Stylish & Comfortable Shoes for Travel

When it comes to travelling one of the most important things you pack has to be your shoes. This is especially true for walking intensive vacations like those touring around Europe or city mini breaks. But you want to look good too. You want stylish & comfortable shoes for travel.

Without a comfortable pair of shoes you could be in pain day in and day out. But on the flip side we don’t want to have to sacrifice style for comfort. Gone are the days where tourists are identified by their white sneakers and fanny packs. There are lots of options for stylish & comfortable shoes for travel.

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When it comes to picking stylish & comfortable shoes for travel the first thing you need to ask yourself is where am I going and what are we going to be doing. The type of shoes you pack for a beach vacation and those that you pack for a walking tour of Paris are totally different. The one unifying quality is that these shoes are both stylish and comfortable.

Travel shoes: Loafers

Loafers are having a major moment. They have been reinvented  from the 80’s classic into newer sleeker versions in a variety of prints and colours. I personally find loafers, or smoking slippers more comfortable than most ballet flats as they have a bit of a heel and they cover more of the foot. Loafers are a stylish option for getting through the airport, visiting museums and even a fun alternative to heels at night.

Check out my Everlane Loafer Review

Travel Shoes: Espadrilles

In the last few years espadrilles have become more popular. I call it the Toms effect. There are many different companies that are making an espadrille flat, but not all are created equal. Take for example two of the more popular brands, Toms and Soludos. Toms have a rubber bottom, great for walking around the city, whereas Soludos have a jute sole which is preferred for the beach. Soludos is also narrower, but they do stretch. I personally prefer the look of Soludos, but Toms would be better for city walking.

Espadrilles are great when you are heading somewhere warm or if you are travelling Mediterranean cities where you are mixing city adventures with beach time.

Travel Shoes: Sneakers

Sneakers are a no brainer when it comes to comfortable travel shoes. But there is no need to pick the same stinky pair that you use to run or work out at the gym. Those pairs are unlikely to be the styles that are also stylish enough to wear throughout the fashion capitals of the world. Instead I would suggest some retro Nikes or new balance that are favourites for the normcore trend. You could also try some slip on sneakers or some Chucks. The key with sneakers like any travel shoe is that you have broken them in before you leave on vactaion; just because they are sneakers doesn’t mean they can’t give you blisters!

Travel Shoes: Sandals

I have many pairs of sandals that look pretty and while I would take the on an all inclusive vacation I would never pack them for a vacation that involes some serious walking. I save any sort of walking in sandals for my Birkenstocks. And we can thank the normcore trend for their rise in popularity! If you aren’t a fan of Birks, you can pick another type of sandal with a comfortable footbed. Gentle souls are known for their comfort factor.

Travel Shoes: Low heel Boots

We aren’t always travelling somewhere warmer than where we are. In fact it can be quite cost effective to travel to Europe in the fall or off seasons. This means that instead of sandals you might have the occasion to pack a boot. I prefer these low heeled ankle boots as they look great with skinny jeans and dresses alike. The lower heel also means that I can walk for days! These are great for touring and the airport alike.

The travelling rule of thumb is to stick to 3 pairs of shoes. So make sure you know what types of events and how much walking you will be doing before you pack. I would pack 2 pairs of shoes for comfort and one non practical pair (like a pump or heeled sandal) for going out.

What shoes do you pack? What are your stylish & comfortable shoes for travel suggestions?