What two shoes to take?

[cstraub]

We'll be starting out on a small (probably muddy) farm in the Highlands of Scotland for the first leg of our trip this summer. We will then move on to Disneyland, Germany, Switzerland and end in Italy. We will most likely be staying on paved surfaces other than the occasional hike on a trail or whatever.

There are 5 of us going. I refuse to take more than 2 pairs of shoes each. That right there is 10 pairs! One pair on our feet and one pair packed is where I'm drawing the line.

So my question is:

What kind of shoes would you choose and why?

 

[Cyrano]

Given your trip is in the summer I'd suggest trainers and/or casual (comfortable) shoes

 

[wideeyes]

Definitely a pair of well worn trainers for DLRP it amazing how much time you spend on foot.. not sure what type of trail or hikes that you are planning on however I would recommend suitable hiking boots if it is not a flat path as it is important for safety. I know it may seem silly to take boots if you are only planning the odd hike, however it is important to wear the correct shoes when hiking

 

[cstraub]

Definitely a pair of well worn trainers for DLRP it amazing how much time you spend on foot.. not sure what type of trail or hikes that you are planning on however I would recommend suitable hiking boots if it is not a flat path as it is important for safety. I know it may seem silly to take boots if you are only planning the odd hike, however it is important to wear the correct shoes when hiking

That's the kind of dilema I'm running into. I keep thinking gym shoes and hiking boots but then I wonder what we will do if we have to dress up. We do plan on touring some of the cathedrals and hitting some nicer restraunts. I just can't imagine bringing all those shoes. I then go on to think about sadals for the pool or for touring. Two of five of us is too young to carry much and I really don't feel like lugging around a lot. Sounds like the rental cars are small and I'm worried about craming everything in. Shoes are just so bulky.

I don't expect that we will hit any hardcore trails but I do think we will have some rocky, muddy terrain in Scotland. Really does seem like we will need boots at least there. Maybe we can ship them home or something?

Wonder if any of you know of any type boot that slips over a gym shoe?

 

[Ware Bears]

I prefer to wear trainers for Disney. Although I have some really comfy Clarks springers sandals, they do not give the same ankle support that trainers do.

Are you planning on visiting anywhere where trainers would not be appropriate, I mean not smart enough? If you are, I guess you'll have to take a pair of sandals/smart shoes each. If not and if it was me packing, I think I would tend to take either two pairs of trainers each or one pair of trainers and one pair of sturdy walking/hiking shoes (boots).

ETA, sorry I was still thinking about this whilst you were posting up! Perhaps you could pack a pair of the flat ethnic-type flip-flop sandals that were very fashionable last summer for when you need to be a bit smarter? They shouldn't take up too much room. Sorry, doesn't help much with your DH though, does it!

 

[cstraub]

I prefer to wear trainers for Disney. Although I have some really comfy Clarks springers sandals, they do not give the same ankle support that trainers do.

Are you planning on visiting anywhere where trainers would not be appropriate, I mean not smart enough? If you are, I guess you'll have to take a pair of sandals/smart shoes each. If not and if it was me packing, I think I would tend to take either two pairs of trainers each or one pair of trainers and one pair of sturdy walking/hiking shoes (boots).

For dress up I think the boys/ men could get away with trainers and a pair of kakhi's. My DD and I would probably need some sandals for dresses or skirts. Maybe I could pick up some compact ones.

boy shoes- 2 pairs each = 6 pairs
trainers
boots

girl shoes- 3 pairs each = 6 pairs
trainers
boots
sandals

That would mean 10 shoes on our feet and 14 packed. Guess that's not too bad. Maybe I can find some trainer/ hiking boots. Going to check LL Bean now.

 

[wideeyes]

That's the kind of dilema I'm running into. I keep thinking gym shoes and hiking boots but then I wonder what we will do if we have to dress up. We do plan on touring some of the cathedrals and hitting some nicer restraunts. I just can't imagine bringing all those shoes. I then go on to think about sadals for the pool or for touring. Two of five of us is too young to carry much and I really don't feel like lugging around a lot. Sounds like the rental cars are small and I'm worried about craming everything in. Shoes are just so bulky.

I don't expect that we will hit any hardcore trails but I do think we will have some rocky, muddy terrain in Scotland. Really does seem like we will need boots at least there. Maybe we can ship them home or something?

Wonder if any of you know of any type boot that slips over a gym shoe?

