If you’re anything like me then picking out the right shoes for travelling can be a bit of a nightmare because I like shoes for every occasion. So I decided to rein myself in for our recent trip to England and Kuala Lumpur and get some expert advice about the best travel shoes and how to choose them.
It’s true. I like to have shoes for this, shoes for that, and shoes for the other when I’m travelling.
After-all, my hubby is likely to whisk me off like a mountain goat on some rugged path, while I also like to have pretty but comfy trotters on hand for sightseeing, and dainties if I’m going out to a restaurant. Then I like to have ankle boots in case it’s wet (think Europe) and trainers (sports shoes) in case I want to go for a power walk.
The list goes on, and in the past I’ve managed to pack 5 or more pairs of shoes for a trip but generally arrived home only having worn two or three pairs of them.
So these days I’m considerate of actually making do with less, and trying not to be focused on the ‘what if’ scenarios.
The wonderful team at FRANKiE4 footwear, who are on a mission to “save soles”, shared some really useful tips about choosing shoes for travelling, and say that we should consider 5 key things when we’re picking out which shoes to pack for a trip :-
- Support
- Comfort
- Functionality and versatility
- Style
- Durability
“Treat your feet well by packing proper footwear and by not over packing shoes that you just don’t need. For travel shoes, three is the magic number” Tracy told me.
Table of Contents
Walking Shoes
Walking shoes should be a quality brand, built for comfort and with solid support. “Your arches and heels need support if you’re walking all day and you need cushioning to reduce the impact on your joints. For this pair of shoes think comfort, durability and versatility,” Tracy said.
So for general walking shoes for England and Kuala Lumpur recently I took some silver FRANKIE4 ELLiEs. I found they were versatile for days’ exploring and walking and because of their on trend, neutral colour I was able to team them with a knee length dress on the plane (above), black and blue jeans, white capri pants, and also a long dress for the evenings (below).
What I also like is that they come with different colour shoe laces and Custom Fit components included in the box. These are different sized ‘footbeds’ which means you can alter the amount of room in the shoe, along with the amount of support you need. Simply swap the footbeds over to give your feet some extra room, or pop them back in when it’s cooler – it’s really useful to have this choice in hot weather or if your feet swell-up on the plane.
Sandals or Flats
The second pair of shoes should be comfortable but pretty – so that you can dress up your outfits for special occasions. The type of sandal really depends on the amount of walking you’re likely to do in them, but I’d say go for good support, as with Earth Spirit (2) below if you’re hiking, and (1) (3) and (4) for town sightseeing as the are not quite as robust.
An Activity Shoe
If you’re active like me, you’ll probably also need shoes that will stand the course of a long walk or hike. So if I know we’ll be doing a lot of walking on rough tracks I’ll pack a good pair of sports shoes as well.
Top Tips for Travel Shoes
- If it’s hot and during travel your feet can swell – so look for shoes and sandals that are adjustable.
- Keep colours neutral so that your shoes go with the majority of your travelling outfits.
- All you travel shoes should be comfortable with support and cushioning – so I’m afraid it’s out with any teetering heels or what I call “car to restaurant only” shoes.
- The best shoes for travel are the ones you enjoy wearing and which can be worn with a variety of different travel outfits.
- A lightweight pair of rubber flip-flops are a good addition for the beach or around the pool.
- Always wear your travel shoes a few times before setting off. It’s important to break them in first or otherwise stick with tried-and-tested shoes.
- Velcro and elastic fastening offer easy-on easy-off access – great for going through airport security.
- Irene offered some more great travel shoe tips here on her blog More Time to Travel .
I was gifted a pair of ELLiE silver shoes from FRANKIE4 and this style will be back in store and online by mid December. Black and Rouge ELLiE stock and the new JENNi active flat will be in-store and online by the end of next week. Thanks also to Tracy Schweitzer at FRANKIE4 for contributing hints and tips for this post.
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Great post. How gorgeous are those silver shoes. No real plans to travel for the time being, apart from a very brief trip to Melbourne next month but I may need to case those shoes regardless.
Hi Raychael, thank you! Yes, definitely ‘case’ those silver sweeties!
I think I ended up taking 4 or 5 pairs of shoes on our Europe trip – a pair of (supremely comfortable) ballet flats, black canvas laceups, grey ankle boots, thongs, and finally, I had to take a pair of high heels for the formal nights on the cruise – otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered! I possibly could have survived without the ankle boots but I find having my feet enclosed all day and doing lots of walking, they got a bit smelly, so it was good to give them a day off to air out between wearings 😉
It’s always so tricky when packing for different occasions, and situations and climates. Sounds like you got it about right on your Europe trip though Janet.
