Most of us travel to see and experience new things: new places, new faces, new sights and sounds, new tastes and smells. But there’s one new thing you don’t want to include in travel – new SHOES. First of all, new shoes need to be broken in. Breaking in a new pair of shoes while trying to keep up with a tour guide, or while climbing hills in search of historic vistas, simply does not work. You’ll most likely end up with sore feet and blisters, both of which can negatively impact the rest of your holiday...

Here’s what I do to avoid sore feet while traveling: I pack at least two pairs of shoes in addition to the shoes I’ll be wearing en route. When I get to my destination, I keep an extra pair of shoes in my backpack or purse, so that I can change them mid-day. For example, I may begin my day hiking in sneakers or cross-trainers; by noon my feet will likely be battered, hot, and damp. So, I switch to the sandals in my purse. My feet say, “Ah (sigh), thanks.” This regimen made my three weeks on Europe’s cobblestone streets quite enjoyable. It made the beaches of Hawaii great fun. It allowed me to walk around the pebbled beaches of Iceland without worrying.

I once climbed a mountain in Japan, wearing my hiking boots. They were great for the hike up, but coming down was misery with my toes pounding into the tips of my boots with each step. A pair of slip-on sneakers or Dr. Martin’s sandals would have done nicely that day!

Now this may sound like some elderly person’s routine. But I’ve been doing this with shoes and travel since I was in my 20s. The few times I have broken with this routine, I have regretted not having extra shoes with me. Occasionally, I will buy a new pair of shoes while on holiday, but I break them in gradually – an hour at a time for the first few days.

I got shoes, you got shoes. All God’s chillum got shoes.
When I get to heaven gonna put on my shoes,
I’m gonna march all over God’s heaven. – American folk song

By guest writer Kathleen A.