The Best Travel Shoes: AKA How I Survived Walking All Over Europe

These are hands down the best travel shoes I’ve ever tried. They’re great for walking around Europe, a day at Disney World, or even just a girlfriend getaway to the beach. Pick out your favorite color, pattern, and style then walk away. Literally. 

A couple of weeks before our Europe trip, I asked people for recommendations on the best travel shoes. I’d heard a ton of great things about Tieks from friends (mostly how cute they are) and wanted to see if they were worth the cost. AKA would they save my feet from the aching pain I normally feel after walking a couple of miles on uneven ground. 

The response was underwhelming and mixed. I bought some anyway. 

I can’t tell you whether or not they’re good travel shoes because they just didn’t fit my feet. They don’t offer half sizes and I’m a true 7 1/2. The 8 was too big and the 7 was too small, so my pretty pink Tieks are getting sent back. 

The Best Travel Shoes Ever

With just four days to go until our 2 1/2 week walking tour of Europe, I dragged Jana and Kim into the Sanuk store in Disney Springs. I’ve never once tried on a pair of Sanuk shoes nor ever heard of them, other than a couple of people recommending them when I asked about Tieks. 

I tried on a pair of the Sanuk Yoga Slings and fell in love on the spot. They were cute. They were comfortable. They wouldn’t take up much space in my suitcase. And they matched my Instagram feed. Kidding, sort of.  

I bought two pair – these ones with a bit of gray metallic sparkle and a pink and yellow pineapple pair that I can’t find anywhere anymore but are like these in a different color. A pair of neutrals and a pair of bolds. And I packed those babies in my bag along with four other pairs of shoes – my Strike Movement sneakers, my TOMs, and two pairs of flats, just in case the Sanuk slings didn’t work out. 

And other than wearing my sneakers when I needed closed toe shoes to drive go-karts and ride an alpine slide, the only shoes that left my bag the entire time were my Sanuk yoga slings. You guys, these shoes are magical. I normally am in pain after walking for a few hours in Disney World or really anywhere that has uneven ground. I wasn’t in pain once. 

The rest of me was exhausted after miles and miles walking every day for 16 days straight. But my feet never were. These shoes made it through hundreds of stairs on the Dubrovnik city walls, walking on the pebbly beach along the Amalfi coast, the cobblestone walkways of the Colosseum in Rome, and shopping for hours in Sarajevo. Liked the Sour Patch Kids saved me during my marathon a few years ago, these shoes are literally what got me through our trip. 

11 Reasons to Love the Sanuk Yoga Slings

1. The sole is made out of a yoga mat! 
2. The straps are made out of flexible fabric, meaning no blisters, no rubbing, nothing. 
3. They have straps around your ankles so unlike flip flops, you won’t have to keep them in place. They stay put. 
4. They come in a ton of different colors – you can find all the colors here. 
5. They’re inexpensive at under $40/pair. 
6. The sandals have a 1-year guarantee so if the straps come out or something breaks within a year, they’ll replace the shoes for you and even pay for the shipping! Pretty sure I won’t be returning mine anytime soon.
7. You can order them on Amazon with Amazon Prime! 
8. They’re flat and squishy, making them perfect to fit into a small suitcase or backpack. 
9. They fit both narrow and wide feet great.  
10. You can get them wet with no problems, perfect for walking on the beach, jumping in puddles, or playing in the sprinklers. 
11. They don’t slip on wet surfaces like so many flip flops do. 

If you don’t believe me yet, here’s proof these shoes literally went everywhere with me! 

Shopping in Old Town Bilbao

Waiting in line to get into Park Guell, Barcelona

Enjoying a sunset in the Colosseum

Crossing from West to East in Sarajevo

Climbing the city walls in Dubrovnik

Minding the gap in London

Island hopping in the Adriatic Sea

I’ve only ever tried the Sanuk yoga slings and the regular Yoga flip flops, but you’d better believe the next pair of closed-toe shoes I buy are going to be these ones because if their sandals are this comfy, I’m guessing so are their flats.