It took me years to find the perfect combination of women’s travel shoes. Every trip I would stare dubiously at my suitcase, trying to figure out how the heck I was going to cram in the number of shoes I needed to achieve the various activities I wanted to do – you know, adventurous things like walking without hobbling in pain or hiking without hobbling in pain – while also trying to maintain a basic level of not-hideous-ness.
Squeezing shoes into my luggage was a battle every time I went on a trip.
But today, that’s all changed. After trying on, returning, trying on again, and field-testing like crazy, I’ve found FOUR absolutely amazing pairs of travel shoes for women. And what’s more, they’re all lightweight and easy to cram into your luggage without taking up a ton of room! With these four shoes, I’m able to cover all of my bases and not think twice about what shoes to pack for trips. It’s changed my travel game, and I’m about to change yours, too!
Table of Contents
Psst: Looking for more travel tips to upgrade your next trip? Take a look at some of our other helpful posts, and don’t forget to read our men’s travel shoes guide!
- The 3 Best Travel Pants for Women: Functional, Cute, & Field-Tested
- The Ultimate Guide to Makeup & Beauty for Backpacking
- Long Haul Flight Essentials & Travel Tips for Economy Fliers
The Problem With Women’s Travel Shoes
I think a lot of the problems with women’s travel shoes actually mirror the problems that women generally face every day, namely the creeping feeling that society doesn’t want us to be able to move very quickly. While some of us are surely able to do things like run from a charging Tyrannosaurus Rex while wearing heels (by the way – if you haven’t seen this Jurassic Park YouTube parody yet, please stop reading right now and go watch it – I’ll wait), the vast majority of us really just need like, comfortable walking shoes. And while your cutest pair of flats may be perfectly adequate for a long day at the office, walking 10+ miles as you explore on cobblestones or sand is a whole different ball game.
Tell me if any of this sounds vaguely familiar in your search for your favorite pair of travel shoes:
✔ There are the shoes that give your feet cramps if you walk in them for more than 20 minutes
✔ There are the shoes that you can totally walk in all day long! … But you have to pay for later with those miserable midnight Charlie Horses (UGH WHY) and a full day of post-exploring hobbling
✔ There are the shoes that are absolutely perfect in every way except for that 1 very specific spot that rubs your skin until it’s a miserable, aching blister. You regularly carry around pieces of Moleskin, bandaids, and duct tape just to stave off the inevitable for as long as possible
✔ And there are the shoes that you loved to pieces … literally, you wore them on 1 trip and they fell apart. You can’t bear to get rid of them because they were so beautiful and perfect, so now you just have a pair of shoes with a giant, gaping hole just mocking you from your closet
Yeah. Things are bleak.
So bleak, in fact, that I literally injured myself in my search for shoes I could wear to do what is currently my full-time job (that would be running around in heels being chased by t-rexes. No, just kidding, it’s travel blogging).
Story time! Years ago, back when this blog was merely a twinkle in my eye, I got myself a cute little pair of trainers and thought I’d pick up running as a hobby. It sounded fun. It sounded athletic. It made me think back nostalgically to scenes from Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, where Blake Lively gallops like a gazelle on foreign beaches, blonde hair flying behind her as every leg muscle rippled in beauty and power. I wanted that REAL bad. So I picked up the cutest pair of sneakers I could find, laced them up, downloaded the Couch to 5K app, and hit the road.
2 weeks later, I couldn’t walk. I was in SO MUCH PAIN. Every step felt like I was jabbing a nail into my heel, and the very arches of my feet were so cramped up I started rolling them on frozen water bottles every night just so I could hobble into bed. It got so bad that I started wearing sneakers to work. And I worked in the corporate fashion world, so that was a HUGE faux-pas.
Turns out I had a raging case of Plantar Fasciitis. I had it for nearly a YEAR. A year of ugly sneakers, hobbling around, rolling my feet on stuff every night, and waking up in horrible pain every morning. It was awful. I was desperate to find a solution, and I was willing to go extremes to relieve my pain.
