Best travel shoes for women

I reckon the joy of a holiday has a direct correlation with how comfortable your travel walking shoes are, so I’m sharing four of the best travel shoes for women the have helped me travel the world full time for years. Comfortable travel shoes are so important and support is also critical if you’re spending lots of time walking and exploring. I found this out the hard way when I got plantar fasciitis and couldn’t walk for ages, and I now know how important it is to have supportive travel shoes. 

Why do you need supportive shoes for travel?

When you’re exploring you’re often walking 20 kilometres a day and, if you don’t support your feet you could end up with debilitating injuries.

I know this because for years I wore very unsupportive thongs while traveling and, all of a sudden, I couldn’t walk. I had plantar fasciitis in my left foot and had to use a crutch during the day and wear a boot at night to stretch my muscles, and I had to spend a fortune on physiotherapy and chiro to try to fix it.

It took a good nine months to resolve, and even now I have to wear supportive shoes – no flat soles or high heels for me.

The last thing you want when you’re traveling is to be struck with plantar fasciitis or any other injury caused by not wearing supportive shoes. It sucks, big time.

So please throw away those planks of flat rubber and get yourself some proper shoes like my list of favourites below and these best walking shoes for Europe.

What are the best travel shoes for women?

Oofos Ooriginal Thong

I bought these Oofos flip flops while I was being treated for plantar fasciitis and I wear them every day. I left Australia with a pair and as they became worn I had a new pair delivered or if mum or dad or my sister were meeting us they would bring a pair. I’ve basically worn them continuously since 2015! They come in many different colours too which is very cool.

What I love about them:

 – Super supportive. The Oofos thongs have an arch support that reduces stress, is cushioning on your feet and absorbs 37% more stress than other shoes. No wonder they feel like you’re walking on clouds.

 – But also soft. They’re so strong but soft because you’re not walking on a thin layer of rubber, it’s thick and solid and it feels good. You don’t even feel like you’re wearing anything on your feet.

 – They stop my pain. If my foot started getting little sore I make sure I put these on, especially in the morning. Often as soon as I get out of bed before my feet hit the floor, the Oofos’ are on. One of the many problems with PF is that you cannot walk barefoot. I can do it a little now, but mostly I will wear my Oofos.

Skechers

These are awesome sneakers that I wear with everything when I’m not wearing my Oofos cause let’s face it there are some places you can’t wear thongs to! Emmie and I have been wearing them for years – we used to buy them in LA because we couldn’t get them here in Australia, and now they’re here! 

You can get so many different colours and styles and I wear them with shorts, jeans, dresses…everything.

 

They are super supportive and my foot doesn’t hurt in them so that’s always the big test for me. Big thumbs up.

These are the ones I wear. I have black and white but I might be tempted for a a little colour next time:

The only slight downside is they can get smelly if you don’t wear little sockettes. But you can chuck them in the washing machine to fix that up.

Tevas

I was really wary about getting hiking sandals after I had plantar fasciitis as I felt their soles were a bit hard and I was worried about what it would do to my foot. But thankfully my Tevas have been unreal! I first bought Tevas when I went backpacking in 1997 and I wore them for years and years. 

These are the ones I wear, but there are so many kinds to choose from.

These Tevas are super supportive with two velcro straps across the top of the foot and the ankle. They provide really good support in wet or dry terrain and their grip is solid, and my foot feels really good in these shoes. There are SO MANY styles and colours too – check them out!

Archies Arch Support Thongs

If you’re after supportive thongs (flip flops) but the Oofus are a little too chunky then check out Archies Arch Support Thongs. They’re thinner, and more Haviana in style but with excellent raised arch support to keep feet comfy and protected. And they come in a huge assortment of colours – order two pairs and get free shipping. We love them! Emmie and I both have two pairs each!

 

 

Tips for releasing your feet after a big day out walking 

I carry a golf ball with us traveling and I roll it under my foot each night to release the cramped muscles and sore muscles and prevent any pain or injury.

 I also ice it as much as I can too. I freeze and small bottle of water and roll it under my foot each evening and especially after a lot of walking.

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