Comfortable walking shoes

[SeaBlu]

There are a lot of 'cute and comfortable' shoes if you do not have any foot issues. But, I have heel spurs, which are a result of poor arches. So I cannot do any amount of walking unless I am wearing a shoe with EXCELLENT arch support and firm fitting so that feet do not twist from side to side. Even canvas shoes let my feet 'twist' too much, I need to wear leather walking or running shoes, and the best ones are the ones where the sole has a hole or large indentation in the center of the heel. That keeps the weight of my foot on the edges of my heel, not the center where the tendon gets so sore. So I just decided that my comfort wins and I am not ever going to wins any beauty contest anyway.

[Sandy Sails]

There are a lot of 'cute and comfortable' shoes if you do not have any foot issues. But, I have heel spurs, which are a result of poor arches. So I cannot do any amount of walking unless I am wearing a shoe with EXCELLENT arch support and firm fitting so that feet do not twist from side to side. Even canvas shoes let my feet 'twist' too much, I need to wear leather walking or running shoes, and the best ones are the ones where the sole has a hole or large indentation in the center of the heel. That keeps the weight of my foot on the edges of my heel, not the center where the tendon gets so sore. So I just decided that my comfort wins and I am not ever going to wins any beauty contest anyway.

 

And what shoes do you end up wearing? I have severe arthritis in both feet and was told to where shoes that don't bend or twist. So I have to wear big ugly black ones to work (with pants - don't even bother with skirts anymore). In the summer I wear Keen sandals (the ugly ones - but love them anyway). I may have to purchase the ones the OP got - they're actually cuter than the regular Keen sandals.

[cocontom]

Everyone is so helpful. Thank you for sharing all of your "shoe" experiences. All of the slip-ons are very pretty, but I don't think I could wear those for extensive walking. I am planning on a mix of shorts & capris, as well as sundresses, so I wanted a versatile shoe. This is my first time abroad, so I'm going to have to learn more about "light packing". I do really like those New Balance mary janes. I'm a loyal New Balance customer. I may HAVE to have those ;)

 

Just make sure you don't pack so light you end up miserable. I packed light for Vegas- my oh-so-comfy Tevas that I pretty much lived in at home took three hotels to rub four blisters on one foot and three on the other the first morning. Fine, I put on the cute flip flops that weren't super supportive and rubbed a different spot, and just generally didn't feel great for walking (I had intended to put those on once we got to our destination, because they're fine for standing).

 

Then the *other* pair of comfy shoes rubbed somewhere else! I ended up buying another pair of Reef Mick Fannings the next day, and lived in them for the rest of the trip.

 

That was mostly ok because it was Vegas, we've been there a bunch of times, had days to spend there, and really enjoy the shopping- but if I had to hunt down shoes when there were ruins to be explored? I would not have been a happy camper.

[dragonsdesyre]

I love the comfort of my regular Keens, but hate their homeliness. I have had sooo many blisters on my cruises and decided to bite the bullet this time and get something worth having.

 

I found these Teva Zirras online yesterday and thought I'd throw them out there too. Super cute, ok to wear with a sundress without looking like a total dweeb, and highly rated. Looking forward to seeing if they live up to their hype.

 

http://www.zappos.com/teva-zirra-red

[bchebtrfly]

Try Skechers Go Walks. They have some cute styles to choose from. I've decided those will be my "go to" shoes on our Med cruise next year. :-)

[blonde1981]

@dragonsdesyre I am looking forward to your review.

 

I think I wore tennis shoes/sneakers on my Eastern Med cruise because I didn't think flip flops would do the trick (in Venice they worked well). This time we are doing the Baltics and I am planning on picking up a couple of pairs of flat boots at Target to wear with sundresses.

[hansolosmom]

Hey just found this thread. I have a hard time finding shoes because I need something supportive and have wide feet. So most of the time I end up with sneakers.

 

But I just bought some Easy Spirit shoes which are fabulous.

 

I got 1 pair of the 360's they are super light and very comfy. I've been wearing them & they seem to run the slightest bit big, but I'm thinking I'll probably wear them with socks so they should be good.

http://www.easyspirit.com/Riptide/53558425,default,pd.html?variantSizeClass=&variantColor=JJ4RAC3&cgid=55605979&prefn1=catalog-id&prefv1=easyspirit-catalog

 

The other pair I got are some slip-ons in their Level 1 so they're made for walking. I got the design which is travel themed. I thought it'll be great for the med this summer. These are heavier so I'll wear these on the flight instead of packing them.