No, this isn’t the story of how I developed a raging addiction to nutella. This is the story of how I found barefoot shoes. OK WAIT – I can feel you heading up to click that X in the corner because you’re imagining me wearing those ugly, awful 5-finger shoes. But that’s not what I’m talking about at all!
When I say barefoot shoes, what I mean are shoes that allow my feet to have a full range of motion – thin, flexible soles, WIDE toe-boxes, and no heel at all (the technical term is “zero drop”). When I first started testing these kinds of shoes, I was freaked out by both the fact that I could kinda feel the ground beneath my feet, and the fact that I couldn’t walk more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I had just run a mile – my calf muscles were so underdeveloped from years of wearing cute, fashionable shoes that my body had essentially forgotten how to walk. It was eye-opening.
But as I worked my way up by adding a few more minutes of walking in barefoot shoes every day, my plantar fasciitis started going away too. It was like just walking around was stretching my feet out in ways that the ugly foot-cast contraption I’d started wearing every night never could.
A year later, my feet had developed muscles I never knew they had. I could stand and walk for miles and miles with no pain at all. I could do things at the gym I’d never been able to do before. And I even went full granola for a minute and started hiking and rail-running completely barefoot. Yes, that bit is definitely a bit nutty and no, you don’t have to go quite that far. Today, I even work at a standing desk: I stand all day long whether I’m at home on my computer or running around having adventures, and my feet NEVER slow me down.
So, here’s the point I want to make: every single shoe that I wear for travel allows my feet their full range of motion. So before you run away screaming from the word “barefoot,” consider trying something different – especially if you struggle with foot pain like I did before I changed my attitude towards shoes!
OK, now that I’ve given you my cavewoman spiel (I’m KIDDING they’re not that granola, I promise) let’s get to the actual shoes!
The VivoBarefoot Jing Jing travel flats are flexible enough to allow you to do things like jump on your husband’s back without coming tumbling down!
The Best Travel Flats
Bet you didn’t think they made barefoot ballerina flats, didja? Well, they do! They being VivoBarefoot, my favorite barefoot shoe company (psst: they have a 100 day trial so you can anxiously test out that crazy barefoot science for yourself, risk-free). The VivoBarefoot JingJing flat is absolutely adorable and my go-to travel flat. They’re perfect for exploring cities, going out at night (on the rare occasion that I manage to drag myself away from Netflix & drooling on myself to actually do something after dark, that is) and doing ~professional things.
I wear them at conferences, where I walk upwards of 15,000 steps per day as I hustle from booth to booth to beg brands to throw money at me (HAHA just kidding I love my sponsors being a travel blogger is so glamorous whee). I wear them when I’m speaking onstage at those conferences, I wear them when I attend the networking parties that always last all night and cut into my Netflix & drool time, I wear them constantly. Because they are adorable, and I can walk a zillion miles in them and never feel any pain whatsoever.
Strollin’ around Indianapolis in my VivoBarefoot JingJing flats, the best travel flats for women.
The Jing Jing flat is deceptively simple but masterfully created. I’ve had my pairs for 3 years now and worn them all over the world on multiple trips, and you guys, they don’t even have a scratch. They’re kinda stinky, but that’s pretty much my own fault.
They’re incredibly thin and light weight, and roll up so small they fit in the palm of my hand. I never give a second thought to packing them, because they don’t take up any room at all. But unlike most thin flats, which wear through in a few months and inevitably fall apart, the Jing Jing is made to last. They feel and look just as good as they did the day I bought them.
To summarize, here’s why I love the VivoBarefoot Jing Jing flat for travel:
✔ Super cute with everything from jeans to dresses
✔ Lightweight and easy to pack
✔ Roll up into teeny palm-sized mini shoes
✔ Comfortable enough to walk in for miles and miles
One more thing, though. And I’m gonna throw in a TMI warning. I tend to get kind of sweaty feet on hot days, so I found a really good little sock to wear with my Jing Jings that helps with the whole absorption issue. They’re made with wool, which is naturally antibacterial (aka anti-stink) and they’re the perfect size and shape for these or any other travel flats! Pick up a pair to match your flats.
