Recommendations: shoes/socks/sling backpacks

[Helen Gregson]

Looking for recommendations...

Best comfy walking shoes (not sandals):

Best socks for blister prevention:

Best lightweight sling backpack:

 

[Parker Clan]

I like my Skecher air walks, we also have a super light weight and water proof backpack from REI we use. I like Adidas socks, I find them very cushiony

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

For shoes I love my Brooks running shoes.

As far as socks, I prefer these https://www.target.com/p/women-s-he...-2pk-c9-champion-174/-/A-52415727#lnk=sametab

 

[lynn_s]

Wrightsocks. they are double layer, and are the only thing that keeps me from getting bad blisters (I have good shoes and glide also - but the socks make the difference).

I thought they would feel really hot but they don't - very moisture wicking, and they dry very fast.

 

[sah95]

Well, I must confess that I wear Crocks at Disney. It is the only shoe I can wear at the parks. They are so ugly, but I still wear them. I have a clear backpack to take to the parks. It makes the security lines a lot faster.

 

[gatorlisa]

For socks, I like Asics Quick Lyte Cushion tab socks. I have small feet (womens 6 or 6.5 depending on the shoe) and these socks are available in S/M/L sizes so I can get smalls and they fit my feet well. They are moisture wicking and well fitted with no excess material bunching up in my shoe which makes a big difference. If I don't wear my Keen sandals, I usually wear these socks with a pair of Saucony Guide running shoes. I get blisters on the bottom of my toes no matter what I do, but I've done better with this combo than any other sock/shoe combo.
For bags, I'm a big fan of the Patagonia Atom Sling. Compact, but big enough to hold what I want to carry, water resistant, lightweight, and most importantly, comfortable.

 

[ctipp79]

Well, I must confess that I wear Crocks at Disney. It is the only shoe I can wear at the parks. They are so ugly, but I still wear them. I have a clear backpack to take to the parks. It makes the security lines a lot faster.

I actually bought a pair of Crocs at the park. Ended up wearing them more then my shoes I had brought lol

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Shoes: I will always recommend anything Merrell.

Sling bag: I got this gem from eBay for about $6 and it’s been to Disney World countless times and even hot the west coast with me once. It’s the perfect size and made out of canvas so super light. I put random Disney “embellishments” on it such as pins and buttons as well as embroidered patches.

I also spayed it with an water repellent protector to keep my goodies from getting drenched in the rain

That’s a standard Disney celebration button in the photo below for size reference.

 

[motherof2boys]

https://www.mythirtyone.com/macsata/product/4538
I love this bag! 10+ Disney Trips & this is my favorite by far!!

 

[Grff]

This is actually my first post after months of lurking. Your post inspired me to share my findings. Sorry in advance for the wall of text (I like to be thorough). lol

Hands down my wife and I love the Skechers Gowalk series of shoes, specifically the GoWalk3 series. We both have wider than normal feet and our feet tend to swell when we walk all day in the parks. We each haved owned 4 or 5 pairs and always bring a new pair (worn for 1 week prior to visit to break them in) when we visit the parks. During our first visit in 2014, we wore normal shoes and regretted it so bad for our second trip we decided to invest in these shoes and I'm so glad we did. I also own two pairs of the GoWalk4 series but these are sized differently and although are almost as comfortable just feel different. One thing to note about these shoes is they don't last very long (about 3 to 4 months of normal daily walking) and are a little expensive as they usually run $50 to $60 a pair. You can get them on sale at a bunch of places though like Zappos, 6PM, Shoes.com, etc, etc for around $40 if you're lucky.

I swear by the Balega Hidden2 Dry socks. I have a really bad reaction to cheap all-polyester ankle socks and usually wear 90%+ cotton socks, but these are absolutely excellent. These are expensive, like $10 to $12 a pair expensive but OMG they are so worth it in the long run. I've only ever been able to purchase these in quantities more than 5 from Amazon for a decent price.

To prevent blisters, wife and I both use paper tape which can be bought at Dollar Tree across the Achilles tendon and on the outside of our big toes. We typically go through about 1 roll every 3 days for two people with large, wide feet (I wear a size 12 to 13 men's, she wears a size 10 women's).

We also use Dr. Scholls Sweatmax spray between toes and on the bottom of our feet to stay dry. We do not use lotion while we're touring the parks because it reacts with the non-cotton material in most socks and causes excess slippage. The Dr. Scholls spray acts as a friction powder in a way which I love. We go through about 1 can every 5 to 6 days when at the parks. If you or your spouse's employer(s) offer(s) FSA (Flex Spending Accounts) or HSA (Health Spending Accounts), many times you can buy this spray at Wal-Mart using that account or get reimbursed for several cans at a time. Also, I recommend that you only purchase this from Wal-Mart or Target. They tend to have the best pricing on this item from what I can tell.

