I’ve seen a million products claiming to be “perfect shoes for travel,” and 90% of the time it’s laughably inaccurate and deserves a smack upside the head. Finding travel shoes should be incredibly easy, and it just goes to show these marketers have no idea what travel shoes are, or just want to play pretend.
Now it’s not that they’re terrible; much of the time they’re fine, and will last for a decade and stand up to all sorts of trouble and still be comfortable. That’s fine for hiking, but travel shoes aren’t just for hiking. They’re also about pretending to be a classy person whilst attempting to project some semblance of respectability. And this is where so-called “travel shoes” fall tragically short.
It’s not all their fault. Many travelers think they need hardcore, do-it-all, super-tough hiking boots to take them through the wilderness and come out the other side with nary a scratch on them. So they buy them every year, and encourage outdoor companies to keep making more. But you don’t need hiking boots for travel. Even if you’re going hiking.
Allow me to elaborate.
And/or rant.
Qualities of the perfect travel shoe
The world’s most spectacular travel shoe will perform magnificently in the following categories:
- Comfort: Sooner or later, you’re going to get stuck walking around all day in these things. And I mean all day. In fact, you might even have to run. You’ll want a pair of shoes that’ll give you all-day comfort, on cobblestones, gravel roads, and unforgiving concrete.
- Durability: It’s unlikely that a pair of shoes will fall apart after a few months of use, but, obviously, you want something that’ll stand up to frequent use. This also means it’s nice to find shoes that’ll be easy to clean, since you’ll probably get mud all over them sooner or later. Imperviousness to puddles is also a plus.
- Style: That’s right, I said style. What’s a scruffy backpacker doing talking about style? Shouldn’t we care about function rather than form? Well, yes. But if you’re working to pack as little as possible, form is function. If your shoes look good and feel good, you only need a single pair of shoes, whether it’s for a night out or an all-day hike. Win win.
And so, what does the outdoor industry offer us when it comes to “travel shoes?” Well, pretty much this:
Ask yourself (or someone else) if any of the above options pass the style test.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, and I’m not saying you have to look like you’re going to prom, but when you’re traveling, you’re eventually going to go out for the evening, and you’ll want to look presentable. I don’t particularly care about looking really fancy, but at least presentable.
If your “travel shoes” only work for hiking or daytime walking, then they’re not really great travel shoes. They’ll only suit certain purposes, when they could very well suit all of them.
Case in point:
Now again, I won’t bother to point out favorites, since it’ll be up to you to pick out which travel shoes look and feel the best, but my point is that you don’t need outdoorsy shoes for travel. You only need casual shoes.
And if you bring casual shoes…you only need one pair of shoes.
Why casual leather shoes are the best travel shoes
Remember the list of qualities we’d like to find in a perfect travel shoe? Casual leather shoes do it all:
- Comfort: Find something that fits nicely and feels good, and these’ll be your new favorite shoes. Plus, any high-quality leather shoe will handle a hike just fine. In fact, that’s the only kind of shoe that was used for hiking back in the days before fancy high-tech stuff. It’s the sole that matters most for comfort anyway.
- Durability: I will make the case that leather shoes are actually more durable than certain outdoor shoes. The smooth surface has very little that can get snagged, and can be wiped clean with a wet towel. No meshy outdoor shoe can do that.
- Style: There’s nothing more stylish for a guy’s feet than a nice pair of leather shoes. Go ahead, I’ll bet you a beer.
Two caveats:
- Don’t I want sneakers? Well, maybe. Some people just really, really want comfy, soft, pliable sneakers, maybe resembling Converse canvas shoes, and if you really enjoy having those too, go ahead. I’m just here to make that point that you can easily get away with having just one pair of shoes, and it makes a very, very big difference in terms of pack weight, with practically no downside.
- What about breathability? It’s true that leather shoes will be warmer than meshy hiking shoes or light sneakers, but in my experience, no shoes are breathable enough for me, and sooner or later I’ll slip them off to air out anyway. The ladies love it.
(Pro tip: Turn any pair of shoes into a pair of slip-ons with Synch Bands. They’re elastic laces that don’t need to be tied, and they make it a lot easier to kick shoes off and yank them back on, and fit is still really good. Great for slipping off a pair of shoes on a long bus ride in hot weather to air out, for example.)