*If you find them sold out on the VivoBarefoot site you can also find them on Amazon
Shop for the Jing Jing Travel Flats
Fun fact: Jeremy and I own a LOT of the same pairs of shoes. It know, we’re gross. Here we are both modeling our VivoBarefoot winter boots in Hallstatt, Austria!
The Best Women’s Travel Boots
Here’s the thing about most boots: they’re adorable, but they’re totally impractical. There is NO GOOD REASON why I should need different boots for different conditions. Snow? Rain? Cold weather? Just cuz I want to look cute? I want the same boot for ALL of those things. Ain’t nobody got closet space for multiple boots.
Enter the VivoBarefoot Gobi Hi, the lace-up ankle boot that does it all. I have literally worn these babies everywhere from professional events to snow-shoeing. Yes: I actually went snow-showing in these boots. I slipped the snow-shoes right on top of them, and actually I was kind of terrified that it might ruin them. But it didn’t, and my feet stayed toasty warm and dry!
These are the kinds of boots that make you WANT to walk through puddles when it’s raining, just to show the world that you’re UNSTOPPABLE, dammit! They’re the kind of boots that make you excited for a cold day so you have an excuse to wrap your toes up in the cozy faux shearling lining. They’re the kind of boots that you wear every single day all season long, year after year after year.
Wearing the exact same pair of Vivobarefoot Gobi boots, 2 years and 2 continents apart. These boots have lasted me through rain, snow, and everywhere in between. I love them so much!
Oh, how I love these boots. Let me count the ways:
✔ Legit adorable, especially with lil’ socks on some leggings or tights
✔ Waterproof AF in both snow and rain
✔ Lined with faux shearling so it feels like you’re walking on a warm cloud of baby sheep
✔ Comfortable enough to walk in for miles and miles
✔ Lightweight and easy to squish up into your bag for travel
If you live somewhere cold, plan to travel somewhere cold, foresee rain at some point in your life, or just get cold feet sometimes (hopefully not on your wedding day! Ba-dum-ssh, I’ll see myself out) the VivoBarefoot Gobi Hi are the boots for you.
*If you find these wonder boots sold out on the VivoBarefoot website head over to Amazon for a pair (or 2!)
Modeling my latest pair of Teva sandals, in Sassy Red (that’s not the actual color name) at Disneyland!
The Best Women’s Sandals for Travel
My love for the Teva Ysidro Sandals can only be described as “cult-like.” I’m currently on my 4th pair of these babies. They comprise the entirety of sandals in my closet, and when I bring them on a trip to somewhere hot, they’re all I wear.
I wore pair #3 for 6 months straight during our year-long honeymoon. I hiked in them. I rappelled down a waterfall in them (and then got rescued in them). I went white water rafting in them. I stomped through cities and frolicked on beaches in them. We had some really good times together, but every couple of years, it’s time for a new pair.
I’ve been buying leather Teva sandals regularly for the past 8 years. Here is a photo of my very first pair of Teva sandals, taken 8 years ago with a cutting-edge cell phone camera on a trip to the Grand Canyon:
My very first pair of Teva sandals on our very first trip together to the Grand Canyon!
I still have those sandals in the back of my closet. I couldn’t bear to throw them away – we’ve been to so many places together! I’m slightly verging into hoarder territory with the Teva shoe cemetery in my closet…
It’s not just me who’s obsessed with these sandals, either: one time I was getting mani/pedi and noticed that someone else was wearing the same pair of Teva sandals. We struck up a conversation and spent a solid 20 minutes loudly fan-girling over how much we loved these sandals, much to the irritation and bewilderment of the rest of the salon.
But you guys: they’re SO GOOD. Here’s why I think the Teva Ysidros are the best travel sandals:
✔ Durable leather straps and a flexible cork sole make these one tough, rugged pair of sandals
✔ Legit cute. I know “Teva” used to be synonymous with those unattractive sandals at 8th-grade summer camp, but they’ve grown up and matured and blossomed into some truly adorable, stylish shoes
✔ As good at being water shoes as they are at being walking shoes and city shoes
✔ The most comfortable sandals for travel that I’ve ever tried – and I’ve tried SO. MANY.
