I don't know about you, but I'm a flip flop kind of gal. As long as there's not snow on the ground you can usually catch me in a pair. I do tons of walking in them, the zoo, car shows, just every day stuff. They're what I'm most comfortable in. With those being all I really wear (aside from some heels when needed) my feet are used to them. For a trip in 2008 I packed various flip flops, and my hubby insisted on buying me some tennis shoes (I rarely wear them so the only ones I had were pretty old and worn out). With the new white Reebok classics- I like clean and simple- I was all set.
Now I knew there was going to be a lot of walking, but whoa! By morning 3 of our stay my feet had had it! Lucky for me Disney thinks of everything. They were selling Crocs all over the place. Now, to be honest, not a fan at all (this was before they started designing them in other styles). My husband and I have a bit of a shoe problem, and we're okay with that- We like the look of shoes, comfort comes in second, lol... that being the case, my feet had never even seen a pair of Crocs. Due to my condition at the time though I wasn't in a position to be picky; I was willing to try anything. I'm sure by now everyone knows or at least has heard how absolutely comfortable these things are, and I'm here to tell you, it's true!! Sadly, I am now the owner of a pair. It was like walking on air. The only consolation to buying them, aside from the immediate relief to my little piggies, was the fact that instead of the little holes in the tops, they had little Mickey heads. That, and I was able to get them in my home team's colors of red & black (Go CARDS!).
I am one of those people who match their shoes to their clothes, or vise verse,
so I think this was the most awful part...
With the experience I've just shared, it goes without saying that I now know how very important proper footwear is for the parks. A lightweight, flexible walking shoe with great support is ideal. If you have a good, trusty pair of shoes that fit the bill, great! If you have to buy new shoes I definitely recommend buying them far enough in advance to break them in properly. In recollection, I think I had worn my flip flops on the first day and when my feet were so sore I decided to wear my new tennis shoes. And when I say new, I mean like a week old. These of course gave me blisters in no time. All that walking in one day in a new pair of shoes will surely do that to you.
Also, it's great to take at least two pair of tennis shoes. You can rotate them to give your feet a nice fresh start each day.
Whether you buy new shoes or not, I do recommend purchasing new socks. What good do the new shoes do if you're still wearing the same old worn down socks? And if you're using your old shoes, new socks will be a nice treat. Try some athletic, moisture-wicking socks to keep the moisture away from your feet, thus preventing blistering.
I'm not saying you can't bring your flips flops or sandals. They're great for days spent outside of the parks, or to head out for dinner and a relaxing evening. I just wouldn't count on them being your main park touring shoes.
Savings Tip: Check out the athletic shoe stores and see what fits, what's comfortable, etc., but before you purchase head over to Kohl's, or your nearest dept. store and see if they have something comparable, if not the same thing. They run sales more often than the mall shoes stores and are always offering coupons and other promotions, Kohl's especially
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