What shoes/footwear do you pack?

Hi all,

I didn’t want to open another topic, since I have very similar question, so I decided to revive this topic.

I’m gonna be ‘nommading’ in south east Asia for 6-8 months. Reading through various forums, my idea is to have just one pair of shoes (+ some flip flops), period.
This pair of shoes would be trail running shoes. They seem to be quality, breathing shoes, quite comfy for traveling, as well as for daily trips, and of course running. I was thinking about something like Merrell All Out Peak, which seems to be high quality trail running shoe.

The question is: Is my logic totally ‘off’, and does it make sense to have trail running shoes as your ‘primary shoe of choice’ (for SA Asia)?

This probably won’t be relevant for most of the males on here but I am huge fan of Hot Chocolate designs. They have a range of really cute designs, are really comfortable right out of the box (a huge deal for me because I get blisters easily) and are really lightweight to pack. The only real downside is that they don’t offer a lot of arch support for serious walking but that can be fixed with an inner sole. Oh, and they aren’t waterproof but they do dry quickly.

The cliche, shoes make the man (or woman) is true.

Asia or travel to other parts of the world is mostly, not that much different.

I see lots of people miscalculating and making mistakes with shoe choice.

Yes, if you are going to be living at the beach and that’s it, throw some sandals in a bag and call it a day. Maybe workout shoes, which I would.

However, if you are going to be mostly living in cities then make sure you bring proper footwear.

For one, in cities like Bangkok and Saigon, and other Southeast Asian cities, your shoes will get absolutely filthy and destroyed. And yes, there are people around to help you clean them, but they will get destroyed and fall apart.

Therefore, for this reason, I am not a fan of these dual purpose shoes that look like orthopedic shoes anyhow.

Shit gets destroyed fast. Especially if you ride motorbikes around in the city.

The other big reason.

If you don’t want to look like Jesus’ brother rolling into a nightclub or nice restaurant, well, you’re in a city, and you should expect to be dressed for a city.

Finally, if you’re a big foot like me (US12) - you can really be screwed in places like Southeast Asia.

In Saigon, it is nearly, 100% impossible for me to get any kind of shoes. There is a place that does custom men’s lace ups for my size, but it’s expensive and takes two months.

Bangkok is a little better, and has gotten better over the last 3 or 4 years, but expect a very limited range.

Thus, you’ll get to Southeast Asia and be stuck if you’re a big foot.

My advice if you want to be in and mostly live in cities, suck it up, and bring a reasonable range of shoes. Sneakers, lace ups, work out shoes and flips flops at a minimum.

If they get irritating and clunky, you can always chuck em or give em away.

Once you’re here. Good luck. Your options will be very limited.

When I was first packing for my travels, my main shoe criteria was simple: YOU CAN ONLY BRING ONE PAIR! This meant that the same pair had to be usable for walking, hiking, lounging, and even fancy restaurants if needed.

There are a few companies that make shoes that look like classic leather Oxfords on the outside but feel like sneakers on the inside. I’ve had some success with Ecco, particularly the Atlantas. Other brands frequently mentioned in this category include Rockport and the Cole Haans with Nike soles.

A general foreword on shoes: IMHO one doesn’t need more than 3 maybe 4 pair of shoes, including sandals, even when you don’t travel. For traveling maximum 2 is always enough.

In the past few years there are two type of shoes that I really liked… One is the Adidas trekking shoes. They’re good for walking, all purpose road shoes, and if you, like me, enjoy trekking, they’ll be very handy. Another brand I like is Keen. I like shoes that last and are reliable, these two have met all expectations.

Wakai’s (casual) and Nike Free’s 3.0’s (sports). Both fold down / pack very well.

I love (LOVE) my Palladium canvas boots. They’re tough, comfortable for cruising cities, crushing mountain trails, and chasing down buses, and light enough to pack alongside my (new favorite) pair of Teva Universal sandals. Unless I’m packing something more formal, this is all I really ever use. - even when I’m presented with a full closet at home.

Pretty sure @grado’s link is full-on spam…

My Lems Boulder Boots arrived from the US this week, been rocking them out today and so far very happy.

I also got a pair of Primal 2 (also by Lems) for when I want something a bit more lightweight than a boot.

considering the bamboo shoes, actually I love this brand.

I traveled a lot with my casual skateshoes, then turned to nike air, they can be pretty light and small
But if the weather is sunny, yeah flipflops or sandals all the way:)

Just found this, nice solution for travel boots! http://www.lemsshoes.com/Mens-Boulder-Boot-Amber-Blue_p_120.html
Did someone use boots?

I’m also a fan of barefoot shoes and wear Merrell running shoes during the day and Vivobarefoot RA II Classic’s for business, which you can luckily get on Amazon during winter too!

I’m a HUGE fan of barefoot running sandals and wear these 95% of the time while traveling. My favorites are the Luna Monos.

I have a pair of Skechers GoWalk 2 shoes. They’re slip ons and they’re super comfortable. I also brought a pair of dress shoes, because the first leg of my trip was actually doing serious business. However, now that I’m back in nomad mode, I hardly ever wear them.