✔ Will give you the coveted “Teva Tan” which is like a wearable souvenir from all of your travels (at this point I think mine is permanent)
I’m obsessed and I want you to be obsessed too! Grab a pair and try them out. You’ll never go back to regular sandals again!
Shop for Teva Ysidro Travel Sandals
Balancing majestically on a log in my Altra Lone Peak trail runners after a hike in Lake Tahoe, California!
The Best Women’s Lightweight Hiking Shoes
I used to think you needed big, chunky boots to go hiking in – for ankle support and snake protection or whatever – and I thought that the best boots of all were waterproof and cost hundreds of dollars for good reason. For years as I explored the best hikes in Northern California, I wore whatever clunky hiking boots I found on sale at REI, nursing my feet after long hikes, aches and blisters and sore calves and all.
I assumed that my problem was that I couldn’t afford to drop bands on a pair of good waterproof hiking boots, not hiking boots themselves. And I avoided taking my hiking boots with me on trips, because they weighed a zillion pounds and took up half of the space in my suitcase.
Then somebody told me about trail runners, and it changed everything.
Trail runners are like the shoe that sits directly in between regular sneakers and massive, clunky hiking boots. They have the grip of hiking boots with the light-weightedness of sneakers. They’re build to stabilize your foot as you run through forests and unstable terrain, leaping over logs and probably doing the occasional Tarzan swing through the trees, and they’re excellent for hiking.
Once I laced up my Altra Lone Peak Trail Runners – with some lacing tricks I’d learned in my years-long quest to make hiking boots actually work for me. – and hit the trails, I knew I’d never hike in clunky, inflexible boots again. Without the weight and bulk of those boots on my feet, I felt light and free – and yes, I even went trail running a few times out of sheer excitement. (It’s actually REALLY fun, and I usually hate running! Don’t believe me? Read Born to Run and tell me it doesn’t make you want to gallop off into the mountains somewhere for a casual 50-mile run.)
Finally at Machu Pichu after attempting to hike Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in my Altra Lone Peak trail runners, my favorite women’s lightweight hiking shoes for travel! And, yes, Jeremy and I have the same pair (we have a shocking number of the same shoes).
Here are a few of the reasons why I love my Trail Runners:
✔ They’re zero drop, so there’s no risk of re-aggravating my plantar fasciitis
✔ Flexible sole, so my foot can move with full range of motion and flexibility to keep me stable even on tricky terrain
✔ The upper is made of lightweight mesh, which is incredibly breathable, keeping my feet sweat-free. This does, however, mean that whatever socks you wear might get a bit dusty!
✔ Who needs waterproof boots? My trail runners dry lightning-fast, so that if I have to wet-foot portage (that’s hiking nerd speak for “walk through a puddle or something”), my wool-blend hiking socks and shoes are dry not even 15 minutes later. If I end up hiking in the rain, I just pull out the pair of waterproof socks I keep in my Camelbak and pull them on over my regular wool hiking socks to keep my feet completely dry (yes, I’ve done a full submerge test just to check).
✔ Have never given me even close to the inkling of a blister. They’re soft and comfortable and lightweight and wonderful and nothing rubs or sticks out or irritates my feet at all!
✔ The perfect hiking shoes for travel. They’re lightweight and the mesh upper collapses to nothing at all, so you can smush these in your bag (or in my case, in the mesh cup-holder on the side or the front pocket) and hike anywhere your heart desires! I’ve taken my trail runners hiking everywhere from the Andes Mountains to the Inca Trail and they’ve never once let me down.
Oh, and as for ankle support? Turns out that the whole thing is a myth, much like the concept of “arch support.” When you let your feet do their thing naturally, your feet and calf muscles develop into the super-strength Wonder Woman feet you were born to have, and your muscles do the job of stabilizing your ankles just fine. And arch support? Since when have arches, the strongest shape in the world, used throughout the history of mankind’s greatest architectural achievements, needed support? What happens when you stick something under an arch? Does it help make the arch stronger? No. It does not. The term arch support is a non sequitur!