With regard to sling bags, I have to recommend the Patagonia Atom sling. I LOVE this bag with one exception. It's small, lightweight can hold two 1L water bottles, and isn't too pricey. If you look hard enough you can find it on sale between $35 and $45 at different places if you aren't picky about color.

The one exception I mentioned above is that I started using a hydration pack and now am totally spoiled. No need to refill if I'm not sharing...which I don't lol, wife has her own now too) I can't live without that bag when I got to parks now, especially during Summer! I have Ogio's Dakar 3L which has now been discontinued for some reason, they have a new one though call the Atlas. In addition to the hydration bladder, it also has plenty of room for my GoPro gear, supplies, snacks, poncho/jacket, etc. It is NOT a sling though, which I actually don't mind since it sits up high on my back like a sling, but I feel more "strapped in" with it on than a typical sling. It IS however about 60% of the size of a typical backpack, making it much smaller, lighter, and means you can't cram as much into it.

Shoes (Women): https://www.amazon.com/Skechers-Per...1507683780&sr=8-1&keywords=skechers+go+walk+3

Shoes (Men): https://www.amazon.com/Skechers-Per...1507683780&sr=8-2&keywords=skechers+go+walk+3

Socks: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CBAI798/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Paper Tape: https://www.dollartree.com/Royal-Paper-Tape-for-Sensitive-Skin/p302003/index.pro

Foot Spray: https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Scholls-S...684144&sr=8-4&keywords=dr.+scholls+foot+spray

Sling: https://www.amazon.com/Patagonia-48...qid=1507684316&sr=1-1&keywords=patagonia+atom

Ogio Hydration Pack Alternative: http://www.ogio.com/backpacks/hydration-packs/atlas-3l-hydration-pack/spr4704859.html

 

[Helen Gregson]

This is actually my first post after months of lurking. Your post inspired me to share my findings. Sorry in advance for the wall of text (I like to be thorough). lol

Hands down my wife and I love the Skechers Gowalk series of shoes, specifically the GoWalk3 series. We both have wider than normal feet and our feet tend to swell when we walk all day in the parks. We each haved owned 4 or 5 pairs and always bring a new pair (worn for 1 week prior to visit to break them in) when we visit the parks. During our first visit in 2014, we wore normal shoes and regretted it so bad for our second trip we decided to invest in these shoes and I'm so glad we did. I also own two pairs of the GoWalk4 series but these are sized differently and although are almost as comfortable just feel different. One thing to note about these shoes is they don't last very long (about 3 to 4 months of normal daily walking) and are a little expensive as they usually run $50 to $60 a pair. You can get them on sale at a bunch of places though like Zappos, 6PM, Shoes.com, etc, etc for around $40 if you're lucky.

I swear by the Balega Hidden2 Dry socks. I have a really bad reaction to cheap all-polyester ankle socks and usually wear 90%+ cotton socks, but these are absolutely excellent. These are expensive, like $10 to $12 a pair expensive but OMG they are so worth it in the long run. I've only ever been able to purchase these in quantities more than 5 from Amazon for a decent price.

To prevent blisters, wife and I both use paper tape which can be bought at Dollar Tree across the Achilles tendon and on the outside of our big toes. We typically go through about 1 roll every 3 days for two people with large, wide feet (I wear a size 12 to 13 men's, she wears a size 10 women's).

We also use Dr. Scholls Sweatmax spray between toes and on the bottom of our feet to stay dry. We do not use lotion while we're touring the parks because it reacts with the non-cotton material in most socks and causes excess slippage. The Dr. Scholls spray acts as a friction powder in a way which I love. We go through about 1 can every 5 to 6 days when at the parks. If you or your spouse's employer(s) offer(s) FSA (Flex Spending Accounts) or HSA (Health Spending Accounts), many times you can buy this spray at Wal-Mart using that account or get reimbursed for several cans at a time. Also, I recommend that you only purchase this from Wal-Mart or Target. They tend to have the best pricing on this item from what I can tell.

With regard to sling bags, I have to recommend the Patagonia Atom sling. I LOVE this bag with one exception. It's small, lightweight can hold two 1L water bottles, and isn't too pricey. If you look hard enough you can find it on sale between $35 and $45 at different places if you aren't picky about color.

