Shoes

Haley R

DIS Veteran
Joined
Sep 3, 2017
Hi everyone. We are going may 27-June 15 next year and I know that is Japan’s rainy season. I’m wondering what I should do about shoes. I’ve got tons of tennis shoes but idk if I want to take them and have soaked shoes/socks all vacation. Is there a good alternative? I have rain boots but I don’t really want to bring them with since they will take up so much room and they aren’t great for hiking on trails.

Are there any good waterproof shoes? Should I wear sandals without socks?
 
I normally take three pairs of sneakers / runners / trainers and cycle through them to deal with any wet weather.

We’ve been caught out before and I spent a long time drying our shoes with a hair dryer in the hotel bathroom!

There are waterproof shoes out there - I have a pair for hiking. But, I don’t find them overly fashionable. I’d be more inclined to take thin, canvas shoes with a comfortable rubber sole. The thin canvas should dry pretty quickly.
 
I normally take three pairs of sneakers / runners / trainers and cycle through them to deal with any wet weather.

We’ve been caught out before and I spent a long time drying our shoes with a hair dryer in the hotel bathroom!

There are waterproof shoes out there - I have a pair for hiking. But, I don’t find them overly fashionable. I’d be more inclined to take thin, canvas shoes with a comfortable rubber sole. The thin canvas should dry pretty quickly.
What do you think about these? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KYWKTBS/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_XAoPBbNBJM4QD
 
I'm a big fan of waterproof shoes. Even with sandals or water shoes that are "meant" to get wet, my experience is that you inevitably get blitters from wet material rubbing. Salomon makes a variety of Gore-tex running shoes: https://www.salomon.com/en-int/shop-emea/women/shoes/running-shoes/shopby/wet.html#page=1. I also have an older version of these Asolo shoes that I love (though in black so they don't look as much like bowling shoes): https://www.sierratradingpost.com/a...-women~p~404du/?filterString=s~goretex-asolo/ Here are some other options that are "waterproof" but not bulky boots: https://www.sierratradingpost.com/s...s-footwear~d~19/womens-athletic-shoes~d~9859/
 


I'm a big fan of waterproof shoes. Even with sandals or water shoes that are "meant" to get wet, my experience is that you inevitably get blitters from wet material rubbing. Salomon makes a variety of Gore-tex running shoes: https://www.salomon.com/en-int/shop-emea/women/shoes/running-shoes/shopby/wet.html#page=1. I also have an older version of these Asolo shoes that I love (though in black so they don't look as much like bowling shoes): https://www.sierratradingpost.com/asolo-shiver-gv-gore-tex-hiking-shoes-waterproof-for-women~p~404du/?filterString=s~goretex-asolo/ Here are some other options that are "waterproof" but not bulky boots: https://www.sierratradingpost.com/s...s-footwear~d~19/womens-athletic-shoes~d~9859/
I think those shoes are above my price range. I’m looking to spend under $50. Do you think the ones I posted above might work?
 

I think those are meant for walking in water. This means that the water can run through them. So, if you step into a puddle, you have wet feet. And as a PP said, wet feet mean blisters. I was concerned about this as well before our trip, but we ended up lucky. We only got wet in the park one day (or two? not sure now). My plan had been to bring one pair of normal trainers, one pair of canvas shoes and my sandals. With alternating those three I hoped to be able to get dry shoes. If shoes get wet: Make sure to take out the insole from trainers, stuff the shoe with something that can adsorb liquid (the usual recommendation is newspaper, but I have used towels in the past when traveling). Make sure to change out whatever is in there now and then. I.e. stuff them when you get to your room with the wet shoes, change it out the next morning and then in the evening they should be fairly dry already, so you can just let them dry out over night. Anything nylon will dry quicker than real leather or cotton (like my canvas shoes).
 
Since you mention having lots of trainers: Maybe bring just an extra old pair as a safety measure and be prepare to dump them at the end of the trip to have room for souvenirs.
 


I have gone during rainy season and typically just wear sandals. Even though it's rainy it is still warm enough that your feet won't get cold. It feels a lot better than having wet shoes and socks.
 
I have gone during rainy season and typically just wear sandals. Even though it's rainy it is still warm enough that your feet won't get cold. It feels a lot better than having wet shoes and socks.
I might do this. I don’t want to go through a ton of socks so I may bring two pairs of tennis shoes and get a pair of sandals.
 
I think those are meant for walking in water. This means that the water can run through them. So, if you step into a puddle, you have wet feet. And as a PP said, wet feet mean blisters. I was concerned about this as well before our trip, but we ended up lucky. We only got wet in the park one day (or two? not sure now). My plan had been to bring one pair of normal trainers, one pair of canvas shoes and my sandals. With alternating those three I hoped to be able to get dry shoes. If shoes get wet: Make sure to take out the insole from trainers, stuff the shoe with something that can adsorb liquid (the usual recommendation is newspaper, but I have used towels in the past when traveling). Make sure to change out whatever is in there now and then. I.e. stuff them when you get to your room with the wet shoes, change it out the next morning and then in the evening they should be fairly dry already, so you can just let them dry out over night. Anything nylon will dry quicker than real leather or cotton (like my canvas shoes).
Most of the places we are staying at have a washer/dryer so at least we could dry our socks. Maybe we could do that with the insoles too.
 