One final point of debate:
- Should they be waterproof? Maybe. Although I definitely love waterproof shoes, you might not need to worry too much about it. Some people stay inside when it’s raining, and if that’s you, then waterproof shoes won’t do much for you. But if you’re the type who adventures out into the rainy wilderness because you’ll only be in Italy once, then by all means, go for the waterproof ones. Also, puddles and snow will be powerless against you. Powerless I say!
So there it is. High-quality, nice-looking casual leather (or fake leather) shoes are hands-down the best travel shoes for men anywhere to be found. And luckily, there are just about a billion of them out there. And they’ll allow you to travel with just one pair of shoes. It’s part of how I managed to get by for 9 months with just a 20 liter daypack.
I’d certainly recommend a pair of sandals as well, for hot days, beach visits, and shower trips. Flip flops are fine, if you can find comfy flip flops…but I prefer a little more security. I like to go hiking in them too.
And thus:
Ultimate travel shoe setup:
I actually met a guy who was traveling with one pair of dress shoes, one pair of walking shoes, one pair of hiking shoes, and one pair of sandals.
You can do that if you want, but as long as you find a great pair of comfy, classy, do-it-all travel shoes, you won’t need to. They’ll do everything you’ll ask of them, and your back will thank you for it. Have fun!
Every single one shown in the piece is just fuckin’ UGLY
sorry
Eye of the beholder. But oh well. I actually prefer medium grey instead of brown, since medium grey goes with everything, so I prefer that to the brown leather examples above. I was just pointing out conceptual examples, and readers will find some items that suit their own subjective fashion preferences, but which still work the same way.
I recently had to fly back to my hometown for a funeral. The day before the flight I found a pair of black leather Birkenstock Footprints in excellent condition at the thrift store. They were a little too snug across the top and my feet ached a bit after 3 full days of walking around, but not bad for a last minute emergency purchase. Better than average for dress shoes anyway. Nobody seemed to notice them at all in any of the situations I encountered, including wearing with a formal suit and black tie to the funeral itself.
It’s another option to look into. I’m not sure what exact model mine are, but the Derby type look pretty similar.
Great post. Happy feet are vital. I’m using Softstar Portlander shoes and Luna sandals. I’ve had the Lunas for five years and have restrung with new lacing a few times. Only had the Portlanders. A few weeks. Comfortable but not sure of durability.
Interesting article. Though I run even during trips so I have to bring my running shoes so the shoe spot is taken but I would definitly try Merrell Men’s Realm Lace and Rockport Men’s Rugged Bucks Mudguard and keep them to wear on shorter trips where I don’t take my running shoes. Or maybe these shoes can double as sorta climbing/hiking shoes.
The tougher ones can definitely double as hiking shoes in mild conditions, but I think that’s what most travelers do. A day hike for a few hours, for example. A tough enough leather shoe will be able to handle that, and you’ll just need to clean up the dust afterwards. That’s not to say you should never take hiking shoes; people who plan on hiking for a week or something like that should probably take them; it’s just that most travelers won’t do that, so they can pack something like this, which can handle more situations.
I know what I said about the trail running shoes doubling for hiking above, but I just found and ordered a pair of Nike Flex Run 2014 in black/charcoal/black that I think can do double duty for traveling runners. They’re a light shoe, almost minimalist, but being all black, don’t look like your typical athletic shoe when you’re wearing jeans. (It’s too bad that Nike has changed these completely for 2015, but you can probably still find some in back stock somewhere if you look.) As for leather shoes, Steve K’s comments above caught my eye as I scanned down the responses again. I think there is an ideal solution to brown leather with shorts–Topsiders! The Sperry brand has not only the Authentic Originals, which go great with everything from shorts on a boat deck to dressing up in chinos and a blazer, but also some models with a sole more amenable to walking on streets or light trails. (The soles of the A/Os are really designed more for boat decks; Mako of Billfish styles will probably do better on the ground. Also, I think Timberland and others have similar styles.) If your travel doesn’t include running or heavy backpacking, you might get by with just topsiders and even skip the sandals.
Sorry– I meant “Mako OR Billfish styles”–I also checked out the Billfish Ultralite. Very comfortable, but really pretty much of a summer-only shoe.
Woah, that shoe is like half of my monthly salary… But i think it will worth it..
