Saturday, May 7, 2011

Travel tip #7 - shoes

Travel tip #7 - Lets talk about shoes

First lets start by saying that all the shoes you pack should be "broken in" so that you don't end up with blisters on your vacation. That said, here are a few highlights about packing shoes.
  1. Be sure to pack a pair of shoes that can go in the water. This can be as simply as a pair of 99 cent flip flops for the pool, or as fancy as enclosed shoes used for rafting. Just make sure you pack some shoes that fit your planned activities.
  2. Tennis shoes are a must. You will be doing a lot of walking, tennis shoes work great because they typically have good arch support (to help reduce foot & back fatigue) and enclose the entire foot (keeping out sand and debris wich can cause blisters).
  3. Walking sandles/loafers/clogs are optional. We all have our favorite pair, and if you vacation won't be complete witout them, then definatley bring them. If not, these are not considered one of your "core" packing items and could free up space for something else.
  4. Dress sandles or shoes should be limited to a single pair. Try to limit your dress shoes to one basic pair. Pick a dress or dress slacks that are a basic color to match this one pair and then pack a few shirts that can mix and match with them.
  5. When packing, pack your socks inside your shoes. This will fill space often overlooked and help conserve suitcase space for other items.
  6. Buy some shoe bags, they can normally be found on special for ~$5 each. If you don't have any drawsting type shoe bags, you can sub with some plastic trash bags. The problem with the plastic is that you consistantly have to replace them. These bags will help keep your clean clothes from getting dirty when sharing the same space with your shoes.

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