DW Walking Shoes!

[cy1229]

I found this entire thread VERY interesting. I never gave my footwear much thought - but I have always been wise enough to at least not plan on walking around in heels! Most memorable is walking in flip-flops all day (it was June 2008) and having my older daughter stepping on one or the other flip-flop every single day and threatening to knock me over. "Thanks for the trip to Disney World, Mom, let's kill you so we don't have to go home." We still talk about her knack for stepping on my shoes and my need for more personal space. BTW this is the same daughter who has the tendency to strike up conversations with handsome international waiters. Coincidence? You be the judge.

I would have made that daughter walk by daddy the rest of the trip International visitors (and I'm assuming CMs as well) do seem to have less of a need for a personal space radius so maybe that is why your daughter likes them so well

Well they would only get along with her if they don't mind her walking on their feet.

[Cub]

On hotter days, I prefer flip flops. My brand of choice is Yellow Box. They are super comfortable and the less shoe I have on, the better.
The only thing about those though, they don't have good traction on wet ground such as tile. There was one day I can remember when it was raining pretty hard and I would slip and slide everywhere with those shoes. I ended up going to buy a pair of rubber flip flops at a store.
If I am not wearing those, I usually wear my Nike Shox.

[cy1229]

On hotter days, I prefer flip flops. My brand of choice is Yellow Box. They are super comfortable and the less shoe I have on, the better.
The only thing about those though, they don't have good traction on wet ground such as tile. There was one day I can remember when it was raining pretty hard and I would slip and slide everywhere with those shoes. I ended up going to buy a pair of rubber flip flops at a store.
If I am not wearing those, I usually wear my Nike Shox.

We buy bunches of pairs of Old Navy flip-flops when they have the $2 sale and match them to our outfits. I know... fashion over function... but they worked very well. I'm thinking for our trip in October I'll wear a combination of those and my sneakers, depending on the temperature.

[Amy]

On hotter days, I prefer flip flops. My brand of choice is Yellow Box. They are super comfortable and the less shoe I have on, the better.
The only thing about those though, they don't have good traction on wet ground such as tile. There was one day I can remember when it was raining pretty hard and I would slip and slide everywhere with those shoes. I ended up going to buy a pair of rubber flip flops at a store.
If I am not wearing those, I usually wear my Nike Shox.

We buy bunches of pairs of Old Navy flip-flops when they have the $2 sale and match them to our outfits. I know... fashion over function... but they worked very well. I'm thinking for our trip in October I'll wear a combination of those and my sneakers, depending on the temperature.

Do your feet get along wearing cheap-y flip flops for that much walking? I can't even imagine!!

[cy1229]

On hotter days, I prefer flip flops. My brand of choice is Yellow Box. They are super comfortable and the less shoe I have on, the better.
The only thing about those though, they don't have good traction on wet ground such as tile. There was one day I can remember when it was raining pretty hard and I would slip and slide everywhere with those shoes. I ended up going to buy a pair of rubber flip flops at a store.
If I am not wearing those, I usually wear my Nike Shox.

We buy bunches of pairs of Old Navy flip-flops when they have the $2 sale and match them to our outfits. I know... fashion over function... but they worked very well. I'm thinking for our trip in October I'll wear a combination of those and my sneakers, depending on the temperature.

Do your feet get along wearing cheap-y flip flops for that much walking? I can't even imagine!!

They don't get that bothered. One thing that DOES happen is they tend to dry out more from the heat and friction on the shoe. But the rubber is soft and flexible enough to provide enough cushioning. I have really high arches so I was surprised by this phenomenon as well. I have a couple pairs of harder sandals that are really uncomfortable to wear. I think the key is in the flexibility of the sole.

[TikiTikiRoom]

I rock my Vans with some super comfy arch support soles. The last time I went, I tried walking the Magic Kingdom in my flip-flops but wanted to die after. I can't really do flip-flops, I guess they're not my thing. :/

[northernmousefan2007]

I wouldn't commit to wearing flip flops all day, they don't have enough support for me. I do always have a pair in my backpack for water rides and the famous Florida afternoon deluge.

[Cub]

On hotter days, I prefer flip flops. My brand of choice is Yellow Box. They are super comfortable and the less shoe I have on, the better.
The only thing about those though, they don't have good traction on wet ground such as tile. There was one day I can remember when it was raining pretty hard and I would slip and slide everywhere with those shoes. I ended up going to buy a pair of rubber flip flops at a store.
If I am not wearing those, I usually wear my Nike Shox.

We buy bunches of pairs of Old Navy flip-flops when they have the $2 sale and match them to our outfits. I know... fashion over function... but they worked very well. I'm thinking for our trip in October I'll wear a combination of those and my sneakers, depending on the temperature.

