If you’re planning a big vacation soon, one of your top priorities should be packing. Don’t be one of those travelers who packs everything the morning of the trip. This often leads to missing essentials and overlooked necessities.
Just as importantly, you need to take some time to decide exactly what you need based on your destination. For example, if you’re traveling to Mexico in the middle of winter to enjoy their year-round warm beaches, you probably won’t need your snow boots.
Now might be a good time to decide if buying vacation shoes will be necessary for your trip. The question is, how do you find the best shoes for your vacation?
We can help you answer that question. Keep reading for seven factors to consider when buying shoes for vacations.
1. Style
No matter what types of shoes you’re interested in, you can never overlook the important style factor of your footwear. When buying vacation shoes, you must remember that they’ll likely show up in many of the pictures you take on your adventure. Therefore, you don’t want to invest in shoes that aren’t visually appealing.
Find some shoes that complement your style. Additionally, consider the style of the demographic of people at your destination. For example, you’ll find unique styles of fashion in places like Rome, Bali, and Paris.
You can find out more about trending shoe styles here.
2. Function
Perhaps more important than style is function. When picking out shoes for vacations, you need to think about what you’ll be using them for. For example, people traveling to Rome, Italy will likely be doing a lot of walking. As such, they should focus on various types of shoes that provide good support and cushioning.
If you’re planning on hiking and exploring on your vacation, you’ll want shoes that have good tread and durability. You might even want waterproof hiking boots. Conversely, if you’re going to be spending the majority of your vacation on beaches and boats, simple slip-on shoes and sandals will be more appropriate.
3. Brand Name
When buying vacation shoes, it might be important for you to shop within popular shoe brands. While some people see name-brand shoes as the same products with different labels and higher price tags, this view is not entirely accurate.
In most cases, buying various types of shoes from popular shoe brands comes with perks, such as superior comfort, performance, and durability.
While you can save money by buying generic shoes, they won’t last long. They might also be incredibly uncomfortable. This will be a major problem if those are the primary shoes you brought with you on your vacation.
4. Affordability
We can’t talk about buying vacation shoes without mentioning affordability. As noted above, we don’t necessarily recommend buying off-brand or imitation shoes, as this choice can come with negative consequences.
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to save money where you can. For instance, you can save a lot of money by buying shoes online, regardless of the brand. Online, comparing shoe costs is easier.
You can browse one site to find a pair of shoes you like, then shop around on various websites to find the cheapest option. You might be able to find promotions, special coupons, etc. In some cases, simply signing up for an email list can get you a special discount.
5. Comfort
We mentioned earlier the importance of comfort when buying vacation shoes. Obviously, this will play a major factor in your overall comfort and experience if you’re going to be active on your trip. Many people walk several miles a day, whether they go to Las Vegas, Ubud, or Rome.
Though comfort is especially important for active footwear, it’s shouldn’t be neglect in shoes you’ll be using for:
- Short walks
- Dining out
- Dancing
- Long plane rides
- Etc.
If you’ve ever sat on a plane for more than a few hours, you know that every ounce of comfort you can obtain is a blessing. Having your feet trapped in stiff, tight, or otherwise uncomfortable shoes can make life unbearable.
When buying shoes online, it’s impossible to test shoes for vacations out for yourself. In this case, you’ll need to rely on customer reviews and testimonials. You should be able to learn enough about the shoe to decide whether or not it’s a good purchase for you.
Online reviews should also help you verify the right size for different types of shoes. For example, helpful customers may say something like “In Nike, I wear size 8, but I needed a size 7 for this brand.”
6. Availability
Another important factor to consider, particularly when buying shoes online, is availability. If the shoes you want are back-ordered, you might not have the luxury of waiting around for them to come back into stock. If your vacation is in a few weeks, they might not be available by the time you need them.
For that matter, it’s also important to look at shipping dates. Ideally, you wouldn’t leave buying vacation shoes until the last minute, but no one is perfect. If you’re on a time crunch, make sure the shoes you’re ordering will arrive in time for your trip.
7. Retail Credibility
Finally, before buying vacation shoes from any store (online or physical), you need to ensure the company is trustworthy. While this is something we take for granted with brick and mortar stores, you shouldn’t be so cavalier about buying shoes online.
Look at customer reviews and Google the company to verify their credibility. Are they licensed to sell brand-name shoes or are they selling fakes? A good indication that you should shop elsewhere is if their prices are questionably low compared to other sites.
Looking at Buying Vacation Shoes?
Are you getting ready to go on a vacation? If so, we couldn’t be more excited for you. Vacations provide much-needed breaks from day-to-day life, not to mention, vital stress relief.
If you’re buying vacation shoes, consider the important factors listed in this article to find the best ones. Don’t end up making a decision you’ll regret.
For more advice on traveling, consumerism, or lifestyle, don’t go anywhere. Browse through the rest of our site to find more informative and insightful articles. Our blog was created to help our readers thrive.
Rachel Dixon works on Business, travel and features blogs at Daily Mid Time and Zobuz. She has passionate for travelling and cooking. Spending time with family as well as on internet to enhance her capabilities for well orientated content creation and blog writing.
