Shoes for Days

This picture represents the shoes my family took on our recent trip to Europe.   Four people, 3 weeks, 17 pairs of shoes.  That averages out to roughly four pairs each, but in actual fact I ended up with 6 pairs in my suitcase.  This was no beach vacation, so I knew we needed comfortable shoes.  Our plans included walking – lot of walking!!

Here’s the breakdown of who took what:

Daughter:

• Flip flops
• Native slip ons
• Sketcher slip ons
• Under Armour runners

She only wore the Natives once, so I probably could have left this pair at home.  Same with  the Under Armour runners as she preferred her Sketcher slips ons most days.  I wish I had bought a pair of Birkenstock sandals for her as the selection and price in Germany was way better than here at home.  #missedopportunity

 

 Son:

• Flip flops
• Vans black slip ons
• Under Armour runners

My son wore exactly what he brought exactly when I thought he would.  He didn’t complain about sore feet, so I deem his shoe packing a success.

 

Husband:

 

• 2 x pairs of Adidas
• Flips flops
• Running shoes  (for running/hiking)

Husband rotated through his shoes each day as we did a lot of walking.  He didn’t end up wearing his flip flops at all, but since they didn’t take up much room it was still worth bring them along.  #justincase

(note:  couldn’t find the other Adidas to put in the picture as he was wearing them)

 

Me:

• flip flops
• tan coloured sandals
• Black Nike runners
• White Superga runners
• Black espadrilles

I am pretty happy with the shoes I packed and I wore them all.  I wish I had swapped out my white laces on the Nikes to black so that they would have looked more like a fashion runner than a workout runner. That said, with a white tee and black jogger pants they were just fine.

The Superga were a new purchase before we left and I was surprised how comfortable they were.  Of course I bought white and they got dirty, but I was ok with that.   I also bought a pair of black espadrilles before we left and I’m glad I did!  Very comfortable for walking around and went just fine with my jeans, jogger pants and both my dresses. My Mat & Nat sandals were also quite comfortable and easy to wear with all my outfits.

And while in Germany, I purchased these:

The Birkenstocks were purchased because I have a lot of friends who rave about them and since I was in the land of Birkenstocks…I had to have a pair.  They have been on trend for a few years now and while I used to shun them, I’m now happy to have a pair.  If you haven’t tried them, you should.  You might be surprised.

I would use this shoe packing guide again for any other long trips that involve a lot of walking.  What do you think?  Did I forget to include anything?  Let me know in the comments what shoes you take on your trips.

linking up with: Jaymie Ashcraft, Fashion Should Be Fun, Happiness at Mid-life, Jo-Lynne Shane, Nancy’s Fashion StyleNancy’s Fashion Style, Pocketful of Polka Dots, Posh Classy MomPosh Classy Mom, More Pieces of Me, Sincerely Jennna Marie, Style Nudge, Reasons to Dress,The Pleated Poppy, Shopping My Closet, The Blended Blog, Get Your Pretty On, Jersey Girl Texan Heart, Classy Yet Trendy