The one exception I mentioned above is that I started using a hydration pack and now am totally spoiled. No need to refill if I'm not sharing...which I don't lol, wife has her own now too) I can't live without that bag when I got to parks now, especially during Summer! I have Ogio's Dakar 3L which has now been discontinued for some reason, they have a new one though call the Atlas. In addition to the hydration bladder, it also has plenty of room for my GoPro gear, supplies, snacks, poncho/jacket, etc. It is NOT a sling though, which I actually don't mind since it sits up high on my back like a sling, but I feel more "strapped in" with it on than a typical sling. It IS however about 60% of the size of a typical backpack, making it much smaller, lighter, and means you can't cram as much into it.

Shoes (Women): https://www.amazon.com/Skechers-Per...1507683780&sr=8-1&keywords=skechers+go+walk+3

Shoes (Men): https://www.amazon.com/Skechers-Per...1507683780&sr=8-2&keywords=skechers+go+walk+3

Socks: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CBAI798/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Paper Tape: https://www.dollartree.com/Royal-Paper-Tape-for-Sensitive-Skin/p302003/index.pro

Foot Spray: https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Scholls-S...684144&sr=8-4&keywords=dr.+scholls+foot+spray

Sling: https://www.amazon.com/Patagonia-48...qid=1507684316&sr=1-1&keywords=patagonia+atom

Ogio Hydration Pack Alternative: http://www.ogio.com/backpacks/hydration-packs/atlas-3l-hydration-pack/spr4704859.html

You are a superstar! Can you help me pack and accompany us on our trip?! I bet you know all the touring tricks!
Seriously, thank you for the thorough information!

 

[Grff]

No problem! Glad to share. Not sure I'd be much help packing though as I always tend to overpack LOL.

 

[maramarrie]

I always wear my running shoes to the parks. They are most comfortable for me. My favorite wicking (never-a-blister) socks are Swiftwick Aspire socks. I have run soaking-wet half marathons in these socks and they are amazing. I carry a two-shoulder light day pack, so I don't have a sling bag recommendation.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I had heard a lot on these boards abour SmartWool socks and bought some before our trip last year. I did not like them - people swore that even though they were wool, they weren't hot - that is a lie!!! My feet definitley felt like they were wrapped in wool.

This year I just wore the regular Champion C9 mositure wicking socks from Target and they were much better.

 

[minnie1012]

I sprayed my feet with Dr Scholls foot spray, then applied Body Glide. I wore moisture wicking Adidas socks and Brooks sneakers. I am very blister prone and I didn't get one blister!

 

[laudawso]

I'm also super blister-prone and this time I used body glide, moisture-wicking socks, and Skechers GoWalk4s with a cheap insole. At the hotel, I would wear my Vionic Tide II flip flops in the room and around the grounds because the arch support works wonders for me.

I love the GoWalk4 footbed because it's cushy, but I have been having plantar fasciitis/heel spur issues and was in so much pain after 1 day. So we went to pick up a pair of cheap insoles (a pair I had previously used in work shoes so I knew for sure that they would help) and put them in and had zero problems after that. I actually ended up using the body glide on my toes and wrapping one toe with a bandaid for most of the trip and came home without blisters. I also came home with nearly zero pf/heel spur issues too, maybe I walked it all out

 

[TinkSassy]

This is actually my first post after months of lurking. Your post inspired me to share my findings. Sorry in advance for the wall of text (I like to be thorough). lol

I swear by the Balega Hidden2 Dry socks. I have a really bad reaction to cheap all-polyester ankle socks and usually wear 90%+ cotton socks, but these are absolutely excellent. These are expensive, like $10 to $12 a pair expensive but OMG they are so worth it in the long run. I've only ever been able to purchase these in quantities more than 5 from Amazon for a decent price.

Have to agree with the Balega - actually headed to the running store to pick up some new pair for my trip next week. Keep your feet dry and have great cushion to help with the walking.

Going with a new park bag this trip - as mine gave up on the last, so will let you know on that one after it is road tested.

Shoes are very personal - some swear by Sketchers (they kill my feet), I do Brooks because they work for me. If you are in an area that has a running store - see if they do fittings. We have one here and they let you run around the store in them and watch how your feet and legs move in the different brands. Either way, make sure your shoes are tested for you!

Blisters - I don't usually have issues with sneakers but will with sandals. Prevention is not my strong suit but I have tried everything to treat them when they occur. Band-Aid brand blister band-aids are a god send! Almost make the pain disappear so you can keep going.