The 3 Best Shoes for Long-Term Travel (Tried and Tested)

Are you going long-term travelling? Possibly with a backpack?

And are you wondering what shoes you should be packing?

So did we.

In this post, we won’t just tell you what are the 3 best shoes for long-term travel. We will also tell you the one mistake you should avoid – because we made it and it wasn’t fun!

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Here’s a little bit about our journey, if you are new here! If you know us, feel free to skip this part.

After leaving our old life in Scotland in March 2022 (it rains too much there), we travelled full-time for almost 2 years. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it was. If you think that carrying overpacked backpacks in 45°C heat around streets that aren’t even on Google Maps is fancy. And that’s just 1% of all the fun we had! 😆

During the 2 years we volunteered in Italy and Bulgaria (free travel while learning new skills, anyone?), explored other amazing European countries and backpacked Southeast Asia. Even our secret wedding was more of an expedition than a wedding. 😅

And, of course, we researched and planned everything ourselves, because you gotta keep the budget low, right? If you are like us, you’ve come to the right place, because we want to share all the useful tips and info with you!

Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own adventures too!

How to pack for long-term travel

First, let’s talk about how you should pack when you are going on a long-term travel adventure.

The main rule?

Pack light.

Trust us, when you are travelling for a long period of time, you DO NOT want to be carrying around heavy luggage – whether it’s a suitcase or a backpack (or two).

We’ve done it – overpacked two backpacks each – and it was hell.

The irony? We were sure we did not overpack. 😅

Packing for for full-time travel

If you are wondering how on earth you can make it all work, packing your life up into one backpack WHILE packing light, you need to check out this post.

Actually, if you are going full-time travelling, have a look at our Full-Time Travel Unpacked series where we uncover all the mysteries of full-time travel, including how much money you need, where to get that money without selling a kidney and, as we mentioned, how to pack everything up.

Best shoes for long-term travel

Okay, so we have established that you’ve got to pack light when travelling long-term.

That means that everything you do pack should be amazing.

Amazing how?

Well, it should be versatile, functional, light, waterproof etc. etc. – basically work really well, so you can rely on it.

Because when you are travelling light, you only have so many things with you, so each item needs to do its job well.

This is why it’s sooo important you choose the right shoes to take with you.

And why we wrote this post because when we were going full-time travelling, we were wishing someone would just tell us: TAKE THIS! (And also shouted at us saying: don’t take THAT. But more on that disaster below.)

Answer this before you start shopping

Before you storm the shoe shops (in real or virtual world of the Internet), make sure you think about the kind of travel you will be doing.

This is important when figuring out your travel budget, but also when deciding what to pack.

Think about the kind of situations you might find yourself in as you travel.

And then think about the kind of shoe that would fit each situation best.

Obviously, keep in mind that you want to pack light, so you need to think about shoes that are versatile and will cover multiple situations.

We know it can be hard to know what you mind end up doing when you are going long-term travelling – we had no idea!

But try to be covered for these kinds of situations:

• Rainy weather including slippery surfaces
• Cold (weather or A/C on planes, buses etc.)
• Activities near water (spa, pool, beach)
• Walking for long periods of time
• Going to a nicer restaurant/bar/club/party

Now that you’ve thought about this, let’s talk about the 3 best shoes for long-term travel.

For each type, we’ll tell you:

• Why you might need these shoes
• What to look for when shopping for them
• What we discovered other travellers wear – from research and our observations when travelling
• What shoes we chose

Shoe type no. 1: The sturdy walking shoe

If you are going long-term travelling, good hiking/walking shoes are a must.

Why do you need these shoes?

Here are some of the situations when you might need walking/hiking shoes:

• Hiking – duh! Getting up any sort of mountain or doing any exploration where you want to protect your feet
• Travel days – these are the days when you are going from point A to point B and while we did see some backpackers doing this in flip-flops, we prefer the stability of a proper shoe, especially in places like Southeast Asia where your path is usually like something out of Crash Bandicoot 😅
• Colder weather, when flip-flops or sandals just won’t do

What kind of shoes should you look for?

The walking shoes you choose should ideally be:

• Waterproof
• BUT breathable if used in hot climates. A note here: a breathable shoe means it’s not completely waterproof, because you can’t have both. This is something you will need to compromise on, breathability vs waterproofness
• Have a good grip – if you are going to be using them when hiking or exploring, make sure you get ones that have a good grip on their soles
• Flexible – you don’t want shoes that are too rigid
• Darker colours, so they don’t look awful when they get dirty. Because they eventually will

What do travellers choose?

When we were researching what to pack for our full-time travels, we came across travellers wearing all sorts of walking shoes, from hiking boots (because they are waterproof) to running trainers (because they are comfy and light).

We would recommend you decide based on your travel plans and what you find comfortable.

What did we pick?

We chose walking shoes – waterproof but not to the level of hiking boots, because we wanted them to be breathable, since we knew we were going to be travelling in hot countries.