 

http://www.easyspirit.com/Traveltime-NEW-COLORS/2860839,default,pd.html?omn=cross-sell&omnsource=53558425

[Scrapnana]

I'm looking for a comfortable pair of shoes that I can walk in. Tennis shoes are out because that come up too high on the back of my heel (I can remember folding up tissues to put in my Mary Janes as a kid). I started wearing almost all Birkenstock clogs and sandals about 8 years ago. The sandals are more cushioned for walking than the clogs. So, I am looking for a pair of black backless shoes that are cushioned for the days on my cruise when it is cold (about 10 ports). So far I have found these although I am not overly fond of the patent leather part.

 

They are Easy Spirit Traveltime (is that an omen?). I used to wear Easy Spirit shoes a lot because of the cushioning.

 

Any one with ideas of similar style shoes? Thanks

[CasaM]

These Easy Spirit Traveltime look nice and I've worn Easy Spirit before and like them. Just wondering if the fabric will work if it was raining. We do Med cruises and have been in a few downpours where my feet got soaked.

 

I've worn these Merrells the last few years and they worked great. I wear wool socks (Smartwool) for the cold weather, which I get at sierratradingpost.com.

 

http://www.zappos.com/merrell-encore-nova-smooth-black

[Lois R]

I just booked my 2nd cruise to the Med for next year:)

I learned alot from my 1st time there, including what shoes are good for

ME;)

These saved my feet and I will be wearing them again....they are made

by "Grasshoppers" and the footbed is sooo cushiony.

 

 

 

 

No, they are not fancy but they worked well for me!

I learned the hardway too.....first day I arrived in Rome I did a private

tour with ALOT of walking.....I wore Merrell sandals which are usually

great but ended up with a VERY sore heel:(....I was not going to bring

those (in the photo) but am sooooooo happy I did.....wore them for

all the tours the rest of the cruise...they are awesome:D

[crazyventures]

I got these a few weeks ago and love them. They're cute sandals but they still have cushioning. I didn't even need to break them in:

 

http://www.6pm.com/b-o-c-keiko-pewter-metallic

 

The only downside to them is they don't come in half sizes.

[delily]

I wanted something a bit nicer than athletic shoes too so I went with these:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Naturalizer-Womens-Cognac-Leather-Julianne/dp/B008K3PH8E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366313911&sr=8-2&keywords=naturalizer+julianne

 

They are Naturalizers and very comfortable. I bought the Cognac color and like them so much I'm thinking of going back for the black.

[Lois R]

I wanted something a bit nicer than athletic shoes too so I went with these:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Naturalizer-Womens-Cognac-Leather-Julianne/dp/B008K3PH8E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366313911&sr=8-2&keywords=naturalizer+julianne

 

They are Naturalizers and very comfortable. I bought the Cognac color and like them so much I'm thinking of going back for the black.

 

Oh....those are really nice:) have you worn them a bit? Do they feel good

on your feet? The footbed?

[Scrapnana]

These Easy Spirit Traveltime look nice and I've worn Easy Spirit before and like them. Just wondering if the fabric will work if it was raining. We do Med cruises and have been in a few downpours where my feet got soaked.

 

I've worn these Merrells the last few years and they worked great. I wear wool socks (Smartwool) for the cold weather, which I get at sierratradingpost.com.

 

http://www.zappos.com/merrell-encore-nova-smooth-black

 

Thanks! I like them better because they don't have the patent leather. I know the brand name Merrell but have never had a pair. Do they have any arch support? Are they cushiony (probably not a word)?

[Lois R]

Thanks! I like them better because they don't have the patent leather. I know the brand name Merrell but have never had a pair. Do they have any arch support? Are they cushiony (probably not a word)?

 

Yes, it is a word:D I love shoes with a cushiony footbed...especially

for walking;)

[bajacali]

I'm looking for a comfortable pair of shoes that I can walk in. Tennis shoes are out because that come up too high on the back of my heel (I can remember folding up tissues to put in my Mary Janes as a kid). I started wearing almost all Birkenstock clogs and sandals about 8 years ago. The sandals are more cushioned for walking than the clogs. So, I am looking for a pair of black backless shoes that are cushioned for the days on my cruise when it is cold (about 10 ports). So far I have found these although I am not overly fond of the patent leather part.

 

They are Easy Spirit Traveltime (is that an omen?). I used to wear Easy Spirit shoes a lot because of the cushioning.

