While many of you are thinking about what sides to serve with your turkey next week, I'm thinking about what to pack for my upcoming trip to Ireland. This year I've opted to trade turkey for travel and I'm quite excited about it. So, appropriately, my next few posts are going to give you some insight on how I prepare for a trip overseas. When it comes to traveling around Europe, there's no denying that it will involve lots and lots of walking. Even my seaside escape to the Amalfi Coast involved some exploring of some sort which wouldn't have happened without happy feet. Finding the right pair of shoes is so important for this type of vacation and every time I'm preparing for some upcoming Euro travel I am faced with the dilemma of finding comfy yet fashionable footwear. I want to be comfortable but at the same time I want to look cute and let's face it, gym sneakers rarely go well with cute. Not to mention, they scream tourist which to me is possibly worse than wearing shoes that dig into the back of your heel.
I've pretty much looked at every Clark's and Merrill shoe out there, but little did I know that these shoes were right beneath my nose. Thanks to a friend who does some modeling for Reebok, I discovered the perfect pair for walking around all day-- the Reebok Skyscape Runaround 2.0. They are super lightweight, offer generous mold-to-your-foot cushioning, and come in all sorts of colors. Best of all they are devoid of any huge logo that screams sneaker. I purchased the black ones and they are exactly what I needed. Thanks, Lauren! BTW, check out her blog for some awesome workouts you can do at home and for some tasty, healthy recipes.
Knowing Ireland, I am bound to face some wet weather. As if finding one good pair of shoes was hard enough, I needed to find something that would keep my feet dry. I'm a huge fan of Hunter's wellies and have owned some because of their superb durability since before they were trendy. But they take up some prime real estate in my suitcase, are not really plane-friendly, and it's even more frustrating if the weather forecast proves me wrong and I don't end up wearing them. This is where the Tretorn Skymra Mid SL GTX comes in. They might cause a bit of sticker shock to some but they are made of Gore-tex which ensures that no drop of water will find its way to my feet. They easily fit into my suitcase and they look and wear like a fashionable high-top sneaker, which I love.
Some other great shoes for traveling include, but are not limited to:
A Chelsea-styled rain boot like the JCrew Chelsea Rain Boot. They look like their stylish all-leather sibling that are super in right now and these ones even come in leopard to add a bit of flair to your outfit.
A slip-on Vans-styled sneaker like the Gap Leather Slip-on. Plain, black leather goes with everything and keeps a low-profile while being a sneaker makes them comfortable too. Not to mention, slip-ons are very TSA and plane-friendly!
Keds. So many fun styles, so much comfort. Love the Kate Spade styles!
So I'd love to know, what is your go-to shoe for traveling?
Note: While this post is all about practicality, I cannot guarantee that my suitcase will not include at least one pair of impractical shoes too, whether that be my Frye boots or a pair of heels. Because sometimes a girl just wants to feel fabulous in a new country too!