Tips for your feet!!!!

[keddy]

1

 

[danny1649]

Sore feet can be a bummer at WDW.

 

[kandmwedding]

I'm a firm believer that you should wear the same type of shoes you normally wear, and switch them up a bit like most people do at home. I always wear flip flops and slides, and sneakers would kill me. No need to change your normal footwear. Great idea about the massager. I think we actually have one somewhere that we could take... or I could just make my husband give me a massage as soon as we get back to our room.

 

[Pig Pen]

I am a 3 plus mile per day walker and wear good sneakers, but I cannot wear them at WDW. Every trip I try...but I always end up with a blister and wearing my flip flops. Luckily, it's been warm every trip (even my December and February trips). I don't know what I will do if I ever visit during a cold snap!

 

[kaygela]

I always bring moleskin that I can cut to size to put on any "hot spots" as soon as they appear so that we don't end up with blisters. It works like a charm.

 

[HenDuck]

Don't know about blisters, but I highly recommend putting your feet UP when you get to your room. If you do the mid-day break thing, try to get off your feet for an hour or so. If not, when you get back to your room at night, try elevating your feet by putting some pillows under it. It will help with any swelling that might occur during the day.

I also agree about wearing sandals too. Sometimes it helps to wear something other than the same old shoes.

 

[Micca]

I am happily exhausted most days at WDW, but feet are a killer, aren't they? I wear sneakers, but take two pairs and switch them when we go to the room.

 

[webmomom]

I agreee about the sneaker thing. Three years ago I came down with Tenderoist of the feet and I was in a wheelchair. Thankfully I am not in the chair anymore. I have this thing that I have to have something on my feet all of the time, so I wear a lot of flip flops around the house.

The last trip to Disney (two weeks ago) we were taking the back stage tour so I put my sneakers on. I wanted to make sure I had no foot problems during the tour. Well half way through my feet started to hurt. When we went back to the room I put the flip flops on. My husband was having a fit. he was so afraid that if I wore them in the parks the condition would come back. I could not stand the pain from the sneakers, so I did not listen to him. Well I have been home for two weeks and nothing has happened.
So that is why I agree sneakers are not the only shoes to wear at Disney. If you feet are comfortable in certain shoes wear them.

 

[kramer_clan]

I swap out my shoes at Disney. I wear sneakers and a pair of Columbia Sportswear sandals that my feet really love. My feet love being aired out every other day and I usually wear the sandals on days that I will do water rides so they can get wet with no problems. I hate wearing sneakers onto Kali River Rapids...cause I have to take them off along with the socks so they don't get wet.

I have had problems with my feet and I try now to take care of them especially on trips to Disney. The foot massager is a great idea. Maybe I should lug mine along next month.

I wear white socks with my sneakers. I put extra money into the socks and buy the new microfibre socks that absorb moisture. Less chance of blisters that way. I also use Odor Eaters that help absorb moisture in my sneakers. I have even heard of some people using anti-perspirant on their feet before they put their socks on. I have not tried that one.

Ibuprofen is a must on any Disney trip. It is an anti-inflammatory so it can help with aching feet and also with sunburn. I always bring both Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen on trips.

Vicki

 

[dreamscometrue47]

These are all great tips. I wish i had seen a similar thread before my trip this past April. That trip was the first time I got serious blisters on three toes; the last 2 days, it was pretty painful walking, but i was in WDW, so what are you going to do. and I wore my favorite, very worn in sneakers.

Next time, I'll use some of this advice; cover up the hot spots, and use sandals, flip flops, my wicked comfortable boat shoes or something of the like. Thanks, everyone.

 

[caribbeanme]

Hey all-- I just posted this on another thread re: shoes/Birkenstocks/sandals/sneaks. I figure it may help here as well:

----------------------------
Hey guys!

You can get Birkenstocks (and a bunch of other hiking/outdoors gear ~ north face/lowe alpine/camelbak) at a very steep discount at www.sierratradingpost.com. They also have a few other brands mentioned here and in other posts re: disney shoes: teva's, merrells, ecco, chaco's, clarks. I believe that the home shopping channel QVC also sells Birkenstocks at special prices, straight from their factory. I found their website at www.qvc.com.

Birkenstocks take a few days to really mold to your feet, but once they do they're heaven. Unfortunately, they don't hold up THAT well to getting doused with water. For that, I would recommend trying to find sandals in the other brands mentioned (above). They usually have water resistant models that are either mostly rubber, or have quick-wick technology. Plus, since it's an open shoe, it'll dry faster anyway.

I have Merrell sneakers that are mostly mesh and are v. cool in hot weather. These also came with rubber type inserts that you use to modify your shoes according to your stride (pronator, supinator, no arch). I also have Ecco Receptors that I found at Sierra Trading post--they have a very springy, sneaker-type footbed, but they're open sandals. Best of both worlds!! They've been so popular amongst my family members that I had to order a pair for both my mother and my sister. Thankfully, Sierra has super fast shipping. Finally, my Chaco terrains a great for multipurpose hiking and the beach. They're very light, offer a lot of support, and are great for water. I'll be taking all three for my 9 day trip...

I have been able to use these shoes with no problem on long hikes/trips. It's always better to be safe than sorry, so if I expect I'll be trekking for a while or in possibly wet weather, I use sports tape (or duct tape) to tape up sensitive areas on my feet. It keeps those areas friction-free, and I don't have to worry that I'll end up with a blister. I have also tried the deodorant on feet method, and it helps. Finally, shea butter or, in a pinch, vaseline, can help keep your entire foot and heel moisturized.

Hope this helps!

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