Shoes?!?!

[PMC0849]

Last year the shoes I wore did not work, I had the worst blisters I've ever had. What shoes do you swear by when going to WDW? Not trying to spend $200-300 either.

 

[vikescaper]

I wear Mizuno Wave Rider running shoes along with Feetures socks. I’ve never had any issues since I have switched to Mizuno.

 

[iamabhishek]

Buy Adidas Casual Shoes or Running footwear.

 

[JenDud]

Brooks and Teva are my go to’s. I have degenerative arthritis in one foot so good shoes are very critical for me. I found a different kind of Tevas for this trip and I’m very excited to try them out. They are Teva Zymics and feel incredible. I buy almost all my shoes from 6pm as you can find some really good deals.

 

[NelleBelle]

For “walking show I wear Brooks, sandals are Birkenstock Mayari and Merrell Terran Post. I also take a pair of Ecco sneakers and a pair of Vans. For me, I generally end up with blisters on the sole of my feet. And because of a nerve condition, can’t feel my feet at all so huge risk for blisters. I’ve found changing my footwear at least every day or twice a day really critical for me (and good socks—love the Ecco low-cut golf socks)

 

[Phonedave]

While it's great that you can get by with cheap shoes, that's really not the case for most people, especially as we age. There are countless posts on here, other theme park groups, general travel forums, and Facebook groups about people regretting their cheap footwear choices. Those regrets and pleas for better options are usually followed by a chorus of people who spent more on good shoes and had no regrets. While they come close, neither of the shoes I noted exceed $200 and bargain shoppers know that you can buy previous models at deep discounts. Sites like 6pm have Glycerin 18s and 19s marked down to the $76-105 range. At the end of the day, I'd rather spend more on my shoes and be comfortable than take the risk and potentially have to cut my park time short because I cheaped out on footwear that led to pain and possible costly medical issues.

I agree 100%. When I started running I was fitted, and also tried a bunch of different shoes. Asics Gel Kayano are what work for me. I used them as both running shoes, and walking around shoes. $40 sneakers do not last as long, nor feel as good.

 

[StantonZ]

I wear plain old tennis shoes, but my secret is the socks: Apolla compression socks (they were a Shark Tank company). They are several styles, but their implementation is the same: they are "keyed" to a foot (left/right) and they have been the only thing that keeps my feet from killing me after 4 hours of walking/standing.

 

[SAV]

I wear $35 Sandals and have never had an issue. My wife and kids wear flip flops and never had an issue. The one time my daughter wore actual shoes, she blistered up badly.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

The cost of the shoe does not matter.
What matters is whether the shoe works with your foot.
My sister wears cheap sandals. She cannot wear sneakers because her one toe sits in top of the other toe.
Then there is me. I have to wear sneakers with tons of squish and they have to fit snug.
Someone else may need firm inserts.
Gotta find what works for you and that may be a cheap flip flop or expensive sandals, or custom made prescription inserts.

 

[Tinkwings]

If you wind up going for a sneaker, I'd suggest going to a running shop to get fitted. It shouldn't cost you anything extra, they'll assess you based on your needs/wear pattern/gait/etc., and you should get to try on a good 5-10 pairs of shoes. No one brand or shoe is right for everyone. Case in point, my current favorite high cushion shoe is a Brooks Glycerin 20, but my husband is all about the ASICS Gel Nimbus 25. Good shoes like this also need little to no break in period. In fact, if they're as broken in as some people think shoes should be, they'd actually be worn out. Shoes like these that are designed for distance running also tend to be more breathable, so your feet won't get as hot...although, it's important to pair them with socks that do the same and offer some cushioning and protection at common blister points. My fave socks are Balega Silver No Show and Feetures High Performance Cushion No Show.

I am Gel Nimbus 24 fan.....their best shoe since the 18 imho......but yes those are my park shoes period.....and everywhere else basically.... I don't run much in them, but for walking all day never any issues.....which I did have prior to these.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Comfortable ones. Sometimes it’s not the shoe. It’s the pace.

 

[Po'Rich]

I've had good luck with Hokas (but they are rather expensive).

 

[joshsprincess921]

I just switched from Brooks that I wore for years to Hokas. I tried on 4 different styles and 3 of them were terrible, but the Mach 5 are the ones I ended up getting and they are sooo comfortable. They are expensive, but worth it. For flip flops/sandals, I have and love Reef.

That being said, last year I wore the same Brooks I always wear and I still got the worse blisters of my life. Turns out it was due to my socks not the shoes. I wore nylon instead of cotton and it was just horrible. I've never put another nylon sock on my feet since. I've also bought a few pairs of Bombas which are good. I'm a firm believer that the shoes and the socks are important!