Hey everyone,
Hope you don’t mind. I’m going to do a big post here of some shoes I’ve researched for an upcoming 6 month trip. Im searching for a pair of shoes that can go with shorts or pants, light hiking but mostly city trekking. I usually wear boots so I really don’t have an eye yet for what looks good on the shoe line to wear not only with pants but shorts. Below the ankle or above? Shiny or dull? I don’t know, so let me know what you think would look best for city, nightclub, trail, shorts, pants, jeans. Thanks!
1. Lem’s Nine2Five Mocha
2. Rockport Mudguard Waterproof
3. Olukai – Great all-around shoemaker
4. Merrell Freewheel Lace Dark Earth
5. Men’s Ecco Turn GTX Mocha
6. Josef Seibel Nolan Olive Bark
7. Merrell Bask Sol Cafe
8. Rockport Rocsports Lite Dark Brown
9. Rockport Rocsports Mudguard Dark Brown
10. Men’s Ecco Track 6 Navajo Brown
11. Men’s Dunham Windsor H20 Brown
12. Timberland Country Travel Oxford Short
13. Timberland Country Travel Oxford Tall
Hey! Could you recommend some shoes for India? I’ll be spending a month there and will be traveling to quite a few destinations. In December-January. Will it be too cold for Chacos?
Hmm, this one’s a little tough, but I still think a pair of leather shoes (or something similar) plus sandals is good. India is hot all the time, depending on where you are, so I’d definitely bring something nice and cool.
Can you suggest more like Clarks Rockie Lo GTX and Rockport Rugged Bucks Mudguard?
The classic/plain looking low ankle boot like shoes with leather/rubber soles (as in look – that vintage boot sole look, and good grip) and not plasticky soles. For example, Merrell Realm Lace’s outer body is just what I want but its sole is not at all what I want.
Yes, I looked at Amazon’s suggestions and some of them really looked like what I would want (few actually) but I couldn’t find any source that would state its travel readiness as in weight, comfort, cushion, water resistance etc. Also, none of these shoes are available in my country. Some more options might increase my chances of getting them here.
One from Amazon – Rockport Men’s Rugged Bucks Plain Toe Waterproof Oxford (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZWYMYS/) is like just the thing I am looking for – look-wise, but is it good enough for travel? Is it in the same league as your reviewed/suggested shoes in this article? Then there’s Rockport Men’s Channer Oxford (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R7912WM), or Rockport Men’s Essential Details Waterproof Plain Toe Oxford (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EYIDB28/), or Timberland Men’s EK Hartwick Plain Oxford Shoe (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I1AIANU/
), Rockport Men’s Sharp and Ready Colben Oxford (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I1T3QQC/) – I am not really sure about other characteristics and whether the sole gives plastic kind of feeling of rubber or vintage boot sole kind of feeling but the outer body is exactly what I want.
So could you please point me in the right direction regarding my search for a pair of leather travel shoes that I can also wear in the office or walk around in the city, let’s say.
Well, it gets tricky with shoes, because it has to fit just right, so even if it feels good for me, that’s no guarantee that it’ll work for others. I do like Rockport and Merrell, though. The tougher-looking designs are probably fine, like the Rockport Rugged Bucks. Styles disappear pretty quickly, so that’s why it’s hard to make specific recommendations…
I have ethical issues with leather. What would be a good travel shoe that’s durable, ergonomic and stylish but doesn’t contain animal hide?
There’s synthetic leather out there, although I don’t have much experience with it, so I don’t have any specific recommendations. The other option is some sort of canvas, although I’d probably go with synthetic canvas like nylon to get some water resistance and extra strength. Tyvek shoes are another alternative, although they tend to wear down a little faster than I might like.
I have an up coming trip to peru. I am traveling with my mother so we are not hiking the inca trail but taking the train and then bus to MP. We have tickets to Huayna Picchu and Mount Machu Picchu but its not 100% that we will hike them. Right now I have The North Face Hedgehog Fastpack GTX Hiking Shoe but hate them. I am pondering the Lems Mens Nine2five Mocha or the Merrell Realm Lace. I will be in peru for two weeks and the only real hiking i MAY do is Huayna Picchu and Mount Machu Picchu… Do you think I will be fine with the Lems or Merrells?
I think Merrells are great, but I’m not sure about barefoot shoes. I just personally need more cushioning. But if you can walk in concrete with them for a couple hours at a time, then you’ll probably be fine.
Huayna Picchu was quite a challenge. Bring extra water. The altitude seems to dehydrate people faster.