If you’re still hiking in hiking boots and take for granted the fact that your feet will hurt after a long day of hiking, let me tell you: it doesn’t have to be that way! Trail runners changed my attitude towards hiking and helped me develop a 1-hike-per-week habit during the year leading up to our year-long honeymoon (which I haven’t exactly picked back up again now that we’ve returned, but it’s not my shoes fault – they’re miraculously as good as new).
Give them a try and let me know if your hiking game changes the way mine did! You can pick them up from REI or on Amazon.
*This version of trail runners has now been replaced with the 4, so if you want more variety in sizes check them out here
Shop for Altra Lone Peak Travel Hiking Shoes
If you’ve struggled finding the women’s travel shoes, vent to me in the comments! What are your frustrations? What are your concerns? What questions can I answer for you about these 4 best travel shoes for women?
Psst: Looking for more travel tips to upgrade your next trip? Take a look at some of our other helpful posts – and don’t forget to read our men’s travel shoes guide!
- What to Pack for a Beach Vacation: the Curvy Girl’s Beach Vacation Packing List
- The 3 Best Travel Pants for Women: Functional, Cute, & Field-Tested
- The Ultimate Guide to Makeup & Beauty for Backpacking
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Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with VivoBarefoot, a shoe brand that we’ve actually high-key fan-girled for years (dreams came true writing this post, y’all). That said, we purchased all of the shoes in this post with our own money several years ago, and have been testing them on trips ever since, slowly becoming more and more obsessed. All opinions, bad jokes, and strong feelings about shoes are 100% our own and absolutely nobody else’s fault.
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As a former runner who has also suffered Plantar Fascitis, I feel your pain! Exploring for hours when travelling always leaves me with sore feet and I too have struggled to find shoes that are both comfortable and fashionable. Will defintely look into purchasing a couple of these travel shoes! Thanks for the information.
Yesss give them a try!!! They made such a huge difference for me.
I swear by Ipanema’s travel sandals! They are very comfy and cute as well. These suggestions sound so good. I definitely need a pair of good travel boots so I will check out VivoBareFoot. You crack me up with that Jurassic Park commercial LOL so random yet hilarious.
I always struggle with what shoes to wear when traveling! I always want them to look good but I need to be able to walk in them for hours and that is hard to find! Thanks so much for sharing this. Seriously considering those flats and the trail runners!
It’s such a struggle to find good ones! I’m so glad I found these and my feet have been happy ever since, too 😉
GIRL YAASS! I have a pair of barefoot shoes from Merrell that I friggin love and never ever want to stop wearing. Last year I got a pair of waterproof hiking shoes and wore them around Philadelphia in the winter. Cut to me having blisters the size of literal em-effin’ half dollars. Those puppies were promptly returned and I’ve never cheated on my Merrells again. Though those Gobi boots are little temptresses…
The Gobis are PERFECT for winter weather! And they’re hella cute, too. Get themmmmmmmm 😉
I need to add a new pair of boots to my winter wardrobe for Michigan and these sound perfect. Do they run true to size?
Because they’re barefoot style shoes, they’re a big bigger than what you’re probably used to – there’s WAY more room for your toes than probably any other boot you’ve ever tried, but that’s totally normal and all part of the barefoot shoe thing. My boots are actually a half size up from what I usually wear (their sizing is European and I’m a weird US half size) and they fit just fine. Also that extra space means more room for nice thick socks if it’s super cold out!
This was THE BEST guide ever! Thank you so much & I will be sharing this with everyone I know!
