anoisette

Good footwear might even be more important that a good pack. If you can’t walk far, chances are you’re not going to be enjoying your travels.

I’d say for your basic well trod SE Asia backpacker trail trip you basically need a pair of flip flops and a good pair of walking shoes. That’s all I had, plus a pair of foam/plastic slippers bought in Toronto’s Chinatown, just coz I had them before I left and was going to throw them out otherwise.

I lucked out and found what I think were the perfect shoes. I got a pair of Salomon Tech Amphibian women’s shoes and here’s what I loved about them:

• The collapsible heel allowed me to wear them as slip ons when circumstances were such that it was more convenient or comfortable to do so.
• A one pull lacing system meant no laces to tie or get tangled. Great for when having to take the shoes off to go into temples and other shoes-not-allowed places.
• Mesh sides allowed for lots of airflow, kept feet cool and dry.
• Comfortable to wear barefoot or with socks.
• Designed to get wet and drain. Dried quickly when they did get wet.
• Good sole with a good grip.

Between the shoes and the flip flops I felt like I was pretty much covered. Sport sandals like Tevas or Chacos would have provided more support than flip flops but also taken up more space and been heavier. For the sake of traveling light if I wanted more support I just wore my shoes.

The slippers were actually really useful as shower shoes or bathroom shoes and didn’t take up any more space than flip flops. When we did splurge for the luxury of an en suite bathroom, it was usually one tiled room with a sink, toilet, and shower coming out of one wall. As in there was no separate shower stall and the entire bathroom floor would get wet from a shower. That is when the slippers came in handy, keeping my feet dry when I had to go into the bathroom and the whole floor was wet. So while they may seem like an unnecessary extra, I feel they were worth it. And while I’m all about multiple purposes, I wouldn’t use flip flops I wear out on the street as shower shoes coz that’s just dirty. Dust/dirt from the bottom of flip flops worn out on the street mixed with water from a shower = mud.