Keeping Your Feet Happy on Vacation- Going on vacation can mean new adventures, new clothes, new shoes…wait; you might want to rethink that one!New shoes at any time can take some breaking in, you wouldn’t buy a brand new pair of sneakers put them on and go on a 20 mile hike, right? Break in your vacation shoes for you and your kiddos in plenty of time before you hit WDW.
You will do A LOT of walking on your Disney Vacation and keeping your tootsies happy will make it so much more enjoyable! Nothing will stop you in your tracks quicker than a blister on your heal or toe, the biggest culprit…New Shoes. The will look pretty but at the end of the day…Ouch!
Wet Shoes can cause problems as well. Riding a wet ride, like Splash Mountain, Kali River Rapids or playing in Epcot’s Fountain of Nations will have you sloshing around the park in wet shoes for hours! This is where my personal park shoes will come in handy, Croc’s! Ah yes the ole love them or hate them Croc’s debate. These or shoes like them can be great for wet feet, they dry quickly and so will your feet! If Tennis Shoes are you park shoes of choice, changing wet socks can be a big help, if you carry any type of bag to the park socks thrown in wont take much room. Not a bag carrier? Then you can rent locker at the Disney Ticket and Transportation Center for a fee.
Take Band-Aids or Moleskin with you to the parks! Band-Aids will most likely be just a temporary fix, as they will sometimes rub off easy or just with Florida heat fall off. Moleskin is the better bet here, pretty secure and in most cases will last the entire day. Also Moleskin is great just in case you get that “I may be getting a blister here feeling” slap a piece on and it should solve the problem. You can find Moleskin in most places where Band Aids are sold, but it will need cut into smaller pieces before you hit the parks.
Soaking Tired Feet at the end of long day can be a life or should I say feet savers! I do this on every trip. I take my favorite foot soak (anything with peppermint) soak those bad boys for at least 10 minutes and they feel like brand new tootsies! Don’t forget another great way to soak those tired feet, your resorts Hot Tub!
Take more than one pair of shoes. Always have a back up pair, switching them out everyday can help but especially if one pair is wet, an extra pair will be than handy! Here is a quick tip for wet shoes, at the end of the day; stuff the shoes, really stuff them, with paper towels and in the morning…presto, dry shoes!
Here is a wrap up of a few Foot Friendly Tips to Help You Out While in WDW;
1.) Reliable Shoes…Sandals, Sneakers, Crocs or whatever you wear for comfort is your best bet
2.) Wearing Socks? Moisture Wicking socks will help keep your feet dry in the Florida heat
3.) Change your socks if they become wet. Wet socks or shoes with rub faster causing blisters
4.) Band-Aids can help but will the heat and moisture they can fall off rather quickly.
5.) Mole Skin- Can be a great help (pick up at your local drugstore or Walmart type store) This can be cut to fit any size boo-boo, but cutting pieces before hitting the parks may save you time trying to get a piece cut while you are clear on the other side of the park away from first aid.
6.) Soaking your tired feet after a long day in the park can be a party for your feet! Just pick up your favorite foot soak product before you leave home (don’t have a favorite, I suggest one with peppermint) take a few minutes and let your tired tootsies rejuvenate!
7.) Take more than one pair of shoes! Switch them out, either during the day or day-to-day!
Dana is a Disney Addict with an expansive Croc collection, check for Dana and her, Pink, Blue, Green, Yellow or Red Crocs dancing with Mickey till the sun goes down.
Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.
Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.
Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel
For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!
I usually take two extra pair of shoes and a pair of sandals – I don’t even wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row at home. I like to come back to the room in the evening and put sandals on – your toes become very happy when you do that! My aunt told me to put Vicks Vapor rub on the bottom of my feet and wear white socks to bed and in the morning they’d feel refreshed. I don’t know if that really was the reason but my feet did feel better in the morning and I was ready to go again.
Another great, accurate article. I wore Crocs my entire trip and yes, my feet were tired at the end of the trip (which is normal of 5 day, all day walking) but they didn’t hurt. This time I plan on taking both my crocs and walking shoes (already broken in 🙂 )
I used to gain arch pain and that’s exactly what my dad would tell me to do. It definitely helps!
Thanks! And thanks for the tip about the ball 🙂
Crocs are ugly, but they have several advantages, they are very very comfortable, waterproof, easy to clean, require virtually little to no care, come in a rainbow of colors and sizes, including children’s and mens, and best of all they are very affordable and they last. I’ve had the same pair of Crocs now for over 2 years and they are as good as new and just as comfortable as they were on day one. They also have some that have the American Podiatric Medical Association’s Seal of Approval.They are easy and fast on and off, require no strings, no tying, and they have non slip surfaces. You just can’t get a better shoe for the price for all these benefits and for less than $30.
A million times YES! I worked at a shoe store and I constantly would have people come in to buy shoes right before Disney. I warned them – I begged them – and I told them that if they got blisters I would not return them. I cant tell you how many customers came back to me and told me I was right – They wish would have listened….and a few tried to return them and I wouldnt let them. This article is right on the mark! And here is another tip- if your arches hurt after a long day take a glass bottle or tennis ball and place it on the floor, sit in a chair and place your arch on the item and roll back and forth – helps a lot