Is there such a thing as a perfect travel shoe? Every foot is different but here’s how my feet feel about the following shoes:
Sanuk Shoes - Travel Shoe Review
I have sung praises of Sanuks for the past 3 years since the first time they saved me (from my Tevas’) in Thailand. The name Sanuk means “fun” in Thai which is a detail I love. I own both the famous yoga sling flip flop and some of their sidewalk surfers and have been eyeing up their Chiba Quests (tried them. review here.) and Pair O Dice to try next.
Sanuk Pros:
Sanuk Cons:
Toms Shoes - Travel Shoe Review 
I have a few pair of Toms including lovely Lunata booties and peep toe wedges, but I never owned their actual flats yet. During a recent “Surprise Sale” I picked up a light colored pair as well as a lovely leather pair. I have not taken them traveling with me yet, but I have worn them around town. [update: since initial drafting of the post I have worn these shoes a lot. The light colored pair soiled easily and I ended up passing them on. The leather pair are holding up much better. They are good for a travel day or urban adventure. I would not multipurpose them for hiking like the sanuks though.)
Toms Pros:
Toms Cons:
Tieks By Gavrieli - Travel Shoe Review
After eyeing these for ages I bought a pair to take on an Urban Getaway in Washington DC. Bad idea. The trip involved tons of walking to and from the metro, in and out of museums... I got blisters on the back of my foot in the same spot as the Tevas, plus tight marks around my toe area, my big toe was compressed by the top of the shoe and went borderline numb, and my actual feet, the bottoms of my feet... just plain HURT.
As it stands currently, I will not bring these with me traveling again. Unless something changes drastically, I will continue to wear them locally, around town, running errands, and to coffee dates, but nothing more. They're beautiful. But not for my kind of travel. If this changes over time, I will update.
Tieks Pros:
Tieks Cons:
Birkenstocks - Travel Shoe Review 
I bought a beautiful pair of Birkenstock Gizehs before the Exotic Southern Caribbean Cruise and wore them virtually non-stop. I had a great experience with these. The footbed provided great support and the style I chose was perfect for casual or if you want to class it up. I wore them on the ship, on land, to the beach, and it was great. Due to the texture of the footbed, especially if you get a bit of sand (try to avoid) down in there, it can irritate your foot skin after a lot of walking. But i never developed any blisters with these!
Birkenstock Pros:
Birkenstock Cons:
Tevas - Travel Shoe Review 
Ah, the Teva sandal. Universally loved by travelers!
I bought a pair of black, thin strapped Tevas because I wanted a sport sandal that was plain enough to also wear with skirts and dresses that I love to wear. I also wanted something that could handle if I did some fun water activities involving minimal rock climbing to get into caves and so on. The fit of the Tevas was generally pretty good. I liked how they looked (for a sport sandal) with casual clothes and skirts. What got me was the back of the heel. When I was walking the streets of Bangkok I wore blisters into the back of my feet with these. :( Good thing I had some bandaids on me..
Tevas Pros:
Tevas Cons:
Depending on the trip, I may consider packing the Tevas again. I will definitely bring a supply of bandaids just in case, but mainly I would reserve them exclusively for a day of shoe-necessitating water/rock adventures where you need foot protection and non slip grip.
So What's the TDF Travel Shoe Recommendation?
Sanuks are, hands down, my number 1 favorite brand of travel shoes! I can’t see myself traveling without them, to be honest. I love the style, comfort, and versatility they offer. I feel like if I had to bring only 1 pair of shoes (always bring at least two so you have backup if you get a foot issue) but if I could only bring one pair, I would bring sanuks because I feel that they can tackle almost everything - casual clothes, a skirt or dress, sidewalks, beaches, trails....
I love the hidden fun-fact within the name Sanuk and Thailand has my heart (along with almost everyone else who ever goes there) so a Thai word is perfect for the travel shoe that also has my heart. I haven’t tried all of their styles (yet), but I recommend this shoe brand without hesitation for someone looking for a great travel shoe with no added fuss! Birkenstock Gizeh is the runner up! Definitely bulkier, but they offer even better foot support and if you choose the style carefully they can be more versatile than you typically think of Birks! What is your Favorite pair of Travel Shoes?
Do you have a brand of travel shoe you don’t leave home without? Any recommendations of other brands I should try? Please share!
To Be Continued...
I meant to publish this post about a year and a half ago. (Oops!) My sanuks and Birkenstock’s are still my favorite, but I am trying 2 other brands soon. 1. Bali Elf. These are handmade leather shoes. I ordered a pair of the midsummer sandals (review here) as well as a wedge (review here) . But the sandals could be a travel companion depending on how things go!
Also the Wiivv custom insoles and custom sandals. I’m eager to see how the fit is and will do a full review in the future. Time will tell if either of these take the place of my favorite travel shoes! Some other popular travel shoes on my radar are Allbirds, Suavs, Rothys, and the Everlane Day Glove.
Tags: Top Travel Shoes For Women, Best Travel Shoes For Women, Sanuk Shoe Review, Tieks Shoe Review, Teva Sandal Review, Birkenstock Gizeh Review, Toms Shoe Review, Wiivv Custom Insoles, Wiivv Custom Sandal, Best Travel Shoes For Walking
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