Most of the places we are staying at have a washer/dryer so at least we could dry our socks. Maybe we could do that with the insoles too.

Don't put insoles in a dryer! My experience is that they will curl up and/or shrink or otherwise deform and you end up needing replacement insoles.
 
Don't put insoles in a dryer! My experience is that they will curl up and/or shrink or otherwise deform and you end up needing replacement insoles.
Well dang I didn’t know that. I’ll either bring newspaper or use towels then!
 
I'm not going during rainy season (next week!!!) although it's been raining on and off the last few days. I am taking sneakers and a pair of sandals. I planned to alternate anyway but I would rather have wet feet in sandals than wet feet in socks and sneakers. Will let you know how it goes (if it rains)
 
I'm not going during rainy season (next week!!!) although it's been raining on and off the last few days. I am taking sneakers and a pair of sandals. I planned to alternate anyway but I would rather have wet feet in sandals than wet feet in socks and sneakers. Will let you know how it goes (if it rains)
Thanks! That’s what I was thinking too. I don’t currently have any sandals but I can’t stand walking in wet socks.
 
I think those will work fine!

I usually wear specific pumps/boots made for rainy days or I wear rain boots out & then change shoes at my destination, but I think that's not practical for you.

If I'm going to TDL or doing a lot of walking outside in rainy weather, I wear these: https://www.amazon.com/Teva-Tirra-Sandal-Toddler-Little/dp/B011QB0150/ They are super comfortable.

(They're marked as kids' sandals but if you add +2 to the size, that's the equivalent women's size. So a kids' 5 is a women's 7, etc. I have tried the women's version and they're not as comfortable, for whatever reason.)

If you can, order a few different pairs so you can try them on at home & then keep the one that's most comfortable and fits best. Walking around in shoes that hurt is the worst.
 
I have had multiple Teva sandals and liked all of them. This is the recent one that I have: https://www.amazon.com/Teva-Capri-U...425011&psd=1&refinements=p_89:Teva&th=1&psc=1

It is a bit more fancy, but still really comfortable. It is not a water sandal because it is leather. But they are great for walking and still looking a bit fancier.

Personally I don't like closed toe sandals, but that is just a personal preference. I do agree with @MKTokyo to see if you can order a bunch and then just keep the one pair that fits the best. And make sure to break it in so that you know how it feels when in the theme park!
 
I think those will work fine!

I usually wear specific pumps/boots made for rainy days or I wear rain boots out & then change shoes at my destination, but I think that's not practical for you.

If I'm going to TDL or doing a lot of walking outside in rainy weather, I wear these: https://www.amazon.com/Teva-Tirra-Sandal-Toddler-Little/dp/B011QB0150/ They are super comfortable.

(They're marked as kids' sandals but if you add +2 to the size, that's the equivalent women's size. So a kids' 5 is a women's 7, etc. I have tried the women's version and they're not as comfortable, for whatever reason.)

If you can, order a few different pairs so you can try them on at home & then keep the one that's most comfortable and fits best. Walking around in shoes that hurt is the worst.
So I’m guessing a size 6 would be what I need since I wear a women’s 8. I put it in my amazon cart.
 
I have had multiple Teva sandals and liked all of them. This is the recent one that I have: https://www.amazon.com/Teva-Capri-Universal-Pearlized-Chocolate/dp/B00ZHA98YW/ref=sr_1_53?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1538057219&sr=1-53&nodeID=679425011&psd=1&refinements=p_89:Teva&th=1&psc=1

It is a bit more fancy, but still really comfortable. It is not a water sandal because it is leather. But they are great for walking and still looking a bit fancier.

Personally I don't like closed toe sandals, but that is just a personal preference. I do agree with @MKTokyo to see if you can order a bunch and then just keep the one pair that fits the best. And make sure to break it in so that you know how it feels when in the theme park!
I definitely want ones that can withstand water since we are going in June. I’ve never actually worn sandals before: closed toed or open. I always wear slip on sandals or tennis shoes. I think I might order both and see which I like better. Thanks!
 
We live in a tropical area that gets a fair amount of rain even in our "dry season". We just spray our normal sneakers with a couple of coats of silicone spray to waterproof them and find it does a pretty good job as long as you avoid large puddles. We also have rain boots that are water proof and do wear sandals a fair amount (like Keen sandals). Our TDL trip is next week so we will be missing the rainy season but with all the tropical storms/typhoons that seem to be hitting us as well as Japan this season we plan on bringing two to three pairs of shoes per person so we can rotate through shoes if needed. In my mind there isn't much worse than being stuck with wet shoes that wont dry out well and I find I like to rotate between at least 2 pairs of shoes when I am doing a lot of walking anyway.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top