We travel a lot at Mini Travellers (you know that if you follow us) and one of the things I’m a stickler for is good shoes. In my younger years I used to struggle with blisters constantly as I tried to do a city commute in heels, and a summer holiday in 6 inch heels and fancy sandals.
These days I’m definitely more about flats than heels, and comfort is really very important too, but that doesn’t mean I want to wear shoes that I don’t like, or shoes that don’t look good. I just choose more carefully. Nothing puts an end to a full day of exploring or sightseeing quicker than kids (or parents) who have sore feet.
So one of the things I always say to people who ask how we manage to fit in so much in a day, is make sure the kids are comfy and well fed!
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So over the last few years we have acquired ‘go to’ shoes. Shoes that we can pack when we travel light and can only only take one or two pairs, and shoes that see us all through the summer of travelling no matter where we are going.
Our favourites for travelling are Bobux, Keen, Aussie Soles, and Teva and if you read on I’ll explain why.
Mini Travellers Recommends Bobux
Bobux see us through the whole year. We love Bobux boots, their school shoes, and their sandals but we particularly love Bobux trainers. My kids live in them!
They are so useful, so fun, so gorgeously designed and when they get mucky from all the adventuring the kids do, you can simply throw them in the washing machine and they look as good as new!
If you’ve not tried them before do check them out. https://www.bobux.co.uk/
Mini Travellers Recommends Aussie Soles
Last year we LIVED in our Aussie Soles and in this post about Aussie Soles you can read what the range is all about. I recommended them to everyone who saw me wearing them, and I wore them a lot. I now see a lot of my friends in them and when Aussie Soles asked if they could send new flip flops for the kids this year and different colour ones for me I readily agreed! Below are just a few of the places we wore them this Summer – including in the sea, out for dinner, in theme parks, sightseeing, riding bikes! Basically everywhere. We flipping love them!
Mini Travellers Recommends Teva
On all the photos in the images below I have on some super comfy black Teva Sandals. I’ve had Teva sandals before. I had a pair years ago which I wore for Africa trips but the design of Teva’s has come on along way, so if you’ve not looked for a long time, do try again. These were amazingly comfortable right from wear one, and I used them on all sorts of adventures in Tanzania earlier this year. I also wear them for walks on the beach and in the woods behind our house when it’s too hot for trainers but you need something fairly sturdy! I know you can’t see the sandals clearly on some of the photos but you can see what I was able to do in them very happily – even climb rocks to a waterfall.
You can see the ones I was gifted by Outdoorsupply here and they usually retail at around £90 – well worth it though.
Mini Travellers Recommends Keen
Over the last few years we’ve had quite a lot of Keen Sandals and will wax lyrical about them to anyone who will listen. Friends and family have all bought them on our recommendation and I know a lot of you have too.
We’ve had the Keen Moxie version of the sandals and the Keen Newport sandals – and we’ve even had Keen Waterproof Boots too. Yes it’s true that these shoes have been sent to us to review but as I said above shoes aren’t something you can keep wearing if they don’t suit what you’re trying to do, or they hurt your feet. Adults won’t put up with wearing shoes like that, and children certainly don’t. Which is why I’m delighted to add Keen Walking Shoes to the Packing for Africa with kids list.
On each of the photos above the kids are wearing Keen sandals or walking boots and they really do keep them going hour after hour!
So those are some of the shoes that we recommend here at Mini Travellers. Do let us know if you’ve got any of these and feel the same way.
Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!
Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.