I can see that you are having a delima.. If you are planning on going to nice restaurants then they may have a dress policy and not allow trainers so it may be a good idea to bring some smart shoes
maybe if you have some shoes/sandals that are look smart and are also comfortable enough to go sight seeing you could use them for both purposes.

 

[cstraub]

Was able to find these. Anyone tried them? Looks like a solution to me! The boys could wear these (the ones posted are womens) for dress, hiking and walking. That would be awesome!! DD and I could wear these for hiking and walking and then bring flat, dressy flip flop type shoes for dress.

WOW! That would mean only a tiny pair of flip flops for DD and a compact pair for me. Compared to 14 packed shoes- that sounds really good!

I love the DIS. Venting this just helped me to come up with a solution! Thanks everyone!

If you can't see image then click here

 

[Ware Bears]

I love the DIS. Venting this just helped me to come up with a solution! Thanks everyone!

Exactly!!! Everyone on here knows how important it is to get that planning just right!

P.S. Those trainers look ideal!

 

[wideeyes]

seems like you have found your self a ideal solution that you are happy with
also was going to add that caterpillar do some shoes that would be suitable for various occasions, eg hiking, site seeing, however the ones you have found seem up to the job

Also Just like to add I hope you have a fab trip and hope to hear all about it when your back

 

[SandraVB79]

I am going to throw in my "2 cents":

First of all, I always travel with at least 10 pairs of shoes, so...

OK, serious now: If I go to Austria, where we do "hikes" in the mountains, I always wear sport shoes. I actually don't own hiking shoes/boots. What about a pair of decent, not-too-sporty sport shoes in leather or some other material you can clean? (in case you went through the mud) I have pairs of them in tan, in red, in blue, in black, ... and they can be used for some more dressed events. Now, you can't wear them to a cocktail evening, but they are good enough for casual dressed up. Let's see if I find some pictures of what I mean:
http://www.geox.com/cont_belgio_fiamm.asp
Look for the "winter goddess", "hot" or "legend". I can't live anymore without shoes like that. They are passe-partout. And yes, I use that in the mountains, and in Disneyland. I have pictures to prove it!

Next to that, you can bring a pair of sandals. Or wear a pair of booty-sport shoes, bring a pair of loafers (very comfortable to wear on city trips, and I speak of experience!) and a pair of sandals. Sandals don't take that much space, and don't weigh much. (if you know how to pack them)

Now that I think about it: it can rain over here, and if you run through disneyland whole day in the rain (or through some city), your shoes will be wet, and you'll need a replacement pair. So, I would consider to bring 2 pairs of real shoes and 1 pair of sandals. Or buy some cheap sandals over here if you see the weather is nice enough, wear it while you're here and throw them away before you leave again. (Yes, I have also done that!)

 

[NIK]

Definitely trainers. I made the fatal mistake of wearing plimsolls for my first trip and had blisters that were actually bigger than my feet by the end of it. A nice worn in pair of trainers are best, IMHO

 

[cstraub]

I am going to throw in my "2 cents":

First of all, I always travel with at least 10 pairs of shoes, so...

OK, serious now: If I go to Austria, where we do "hikes" in the mountains, I always wear sport shoes. I actually don't own hiking shoes/boots. What about a pair of decent, not-too-sporty sport shoes in leather or some other material you can clean? (in case you went through the mud) I have pairs of them in tan, in red, in blue, in black, ... and they can be used for some more dressed events. Now, you can't wear them to a cocktail evening, but they are good enough for casual dressed up. Let's see if I find some pictures of what I mean:
http://www.geox.com/cont_belgio_fiamm.asp
Look for the "winter goddess", "hot" or "legend". I can't live anymore without shoes like that. They are passe-partout. And yes, I use that in the mountains, and in Disneyland. I have pictures to prove it!

Next to that, you can bring a pair of sandals. Or wear a pair of booty-sport shoes, bring a pair of loafers (very comfortable to wear on city trips, and I speak of experience!) and a pair of sandals. Sandals don't take that much space, and don't weigh much. (if you know how to pack them)

Now that I think about it: it can rain over here, and if you run through disneyland whole day in the rain (or through some city), your shoes will be wet, and you'll need a replacement pair. So, I would consider to bring 2 pairs of real shoes and 1 pair of sandals. Or buy some cheap sandals over here if you see the weather is nice enough, wear it while you're here and throw them away before you leave again. (Yes, I have also done that!)