 

Any one with ideas of similar style shoes? Thanks

 

Just reading what everyone is wearing for comfortable shoes for my cruise and thought I woud mention that Sam's Club (New York State) has nice light colored (believe beige and also navy) more summer appropriate shoes with open back as above (no patent). They were cheap also - I think about $29.00.

[hansolosmom]

I'm looking for a comfortable pair of shoes that I can walk in. Tennis shoes are out because that come up too high on the back of my heel (I can remember folding up tissues to put in my Mary Janes as a kid). I started wearing almost all Birkenstock clogs and sandals about 8 years ago. The sandals are more cushioned for walking than the clogs. So, I am looking for a pair of black backless shoes that are cushioned for the days on my cruise when it is cold (about 10 ports). So far I have found these although I am not overly fond of the patent leather part.

 

They are Easy Spirit Traveltime (is that an omen?). I used to wear Easy Spirit shoes a lot because of the cushioning.

 

Any one with ideas of similar style shoes? Thanks

 

The ones I got we're travel time, but I got one of the other prints, if you look at my link there are 6-7 different tops you can choose from, not just the black patent

[hansolosmom]

These Easy Spirit Traveltime look nice and I've worn Easy Spirit before and like them. Just wondering if the fabric will work if it was raining. We do Med cruises and have been in a few downpours where my feet got soaked.

 

I've worn these Merrells the last few years and they worked great. I wear wool socks (Smartwool) for the cold weather, which I get at sierratradingpost.com.

 

http://www.zappos.com/merrell-encore-nova-smooth-black

 

I wore them today and it was raining, no problem with them getting wet or uncomfortable.

[hansolosmom]

We'll see if this works.

 

The one on the left is the travel time, the one on the right is the 360

Again recommend them both. The travel time was fine in the rain today. I'm sure if I had the flower ones (360's) my feet would have been soaked. If you go to the Easy Sprit website the 360s are $10 off. If you sign up for emails, they constantly send discounts.

 

[delily]

---

[delily]

Oh....those are really nice:) have you worn them a bit? Do they feel good

on your feet? The footbed?

 

I wore them to work last week because I wanted to break them in before my cruise but after one day I felt like they didn't need a break in period at all. They are one of the best fitting shoes I've ever worn. And they were cuter than typical "walking shoes" and would be more suitable with a sun dress or nice pant suit. I found several cute styles like these at Amazon. Clarks had some cute ones too but I never have much luck with Clarks. They just don't ever seem to fit me right.

[CasaM]

Thanks Hansolosmom, I may just have to get a pair of the Easy Spirit with your good report of the rain not being a problem.

 

Scrapnana, about the Merrells - the original footbed was actually very comfortable. My shoes are a few years old and quite scuffed and the back is ripping, so I need a new pair SOON. But last year before my Med cruise, in a effort to get some new shoes and having some foot problems, I just couldn't find a pair, so I "upgraded" my old pairs. For the Merrells, I bought Dr. Scholls Active Series inserts and they have worked great for me. When I buy new shoes, I will probably start out by inserting the Dr. Scholls from the beginning.

[Scrapnana]

The ones I got we're travel time, but I got one of the other prints, if you look at my link there are 6-7 different tops you can choose from, not just the black patent

 

Thanks! I didn't even notice the different patterns because I was excited to see something in a style that I liked and looked like it was comfortable.

[slidergirl]

Thanks! I like them better because they don't have the patent leather. I know the brand name Merrell but have never had a pair. Do they have any arch support? Are they cushiony (probably not a word)?

 

I've got the "winterized" version of these (fleece lined). What is nice about the Merrells is that you can take out the supplied footbed and put in your own. If you have a footbed in your sneaks that is good for you, take it out and put it in the Merrells. I swap footbeds all the time. I have a pair of adidas footbeds in a pair of Salomon shoes. Or, I'll put in one of my Superfeet footbeds. Customize the shoe to what you are going to do with it!!

[Lois R]

I wore them to work last week because I wanted to break them in before my cruise but after one day I felt like they didn't need a break in period at all. They are one of the best fitting shoes I've ever worn. And they were cuter than typical "walking shoes" and would be more suitable with a sun dress or nice pant suit. I found several cute styles like these at Amazon. Clarks had some cute ones too but I never have much luck with Clarks. They just don't ever seem to fit me right.

 

Thanks:) I wear Clarks ALOT but usually their mules/clogs/sandals.

Some gals may wear those styles for walking but I need a full

shoe;)