What to wear on your feet (and your kids feet) ???

[darthmacho]

This is going to sound insane, but I just bought a pair of black, waterproof, hightop walking shoes that were comfortable and broken in the second I put them on. I'm a little worried about them being a dark color and high around my ankle because of the heat, but they should be extremely comfortable and able to keep my feet dry in a downpour.

I'll let everyone know if that works out!

[Mickey'sGirl]

We all wear our running shoes with socks. DS8 and I have orthotics and need the support provided by the runners and the laces.

[PETE FROM NYC]

I can give more than one reply to this query.
First, what footwear I actually bring. Starting in May of each year, I switch to my sandals.Says on them Proper shock absorber walking shoes. DW ordered them from Foot Smart two years ago. I also bring down with me my velcro closure sneakers, and socks. Now, the last three trips, I am an ECV rider due to arthitis in both knees, so I am really doing very limited walking.
Before the knees went, I asked my podiatrist what to wear, and he told me to wear my New Balance sneakers, along with my custom orthotics.
I hope this gives you some insight.

[JRocker]

My family has gotten into the habit of bringing multiple pairs of shoes (that are comfortable for walking of course).
When at Disney, I never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row; I have one pair of sneaks and a pair of sandals. Since I have taken up that practice, I have never gotten a blister.

We also buy new socks for all of us for the trip.

Ahh. The science of foot care at the parks.
19 days!!!!

[Janmac]

Since it's your first time at WDW, definitely plan on using a stroller. It's great for tired kids, or overstimulated kids, or if their feet get blistered, and strollers are great for hauling stuff. Our stroller, which we still used when kids were 5 years old, had a basket underneath. All our water bottles, small packages, and sweaters wound up in the basket, or tied to the handle bars.

And it's fun to decorate your stroller. Early October - Halloween garland, battery operated Halloween lights, anything glow in the dark.

For shoes: this is very person specific. I like to change my shoes at mid-day and I wear only Birkenstocks - sandals and shoes. My sister wears Keenes or Earth shoes, DH wears Crocs, with or without socks; his crocs don't really look like crocs, since they have the leather insert over the toe area. As teens, my youngest granddaughter loved her flip flops while youngest grandson tried the Teva-ish sandals one morning and went to socks and sneakers (skate board type) for the rest of the trip.

With pre-school and toddler, it's best to check their feet through out the day. One trip the 4 year old in our group got a blister just walking from the entrance to MK to Crystal Palace. We went to socks and Crocs. On another trip a 7 year old in our group got blisters from his Crocs. Pays to check kids' feet.

Enjoy!

Jan

[ryca1dreams]

For shoes: this is very person specific.

Good point. I would recommend getting the shoes you plan to wear, wear them from 9am-10pm one day, go to the mall, shopping, restaurants, walking through your neighborhood, etc. Then you will be able to decide if you really want to wear them for a multiple day trip to WDW.

Second recommendation - don't break in your new shoes at WDW.

[BraddyB]

My plan for when we are there in a month is alternating between 2 pairs of Brooks running shoes. I am also taking a pair of Keens in case the weather isn't looking so good.

My wife will alternate between Brooks running shoes, Rainbow flip flops, and her Keens.

Like everyone else has said, make sure your shoes are broken in before you leave !!! I have seen people in tears from blisters on their feet. Sitting on a bench without shoes on with giant blisters on my feet unable to walk is not a good time.

[missastrocat]

I just bought a pair of Chaco sandals after seeing some reviews on here and afew other sandals. I'm hoping they work for the price I paid for them. Quite the investment, but if they work, I'll be happy! I should get them in tomorrow and then I start wearing them in.

I always get blisters, and I've tried sneakers (new balance and adidas), flip flops with the memory foam stuff in them, and I've still ended up with blisters. I ended up buying the Mickey crocs and they helped only after having my entire feet wrapped in moleskin, with two pairs of socks.

Bring some comfortable shoes, regardless if they are sandals or sneakers, as long as they are comfortable and provide support. Also, bring some moleskin, bandaids, and scissors as a backup. Be prepared!

[disneynarula]

This is really a personal thing. For me, I like a sturdy pair of athletic shoes and socks. I also have a pair of very supportive sandals.

For our children we always put them in athletic shoes and socks. This is what we do all the time, not just in Disney. Once they turn three they do not get to ride in a stroller anymore and they need good footwear. We walk around three miles a day at home. We walk to and from school and to the grocery store, the park, etc.

Take some long walks in whatever footwear you plan on taking. What happens if they get wet? If you plan on going without socks make sure your footwear will not give you blisters. Taking an extra pair of dry socks is a good idea. Even if you look silly it is better than blisters.

[azcavalier]

OK, I skimmed this and don't remember seeing anyone post it, but this is what we do.