We chose ones with grip, although, once we were travelling, Mirka found hers quite slippery in certain conditions.

In terms of brands, Daniel has Salomon X Ultra 3 GTX and Mirka has Merrell Lulea.

Shoe type no. 2: The airy walking shoe

The mysterious shoe number 2 (notice the vague title). So why do you need it?

Why do you need these shoes?

You only really need these shoes if you know you will be walking a lot in hot climates.

More specifically, if you know you:

• Will be walking somewhere you need more grip than flip-flops can offer
• Get sore feet/legs/joints/anything if you walk too long in something flimsy like flip-flops
• Will be walking somewhere where you need more stability (e.g. on uneven surfaces where your foot could twist badly if in a slider/flip-flop)

What kind of shoes should you look for?

We’ve not said the name of these shoes so far, because we are scared that when we do, you will run away screaming.

So first, promise you won’t.

Do you promise? 

Okay.

The shoes that we are talking about here are walking sandals.

We know.

It’s one of the ugliest fashion items out there. Actually, it doesn’t even feel like fashion came anywhere near walking sandals.

But let’s talk about what you should be looking for when it comes to this horror:

• Decent sole – check for the grip
• Support – no flimsy straps, but ones that actually hold your foot in place
• Cushioning – any special elements like memory foam that will keep your feet happy even after a whole day of walking
• Style – hahahaha. Forget this

This, of course, depends on what you are planning on doing in the walking sandals. If you just want to use them for long days sightseeing cities, you don’t need such a good grip or solid straps and can go a bit more fashionable instead (lol).

What do travellers choose?

First, we have seen many travellers trying to use flip-flops in situations when walking sandals would have been more appropriate.

For example, during the New Year celebration in Thailand called Songkran – also known as the world’s biggest water fight. Now that’s a time when we were so grateful for the ugly walking sandals, because wearing sliders in that wet madness could have easily led to a broken leg or two. 

Another example would be cycling – most backpackers do it in flip-flops, which is not the safest option. And we are all about travel safety, as you might know.

Back to the point – many travellers don’t have walking sandals.

The ones that do often go with the Teva brand, which, we have to admit, does look like sandals that are good quality, have decent features and, miraculously, don’t look as awful as other ones.

What did we pick?

We have to confess, we had a full-on showdown with our fashion pride over whether walking sandals were worth the style crime.

Sadly, we did conclude that yes, they were one of the best shoes for long-term travel.

While we were sure we would need them at times (such as during water activities like Songkran), we weren’t sure how much use we would get out of them. We just couldn’t commit to wearing them day-to-day while sightseeing – the pain of wearing something so awful was too much.

This is why we didn’t go for Tevas – we just couldn’t justify the price.

Instead, we found sandals that were a great value for money and didn’t look too bad (hint: go for dark colours even though they will attract the sun). The brand we picked was Karrimor, specifically the Antibes sandals and we got the male and the female version of them.

We have to say, we are happy with them, as far as this type of shoe goes.

But that’s enough about this fashion disaster, now let’s talk about the last of the best shoes for long-term travel.

Shoe type no. 3: The flip-flop

This probably doesn’t even need any explanation, but just in case:

Why do you need these shoes?

You absolutely have to travel with a pair of flip-flops or sliders.

If you are looking for the best shoes for long-term travel, this is THE essential one.

Here is why:

• You wear sliders around your accommodation to keep it cleaner (because apartments often come with no housekeeping during your stay. Or because you want to be more sustainable and refuse housekeeping)
• If you are travelling in hot countries, you wear them outside (though make sure you don’t wear them for long sightseeing days. Your feet won’t thank you. Get this horror instead)
• You wear them to the beach
• You wear them to the spa/hot springs/waterparks, or any other water-related places
• You wear them in shared showers or even private ones, if the cleanliness levels are questionable
• You wear them on long-haul flights. It’s one of our favourite travel hacks

What kind of shoes should you look for?

There aren’t that many things you have to worry about when it comes to sliders (or flip-flops. We’ll just use the word sliders from now to cover both).

In many places, you can buy them cheaply, so you can always get a new pair, if needed.

Of course, in the name of sustainability (and saving money), try to pick a good pair right away.

Here is what you should consider:

• Weight. Some sliders are heavier than others, and you want the lightest you can get. Remember, the goal is to pack light
• Colour. Mirka has black sliders. Leave them out in the sun for a bit and you might as well be auditioning for Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance when you put them back on
• Material. Rubber sliders are handier than foam ones, because they dry faster
• Type. More on this below

What do travellers choose?

Most travel blogs list Havaianas as THE flip-flops to go for. Now, we’ve never tried them, so we can’t comment on the specific brand, but, here is what we think.

A thought on sliders vs flip-flops

Many people swear by flip-flops.

They are cheap, super light and packable. And usually come in more funky design options than sliders.

So why should you consider choosing sliders instead of flip-flops as the best shoes for long-term travel?