Thanks for these tips on choosing travel shoes and also for the link to my post!
And thank YOU for popping by. Loved your post too x
I always pack too many shoes (and clothes for that matter). Getting it all down to a few is a good idea. By the way, I love those silver walking shoes!
Thanks Laurie – they were much admired on my travels – a really useful and stylish pair of shoes for sure.
Great tips for choosing travel shoes Jo. It is a problem with us girls wanting shoes to suit every scenario, but you have managed to cut it down nicely for us. I must say I like the look of those Earth Spirit sandals. And what a great idea having different colour laces on the ELLiEs. These days I am certainly choosing a flatter shoe and sandals always need to have a back strap around the heel for me. But then when we are camping I generally wear my hiking boots all the time, and throw in a pair of sneakers and reef sandals.
Happy travels Jo.
I think you’d find some FRANKIE4 shoes to suit your lifestyle Jill, and you’d love Earth Spirit too 🙂
I too love Frankie 4 shoes. I managed to get wonderful sandals last summer from Revere and Klouds that both accommodated full orthotics.
When you were in hot weather Jo, did you wear your Ellies with sockettes ? Or otherwise? I am especially interested in what you did when wearing a dress. Many thanks.
Hi Kathy, for hot weather I thought about wearing sockettes but ended up wearing them without. They are quite soft and absorbant inside. I think this summmer in Perth though I may consider sockettes just to save the insoles a bit.
I bought some walking shoes recently to replace my joggers when I was casually walking and not thumping the pavement. Skeechers pretty blooming awesome to wear x
Will check them out Rae 🙂
Great tips, Jo, and well done on limiting your shoes to three pair on your recent trip. I know what you mean about ‘just in case’ – I’ve suffered from that badly in the past! This year on my 7 week trip to Europe I limited myself to four pairs of shoes – a flat black ‘ballet’ shoe that I wore on the plane and with long black pants on cooler days, my Merrell walking shoes (we do heaps of walking when we travel so I wouldn’t leave home without them) and two pairs of sandals – one black and one neutral. This proved to be the perfect combo as the sandals went with the dresses I had packed so were fine for wearing out to dinner but also comfy enough to wear whilst sightseeing during the day. I’ll have to take a look at Frankie4 before my next trip.
It sounds as if you’ve got it sussed on the footwear front, Carolyn – we get wiser, hey!
I recently spent 5 weeks in Paris plus 4 days in Hong Kong, covering temperatures from 8 to 38 degrees. I was determined to look as stylish as possible, particularly in Paris. I took only 3 pairs of shoes – Frankie4 Jamie ankle boots which were perfect wear all day shoes, Frankie4 Janelle loafers for evening wear and on days with less walking, plus a pair of leather Merrell sandles for warmer temperatures (also walk all day capable). I just won’t wear runners as they shout ‘tourist’ to me and I like to blend in. They are also very heavy in your luggage.
Love that you are into FRANKIE4 shoes too Jan. The support and insoles are great aren’t they? The Jamie ankle boots were gorgeous, sad I didn’t nab a pair when they were in season. You’re right about the runners shouting ‘tourist’ and being heavy.
Comfortable shows are the bane of my life! I seem to have sensitive feet that develop blisters very easily and I also have painful bunions on both feet. So I normally have to get a wider fitting and arch support to take the pressure off my bunions. So it is not an easy mission getting both attractive and comfortable shoes. I have found two pairs of shoes that are very comfortable – Orthaheel thongs and Aerosole ballet flats. I also always take a pair of joggers with me as well and maybe a nice pair of sandals for evening wear. Good suggestions Jo. 🙂
Hi Kathy, me the same. My feet have become so sensitive these days. Thanks for the suggestions 🙂
I have a HUGE problem with shoes when it comes to packing – like you I pack with ‘what if’ in mind (including the little black dress … just in case). I’ve vowed to stop doing that in the future though so this post is going to be at the front of my mind next time I pack. Thanks Jo. Bye the way… I luv those silver shoes 🙂
Hi Pam, oh I’m so glad I’m not the only one 😉 Honestly sometimes I feel like Imelda Marcos! So glad you like the FRANKIE4 silver shoes … very versatile and comfy, they’ll be in store and online in December.