What shoes we wear depends on what we're doing that day.

Are we going to Epcot? Socks/sneakers.

Animal Kingdom? I either wear my Keen sandals or I pack some flip flops. At AK, we're going to ride KRR, and we're going to get soaked. Nothing worse than soaked socks/sneakers for the rest of the day. So, if i'm not wearing something waterproof, i'm going to change to flip flops and stick the socks in my bag so they're nice and dry when we get off of the ride. I actually only wear quick-dry fabrics to AK. Dri-fit shirts, nylon shorts. Don't ever wear denim if you're planning to ride Kali River Rapids. Talk about chafing.

Shoot, it's probably not a bad idea to just carry extra dry socks in your bag no matter which park you go to, just in case you get caught in the rain, want to run through a kid's water play area, or get soaked on Splash Mountain.

[CosmicRay]

Crocs is what our whole family wears.

[ANG]

I love my Crocs. They are THE most comfortable and supportive shoe I own. My kids (3 and 1) wear sneakers and then their crocs around the hotel

[Mousemates]

What will work comfortably for you will likely depend upon your age and the condition of your feet in the first place.

for kids just a bout any pair of quality atheletic shoes will work fine.

for teens -tennis shoes and flip flops were what mine always wore....both still worked well for me until I reached my mid 40's.

Now i tend to either go with athletic type hikers/walkers (salomons/merrills/keenes) with superfeet insoles or high-end teva sandals with lots of support and cushioning.

The older I have gotten the more important my shoes have become in terms of my ability to run hard all day at WDW and happily come back for more on days two, three, four and five.

[Puppy Mom]

I know many people swear by flip flops, but I am passing along my podiatrist's opinion on them. She says NEVER to wear flip flops as regular shoes and never let children do so either. They are awful when it comes to support, provide no protection from sharp objects and offer no protection from germs and disease.

She says it is amusing that people will carry around hand sanitizer and freak out if they touch a bathroom door handle, but will let their feet be potentialy exposed to animal and bird feces and other assorted germs with no thought at all. One little scratch on a toe and all those things are in your childs bloodstream in a second.

[EeyoresBestFriend]

I know you inquired about shoes, but the other thing that we, and our families, have found that makes your feet & legs feel so much better is soaking your feet/legs in the hot tub at night before bed. We just go down to the hot tub for 15 mins or so and it makes a WORLD of difference! If the place you stay at doesn't have hot tubs, then use the one in your room ~ believe me it will make such a difference on your walking ability and your body.

All the above tips have been great and several pairs is always a good idea to give your feet a break. As for the socks & sandals crowd, we have never cared what other people thought, as long as we are comfortable and blister free(which we usually are).

[mudpuppysmom]

We area a split family here. DS#1 and I wear sandals. I wear chacos and I absolutely LOVE THEM! DS#1 wears Nike Sunray sandals and he is always fine. DH ALWAYS wears socks and tennis shoes and he gets blisters and I tell him to wear sandals but he never listens, so he suffers all week long or longer depending on our length of stay. DS#2 is the one that switches up, some days he wants to wear "shoe shoes". Aka tennis shoes and some days he wears his sandals. We just got DS#1 a new pair of chacos for our upcoming trip and he says "they'll work" --he's 10. DS#2 had to also have a new pair and he chose Merrells.

I think you need to decide what you can walk around in for days and miles and go with that.

I too wear orthotics in my tennis shoes in everyday life, however when the weather turns nice here I immediately start wearing my chacos, they really are THAT comfortable, and yes they are pricey, but very worth it! Last year I waited to find a new pair and they arrived the day before our trip-- I wore them the entire 10 days and never had a problem with my feet!

As for my kids.....their feet sweat terribly and I feel they need to wear sandals to avoid ailments while we are away (athletes foot and blisters as well as general stench!).

Finally, I always have socks and tennis shoes for everyone "just in case" we need them (I never break them out for. Yield and DS#1 however).

[diz_girl]

As a rule, we wear socks and comfortable sneakers. I also like my Keens. Our entire family has the Newport H2 model, which are waterproof. DS20 months walks better in his Keens than he does in his sneakers, so I may have him alternate sneakers and Keens on our next trip (he wasn't yet walking during our last trip).

I'll also pass on some advice from my podiatrist. He told me to avoid crocs, mainly the clog version, as they don't offer support. He said that when you let your kids wear crocs all summer their feet spread and get wide and then it's time to start school and when they need regular shoes, it's difficult to find ones that are comfortable.

[Gator]

I like to wear very comfortable tennis shoes. They have the running shoes, but I don't like that the breathable mesh is also very porous when it comes to the rain. So I like to make sure the shoes I wear are leather/synth to keep the elements out. Because no one likes soggy socks.

[javamama]

We are a big flip flop family....especially Reefs. So comfy, and durable.