We’ll explains using story examples (might be based on real life experiences):

Scenario 1:

You are travelling around Scotland and it’s, naturally, absolutely bucketing it down the whole day.

By the end of the day, even your waterproof shoes get soaked.

You are planning to use the room’s hairdryer to dry them for tomorrow’s adventures, but first, you have to get dinner.

There is no way you are going back out into that rain (we feel ya!). 

You decide to get dinner in your hotel’s restaurant.

Looking at your shoe options, you only have flip-flops left.

But it’s cold, so you have to wear socks. 

You end up going to dinner not just in flip-flops, which can be awkward enough, but with socks jammed into the flip-flops too.

😬

Sliders would work better.

(Also, for these situations, make sure you have a rain cover to protect your backpack/s.)

Scenario 2:

You are on a plane.

It’s a long-haul overnight flight.

You read our 8 tips for better long-haul flights, so you know to bring a change of shoes.

But if you brought flip-flops, you have the same problem as in scenario no. 1. You will have to fit them on with your socks.

😬

Again, sliders work better.

Lastly, the in-between toe part sometimes rubs uncomfortably, especially if you are sweating a lot (which you will, if you are travelling in a hot climate) or it rains (which again, happens a lot, especially if you are followed by a rain curse like we are).

What did we pick?

Being sensible backpackers, we chose sliders instead of flip-flops.

We went sustainable and cheap, taking sliders we already owned, from previous holidays.

These did, eventually, fall apart for us both, so we ended up buying cheap replacements in Asia. 

And we mean cheap – a few £, at a local market (Mirka) and a supermarket (Daniel). 

Normally, we are against buying cheap, if it means you will have to replace the item soon after. But in this case, we were lucky – despite wearing the sliders pretty much all the time while full-time travelling (we did say they are THE most essential footwear to pack), they are still going strong years later as we write this. 

Okay, Daniel’s are now falling apart, but we wear our things till their last day – it’s one of the ways we save money to travel so much (and the planet too).

Sometimes, cheap works. Like with this £1.34 hack that might just end up saving your phone.

Now that we’ve covered the 3 best shoes for long-term travel, let’s talk about the big mistake we made. 

The mistake to avoid

We like to think we are pretty smart travellers who pack well.

You know, doing things like packing light, not anymore taking things we’ll later regret, using packing cubes and keeping our backpacks safe.

But sometimes we still make mistakes.

And when we were getting ready to travel full-time?

We made lots of mistakes (This is why we are now sharing all our tips and tricks on this website, to help other travellers like you avoid these mistakes).

One of our big mistakes? The 4th pair of shoes we took with us backpacking.

We did well picking the 3 best shoes for long-term travel.

But then we also packed one pointless pair each.

What shoes not to pack

The background story

When we were planning our full-time travels, we were using the trick we recommended in this post – imagining all the different situations we might find ourselves in and what clothes and shoes we would wear in them.

Which is a solid travel trick, we have to say.

But here is where we went wrong.

You might not know this about us, but we are quite into mixology. Cocktails, quirky bars, that kind of a thing.

So we concluded that we would need a fancier outfit and, of course, fancier shoes for these places.

Makes sense, right?

The problem

The issue with this assumption?

In reality, we ended up not really going anywhere fancy.

Of course, this does depend on your style of travel, what you plan on doing etc., but for us, backpacking Europe and Southeast Asia, we just didn’t go to places that would require fancy shoes.

And going to a fancier place once or twice in 2 years? It’s just not worth carrying around a 4th pair of shoes for, when every gram counts.

What did we pack?

Daniel

We packed a pair of TOMS for Daniel, which, to be fair, he got a bit more use out of than Mirka’s fancier shoes.

A pair of espadrilles is actually not a bad idea, provided they are light. They are usually super packable and can be a good alternative for men, if they are not able to get into a restaurant wearing trainers or sliders.

Mirka

For Mirka, we packed sandals with a low heel. The issue? We didn’t want to spend more money on new ones, so we went with what she already owned – sandals that were quite heavy. And not very packable what with the low heel. And let’s not talk about how practical heels are when travelling, especially on the non-existent pavements of Asia. 😬

The sandals got worn exactly one time, in our almost two years of travel. Yikes. Talk about travel regrets.

What will we do instead, in the future?

For Daniel, we might stick to espadrilles, as they are pretty packable.

For Mirka, we will probably just skip – a nicer pair of sliders usually works fine with a fancier outfit too. Alternatively, we might take a pair of dressier, but light sliders in addition to the day-to-day sliders.

Anything but carrying our pointless shoes that never get worn.

There you have it. The 3 best shoes for long-term travel and one mistake.

We hope this post helped you in deciding what to pack for your own adventures. In the end, what you are looking for is the least amount of shoes covering as many possible situations you might find yourself in.

Remember this when shopping and, as always, give us a shout if you have any questions – in the comments below or on our Instagram.