Oh wow. I don't think I could handle the Old Navy ones. I can't wear the plastic-y kind.

[cy1229]

Has anyone bought Keen sandals? I like the looks of them and it sounds like they have good support.

http://www.zappos.com/brand/427/Keen

Anyone ever buy them? They're expensive so I don't want to get a pair unless they're well-reviewed.

[Amy]

Has anyone bought Keen sandals? I like the looks of them and it sounds like they have good support.

http://www.zappos.com/brand/427/Keen

Anyone ever buy them? They're expensive so I don't want to get a pair unless they're well-reviewed.

Several of my piano students and their parents have them. They all love them. They are too expensive for me You might want to go to a store that carries them so you can try on a few different pairs, but then you'll probably want to buy online for the best deal.

[cy1229]

Has anyone bought Keen sandals? I like the looks of them and it sounds like they have good support.

http://www.zappos.com/brand/427/Keen

Anyone ever buy them? They're expensive so I don't want to get a pair unless they're well-reviewed.

Several of my piano students and their parents have them. They all love them. They are too expensive for me You might want to go to a store that carries them so you can try on a few different pairs, but then you'll probably want to buy online for the best deal.

My feet haven't changed sizes in several years now, so if they're well-made, I'm not afraid to invest in them if they'll last 2 or 3 years. We tend to do a lot of walking on our vacations and unless hiking boots are a good option, I want something that's comfortable and reasonably cool. I've never seen them around here. The good news is Zappos will ship free, and includes a postage-paid label for returns. I might just bite the bullet and get some, but maybe I'll wait until later in the summer to see if they go on sale.

[Amy]

Has anyone bought Keen sandals? I like the looks of them and it sounds like they have good support.

http://www.zappos.com/brand/427/Keen

Anyone ever buy them? They're expensive so I don't want to get a pair unless they're well-reviewed.

Several of my piano students and their parents have them. They all love them. They are too expensive for me You might want to go to a store that carries them so you can try on a few different pairs, but then you'll probably want to buy online for the best deal.

My feet haven't changed sizes in several years now, so if they're well-made, I'm not afraid to invest in them if they'll last 2 or 3 years. We tend to do a lot of walking on our vacations and unless hiking boots are a good option, I want something that's comfortable and reasonably cool. I've never seen them around here. The good news is Zappos will ship free, and includes a postage-paid label for returns. I might just bite the bullet and get some, but maybe I'll wait until later in the summer to see if they go on sale.

They are really well made, you don't have to worry about that. They will last you several years without a problem. We've ordered, and returned, to Zappos a few times and they are a good company to work with. No problems with the returns any time. Definitely check around on pricing though, they aren't always the lowest and most of the online shoe companies do free shipping both ways.

[Len90]

On our past trip I decided to try out three different options: a pair of Nike walking sneakers, a pair of Oakley flip-flops, and my Mickey Crocs. I honestly found the crocs to be the best option as they don't turn spongy when you get caught in the rain, were comfortable, and I found my feet had the least amount of pain at night when I wore those shoes. For me it was a shock as I had always been the one to wear sneakers that were new but already broken in. My only complaint about my crocs was that by the end of the vacation I smoothed the soles out and it made for some minor loss of traction on wet floors.

[Belle1082]

On our past trip I decided to try out three different options: a pair of Nike walking sneakers, a pair of Oakley flip-flops, and my Mickey Crocs. I honestly found the crocs to be the best option as they don't turn spongy when you get caught in the rain, were comfortable, and I found my feet had the least amount of pain at night when I wore those shoes. For me it was a shock as I had always been the one to wear sneakers that were new but already broken in. My only complaint about my crocs was that by the end of the vacation I smoothed the soles out and it made for some minor loss of traction on wet floors.

I actually ended up wearing my crocs sandals for a couple days on the trip and found them to be very comfortable as well. And you are right - if you get caught in the rain they are a godsend, considering how long tennis shoes take to dry out. I find that I seem to bring maybe 2 or 3 pairs of shoes and rotate them, so I never wear the same pair two days in a row. I feel like no matter what you do a ridiculous amount of walking and no matter how comfortable a pair of shoes might seem, after wearing them for 14+ hours - they are going to hurt. lol Mix it up a bit and your feet will thank you!

[junebug1233]

Does anyone have any tips other than shoes for foot pain while walking at WDW? I am relatively young but due to sitting at a desk all day at work, I just don't do a lot of physical activity. Last time I was at WDW, I had incredibly bad foot pain from walking so much. I tried several pairs of shoes and gel inserts but nothing seemed to help. I was wondering if I could do some foot exercises or if walking/running a couple months prior to the trip might be enough to prevent some of the pain.