The Best Travel Friendly Shoes

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Packing can be difficult, packing shoes can be even MORE difficult! From getting the ones you're bringing on a trip to all fit in your luggage, without going over the weight limit, to knowing what to bring and what you'll actually wear and use - I know I'm not the only one who finds it challenging! I'm an over-packer by nature; I'm always THAT girl standing on the check-in line at an airport having to move heavy shoes from one bag to the next to meet the weight requirement. (I'm fun to travel with, I promise! ;)
But truly, it's difficult to pack shoes. You don't know what you'll need or what will end up being ideal to walk miles and be a tourist in; the weather could change - how many dressy pairs will you need? It's a lot to consider! Here's some of my favorite, tried and true pairs that are all *perfect* travel options:

^^ Unless it's freezing outside, these are my GO-TO to wear during travel. Birkenstock's form to your feet and have the BEST arch support. There's no pair better for walking in! Mine are the Arizona in color "Metallic Copper".

Sneakers & Comfort:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Obviously, sneakers and shoes that you put on and say "WOW I could wear these all day!" are ideal for traveling! These Nike Juvenate (#2) sneakers are my favorite, most comfy pair of sneakers I own. Everyone is different and has a different pair of sneakers that are pure comfort, but I highly recommend these! They're my favorite walking/running shoes - I'm my best tourist self in these babes! ;) That being said, (I know, you guys hear me say this ALL the time!) I wore these white Converse (#6) ALL throughout Italy last summer. I walked the streets of Naples, Sorrento and Sicily in them and they're my tried and true go-to! They're ridiculously comfortable and they come in so. many. colors! These velvet loafer slip-ons (#4) make my list because they have a bit of an arch; I haven't walked a ton in these yet, but they are pretty comfortable so far! #1 and #5 are less traditional sneakers, but they're both extremely great walking options! They're like nontraditional sneakers, ha!

Boots & Sandals:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
My favorites for the two polar opposites - boots for winter trips and sandals for summer trips! Winter shoe options are definitely harder (and heavier) to pack, but summer sandals can be difficult to pack too. As for my favorite boots, you can't go wrong with UGGs! I don't care how much they remind me of my middle school self, I'll always love them. ;) These UGGs (#1) are a fun take on the Classics, and they come in 4 different colors - I love them in chestnut! As for a boot that can be dressed up, down and worn with literally EVERYTHING, you cannot go wrong with these Sam Edelman booties (#2). They're THE most comfortable pair you'll ever wear! There's two other colors also - and for obvious reasons, booties are MUCH easier to pack than tall boots. These are similar to the Converse I mentioned - you'll be able to wear them ALL day with no problem! I've found that traveling with a pair of rain boots is so helpful and SO important, especially in cooler months/climates! A lot of rain boots I've tried on in the past are too firm and uncomfortable; these black matte booties (#4) are easy to walk in and again, easier to pack than regular boots. I love them and they're only $54!
These are my top three sandal options to travel with - these block heels (#3), super comfy rose gold Birkenstocks (#5) and surprisingly comfortable Tory Burch packable sandals. You can't go wrong with Birkenstock (especially when they're rose gold!), everyone needs a great pair of block heels (SO much better than stiletto heel, both for packing purposes and comfort) and the Tory packables - pure genius. Honestly I wasn't sure how I felt about them, but you can wear them with the strap in the back or moved to the front and they come in 6 colors! They're great to pack in a bag without taking up much room, and these are great for dressing up or down also.

Easy to Pack:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
A lot of these overlap with other categories I've mentioned, but these five picks are SUPER easy to pack - some go as far as literally folding in half! Both #4 and #5 are the Tory Burch packable flats. I'm never a huge fan of ballet flats because I find them uncomfortable, but I DO really like these. I also put these Dr. Scholl's inserts in them and they're even better! They take up virtually no space in your luggage, and again, can be dressed more casually or dressed up a bit. I wore the gold pair a lot in Italy last summer, and now that leopard print is the "it" print, I'm pretty sure those are next on my shopping list! I assumed folding them would ruin them/cause them to lose their shape, but they don't at all and they make packing almost too simple.
The Sperry slip-ons (#1) and New Balance sneakers (#3) are both sneaker options, but they both pack VERY easily. The Sperry's are great to travel in - they form to your feet once you wear them a few times! - and the NB's can bend and be packed VERY simply without taking up too much space, as a lot of sneakers do. The same goes for these pink loafers; they're slim so they pack easily!

^^ This is how I pack nearly all of my shoes! I stuff the fronts (and backs if they're more structured) with tissue paper/packing paper/the paper that comes in the shoe box (anything like that that you have works!) and I use the wooden support sticks that come with a lot of shoes to help keep their shape too. If you don't have these, I've found that un-sharpened pencils to the trick too if you don't have these! The backs of your shoes will be supported no matter how many pieces of clothing are on top of them! ;)
If I'm missing out on a great pair of travel shoes, let me know! Happy traveling!! XOXO -A