blisters once while wearing regular Nikes but then I made the switch to Nike Jordans, that coupled with the super cushey Jordan socks and I feel like I'm walking on a cloud of air.

 

[fuji]

we got our DD Aqua Ducks, which are like crocks, but cheaper

 

[Kellie-in-Texas]

I have really high arches and need the support. Tennis shoes have never worked for me because my feet get hot, but I've worn Lands End shoes on numerous trips. They are cheap too.

Starbox - These Lands End shoes you recommend look like just what I'm looking for. Can you tell me more about how they worked for you with lots of walking? My regular walking shoes come too high around my ankle and they start rubbing. The other problem is the toenail on my big toe (without being too graphic) is kind of big and thick, so a lot of shoes push down on my toe and hurt. They're Dr. Scholl's brand, so you'd think they'd be comfortable, but they're not. I like the waterproof-ness of these Lands End shoes. They also look like they are lower-cut around the ankle area, which is what I'm looking for too. And you can't beat the price. I don't really want to spend $80 for shoes that are being purchased for one week at WDW. Anyway, let me know how your WDW walking went. Thanks! Kellie-in-Texas

 

[silverarrowknits]

The perfect shoe really depends on you; however, with that said, I would recommend making sure you don't wear a pair of shoes that are at the point of being completely worn out. In January, I wore my Clarks walking shoes, and was I in pain. My feet hurt so much. It wasn't from the amount of walking, because the rest of me felt perfectly fine. The problem was that I had the shoes for years and the shock absorption was no longer there. I hadn't ever noticed before because I never wore them to walk 10 miles at a time! I wear a pair of kangaroo sneakers now and they are super comfortable, because they are relatively new.

Don't bring a brand new pair of shoes to WDW without bringing backup pair. Try your new pair of shoes out and try to walk a good distance to see if they will be comfortable for those long Disney days!

 

[Ub_Iwerks]

My feet were sore after I spent a day in the parks with my Nikes on. I switched to Crocs and my feet didn't hurt a bit. I have the Nile sandals and the mary janes. Both have good arch supports.

 

[Nanabug02]

Yeah, lots of different opinions. Personally, I'm a tennis shoe girl all the way. I walk a lot at home, so just use my normal tennis shoes when I go to WDW, since they are already broken in.

 

[Bev J]

I am not comfortable in any kind of tennis shoe and wear Birks year round, so sometimes with socks and some without.
When we go to WDW I usually take 2-3 pair of birks in different styles and my feet are happy, but I hate to wear them when it is going to rain.
Last trip I was having trouble with my foot, got a cortizone shot from the Ped doc and was pain free till we got there! My Doc said the Birks were very good for my feet. But the pain I was in changed the way I walked and I got blisters for the first time ever with my Birks- I was not a happy camper at all.

I ended up wearing my sons Crocs with socks and they saved my feet. I am considering buying a pair of the new croc sandles- the Cleos or Patras.


Bev