I checked out the Geox and it turns out that they are sold here in Ohio. It looks like they offer a lot of different styles as opposed to the LL bean which is limited.

Thought some about the rain. I know you're right about needing two pair. I'm just dreading taking two pairs of trainers for all of us all over Europe. Like I said earlier, we are a family of five and will mostly be renting cars which seems to be small there. I do like the idea of buying some sandals over there. That's a great idea! I'll figure something out.

Thanks for your help!

 

[SandraVB79]

Geox are not the cheapest shoes there are in the world, but I like the fact they "breathe": you don't get hot, sweaty, smelly feet in them!

A "packing" tip for your shoes: I usually put my socks IN my shoes when I pack them, that way, they take less place in the suitcase, and don't get crushed.

On a second thought: you are right about European cars, they are a lot smaller than the American ones. Nevertheless, you can get A LOT in the trunk, depending on model of course, when you use travel bags/ sport bag type of baggage instead of the hardcase Samsonite suitcase.

My parents have a grand Voyager, not the smallest car in the world, and it hardly hold the two Samsonite-suitcases. But you should see how much goes in it when we take travel bags instead of the Samsonites! It takes luggage from 6-7 people (and as I said, I usually take lots and lots of shoes and clothes with me, my brother usually has an extra bag full of books, etc etc etc)

 

[cstraub]

Geox are not the cheapest shoes there are in the world, but I like the fact they "breathe": you don't get hot, sweaty, smelly feet in them!

A "packing" tip for your shoes: I usually put my socks IN my shoes when I pack them, that way, they take less place in the suitcase, and don't get crushed.

On a second thought: you are right about European cars, they are a lot smaller than the American ones. Nevertheless, you can get A LOT in the trunk, depending on model of course, when you use travel bags/ sport bag type of baggage instead of the hardcase Samsonite suitcase.

My parents have a grand Voyager, not the smallest car in the world, and it hardly hold the two Samsonite-suitcases. But you should see how much goes in it when we take travel bags instead of the Samsonites! It takes luggage from 6-7 people (and as I said, I usually take lots and lots of shoes and clothes with me, my brother usually has an extra bag full of books, etc etc etc)

Thanks for the tip on stuffing the socks into the shoes.

You are right about the hardcase luggage being a bad idea. I have not thought it through completley but each of us will have our "own" backpack's and maybe I will pack duffle type bags that have shoulder straps. I really don't want to take more than we can carry on our backs. I may resort to a full size, soft backpack (like the kind backpackers use) for DH and I. I own a nice backpack but it has a steel frame and will not squish very easily.

Thanks everyone for your help. It's been.......HELPFUL!!!

 

[SandraVB79]

You're welcome

I always end up with 3 pieces of luggage + purse/backpack and only two hands. (I leave with my Samsonite + carry-on + purse/backpack, and on vacation I always buy so muh, I need an extra bag! Great big large sportbags do the trick. At this point, I usually bring an empty one from home, because otherwise, I always have to buy a new one on vacation, haha!)

Here is a picture of the type of bags my family uses on vacation:
http://www.luggagesource.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/0B0B/product-id/499894.html

Disclaimer: Don't faint when you see the price. I have received mine for my tenth birthday or so, and I still use it. I am almost 27 at the time. That bag has survived trips to Greece, Italy, Austria (about 10 trips), Spain, California, Texas, Cape Cod, summer camp, etc etc etc etc etc.
I have also used cheaper ones, like the ones I got for free at the bank and so. They work just as well!

 

[SandraVB79]

Just wanted to say another thing: every time I see the topic of this thread, I want to answer: two matching ones that form one pair!!!!!!
Sorry

I need more work...

 

[Travelbug12]

I don't want to add to what you have to think about but we frequently have the same problem when we travel. My children and I wear Teva's which have several amazing features. They can pass for a hiking shoe for light hiking if you get the real good ones. They're great for disney again because the good ones are supposed to have the support of a sneaker...but guess what...they're water proof, that means if it rains your covered. Finally and most beautifully it that in many cases, especially for the kids you can wear them to dress up. In the right colors with the right outfits they can pass as nicer shoes. Finally, whether you end up with theses or sandals, I find that they can fit in the outside pockets of many types of luggage where you might not want to put valuables but sandals are ok.