Wow you described the exact same issues and injuries I have. Been walking heavy bc himing boots for years, created several foot problems. Discovered trail runners this year nd never going back. Topo Athletics specializes in wide forefoot shoes. Their zero drop shoes made my short calve muscles get more flexible. Too bad their not suited for normal walking as they started to rib at the bend point after only few months and strangly the soles are slippery when walking on wet streets. Saucony peregrine 8 has amagingly rugged soles and I can almost walk a rock vertically with them. Too bad no zero drop or not too wide forefoot but they still walk like you walk on clouds, can bearily feel blind guides stones and besides the sole the shoe itself is flexible, breathable but gives more ankle support than the topos. Will definately look into your suggestions as well because you litterally wrote down my years and years of struggle with feet problems and finding fitting shoes as I have a wide front foot but small size. A shoe salesmen actually told me we have more foot problems here in the west because its fashionable to have pointy shoes (yes even the average sneaker is too narrow). Keep up the great work, love your blogs
OMG the pointy shoes! I wore pointy shoes for YEARS, they were my go-to flat style. And it was a pair of sneakers that gave me my killer plantar fasciitis injury (those stupid Nike free runs that are SUPER cute, but terrible for your feet, which I learned after going running in them for 2 weeks)! Sounds like a lot of the shoes here will be a GREAT fit for you, and I’m excited to check out the ones you mentioned too!
This post is great! I’m going to Switzerland and Eastern Europe at the beginning of December, do you think I have enough time to break in the barefoot Gobi boots? Also, would you mind sending me a referral link–we both get $30 off if you do! 🙂
You don’t need to do any breaking in for the Gobis themselves, it’s more about making sure YOUR feet are comfortable in them. For me the biggest issue was that my calves were undeveloped from wearing shoes that didn’t allow my feet to move naturally for years, so I couldn’t walk in them for more than a few minutes without my calves aching from effort. It took me a few months to build up my calf muscles to a point where it didn’t feel like I was going on a jog just from walking around barefoot. If you’re more athletic than I was, like if you already go running and have strong calf muscles, you should have no problems – my husband was able to put them on and walk miles in them immediately because he bikes and has stronger legs than I did, for example! I hope that helps!
Hi Lia, thanks for your great tips!
I am a bit skeptical about the Teva sandals.. can you really immerse them in water with no damage? I am looking for some sandals that I can also use for showering in hostel/camping sites.
Thanks a lot!!
Yep! I wear them as my water shoes too. I’ve worn them for snorkelling, kayaking, white water rafting, etc. You’ll just want to leave them outside to let them dry overnight before you wear them in the city or out of water again, or you’ll be slipping and sliding a bit! Teva is the original water sandal and these definitely hold up to that reputation IMO.
I love this article! I just bought some of the Gobis for my European travels post-Africa (realised I didn’t have any warm shoes, just sandals!). Do you think they will be too hot for Europe in March/April? And I hope my calves survive! (read that bit after I pressed “purchase”…!) Thanks for such a fun article!
I wear mine on chilly and rainy days here in northern California, so I think you’ll be fine! They get too hot around 70 degrees or higher but personally I find anything under 70 to be freezing 😛
Thanks!
Also, have you heard anything about a similar style to the TEVA Capris? It looks like they aren’t selling/making them anymore!
They’re still available on other sites, like on Amazon, which is what’s linked to in this post! They make a new version every so often that’s slightly different. It looks like the current version is called the Ysidro, which is available on their website.
This post was super useful! I’m in the market for trail runners and definitely going to check out the ones you recommend. I thought I needed waterproof, but I like your idea of using waterproof socks instead. Do you prefer that to the shoes being waterproof? What are your tips for lacing up hiking boots so they work for you?
The thing about waterproof shoes is that during the 1% of the time when I need waterproof shoes they are great, but 99% of the time when I’m not actually hiking through water or rain, they’re just sweaty and uncomfortable. I’d much rather have a pair of waterproof socks on hand for the 1% of the time rather than deal with the sweaty misery for the 99% of the time, so yes, I definitely prefer that!
As for lacing up my trail runners, I do a triple twist/surgeon’s knot on my top lace before just tying my shoes like normal. I find that’s enough for me to prevent heel slip while hiking downhill. I don’t do anything else terribly special! Here’s more info about the surgeon’s knot: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/lacing-hiking-boots.html
Hi! So I clicked on all the links to look at the shoes, and almost all are sold out! Such a bummer! Maybe it’s this post that has everyone running out to buy them. Guess I’ll have to keep checking for them to be restocked! Thanks for a great list!
Hey Kayli! Thank you for letting us know! I’ve updated the post with alternate versions, hopefully you can find what you need there! Happy shopping! 😉