Traveling Shoes

Each of the last three trips I've taken overseas has required a new pair of shoes.  They are all very different, as the trips have had different requirements.  However they have all had in common the need to comfortably support me as I make my way through new lands.

In 2009 I spent 7 glorious weeks traipsing all over South America.  Before we went I knew we would be hiking, I knew it would be cold, I knew I needed some serious footwear.  So I invested in my first ever pair of hiking boots.  They were comfortable from the moment I put them on and they took me across the high salt plain, over the Andes, through the Pampas without a blister.  They walked the beach in Rio and paved streets of Machu Picchu.  They protected my feet from all manner of weather and best of all kept me warm.

My next big trip was to Vietnam and Cambodia.  Here I knew my feet would also be hiking but in hot, humid weather.  So this time I invested in a good pair of sneakers with mesh inserts for ventilation.  They powered me through the Ben Than markets, onto boats and up the Meekong.  They guided me though the jungle to ancient temples, keeping my feet comfortable and not too hot.

Now I'm headed to Europe.  I will be in fashionable cities during summer.  I needed shoes that I could wear with shorts and skirts, that would support my feet over cobblestones, around museums and to the theatre while looking somewhat more stylish than the sneakers which would be adequate for the job.

And so I've ended up with these sequined sketchers.  Comfy and supportive, hopefully a bit more fashionable than my hiking boots, I wonder what these shoes will allow me to see.  The anticipation is wonderful.