Shoes for Travel

Rothy's Women's Sneaker

Shoes

Maybe I'm the only one that often looks at a vacation as a reason to "need" new shoes? Obviously where we are traveling to has a lot to do with what shoes are needed. 

Women's City Sneaker - I have found that with almost any vacation a simple pair of slip-on sneakers come in incredibly handy. I always look for ones that are nice enough to go with jeans but simple enough to go with travel pants or yoga pants. I have used Steve Madden's in the past which are cute but typically only last one summer before they are looking a bit shabby. This year I am upgrading to the Rothy's sneaker. It took a lot of consideration as these are above my typical shoe budget at $125 BUT if I can get these to last me even just 2 summers it will equal what I pay for 2 new pairs that wear out quickly. There are lots to love about Rothy's besides how comfortable they are. They are made from recycled water bottles so you can feel good about your "investment" and they are machine washable! I have friends who have washed their flats multiple times and they still look great. I will let you know how I feel about these shoes once I put them to the true test this summer. 

Women's Hiking - For those vacations that involve a lot of walking and especially hiking I have found Salomon Trail Runner shoes to be my favorite. I chose the "trail runners" over "hiking" shoes because I prefer a lower profile shoe but that's just a personal preference. I have the "Speedcross 4" women's trail running shoe and trust me when I say these shoes will make you feel like Spider Man (or Woman). They have so much grip it feels as though you could climb walls yet they are still cushy and comfortable. They are also great if you are going to be walking in the rain or muddy areas due to the awesome traction. The latest model is currently price at $130 but I was fortunate to find a pair at the REI Co-Op website on sale. Definitely Google the exact brand/type of shoe you want to see if you can find a deal. 

Kids Hiking - I also purchased Salomon shoes for the kids. They were Salomon XA Pro's. They worked great for hiking and the kids also enjoyed how much grip and traction they had. They could conquer walking up any slide, waterfall or mountain in these shoes. They were incredibly durable BUT here is why I won't be purchasing them again this year. So for the price, I really wanted (and needed) my kids to LOVE these shoes. My daughter ended up getting a blister from the tongue of the shoe rubbing up against her leg. My son would get frustrated on how difficult they were to put on since they aren't your typical laces and I would also get frustrated having to help both of them take their shoes on and off when they would be able to do it on their own with a standard shoe lace. I will say the nice part about the laces is you don't need to worry about them coming untied while hiking/playing. My kids are extremely finicky about their shoes. I would consider purchasing these again for my daughter but making sure she always wore proper socks to protect any rubbing from the shoe. All in all if you have kids who are rough on their shoes Salomon's should be a shoe to consider. They will last far longer than a typical running shoe.

This year I'm going to try Merrell Kids Trail Chasers for both my son (8) and daughter (6). They get decent reviews so I will let you know how they work out once we put them to the test. 

Please comment with your favorite travel shoes as we would love to hear of some other favorites and give them a try!