One of the most popular questions over at the DisBoards is:
What is the best footwear to wear when at Walt Disney World?
Which is closely followed by:
Why does everyone where Crocs at Walt Disney World?
The answer to the second questions is actually the answer to the first; the most comfortable footwear to wear when spending a day at any of the parks is a pair of Crocs - the real ones - and judging by the number of pairs you see out there I’m not alone in this opinion.
When touring the parks you will spend many an hour on your feet and can walk upwards of 5 miles in a day - so comfortable footwear is crucial - there is nothing worse than blisters and aching feet to ruin a magical day!
I was always a big fan of my trainers but found my feet got hot bothered - then I discovered Crocs and I haven’t looked back. I even convinced my husband to wear a pair on our last trip and he openly admitted to another Disney Guest that while he would never be seen dead in a pair in the ‘real world’ they were the most comfortable shoes to wear to Disney.
So what should you keep in mind when choosing a pair of Crocs for your trip?
You must get the right fit
This is the most important bit - so this comes straight from the Crocs’ mouth - so to speak:
Crocs™ should not fit like other shoes:
- They should fit very loosely.
- The sides of your foot should not really touch the sides of the shoe.
- Your toes should never make contact with the front of the shoe.
- Once you have centered your foot on the foot-bed:
- You should have about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space in front of your toes, behind your heel and when you lift the strap you should be able to comfortably get your finger between the strap and heel.
- In other words the fit should be “loose”.
- I know that this goes against everything that you have ever been used to in a shoe, but these are the parameters that the shoe was designed to be worn under.
- No Pressure points Ever!
To ensure that the strap is not pulling your foot into the front of the shoe, rotate the strap forward and determine if your foot rests comfortably in the foot bed and there is room all around your foot. If so, you have the proper size but the strap is too short. To alleviate this issue, work your fingers around the strap and stretch it as you go around being careful not to put excessive pressure on the rivet hole. Stretch the strap until it is just short of the back edge of the shoe. The resin material has memory and will stay at the proper length after one or two of these types of adjustments.
Follow these simple instructions and you’ll have yourself a pair of shoes so comfortable you’ll think you forgot to take your slippers off.
Choose the style that suits you best
Personally I wear the Beach style and find them really comfortable. There are however a multitude of styles and colours to choose from - just head over to Crocs.com and see for yourself.
Wear them in ahead of your trip
If you have selected the correct size then you shouldn’t find yourself with blisters. However it’s better to be safe than sorry. Crocs mould to your feet the more you wear them so try and walk yours in before you head out to Disney World - they do also take some getting used to being so different to ‘normal’ shoes.
That said I always buy mine in Orlando and wear them straight to the parks and have never had a problem (I refuse to pay UK prices when they’re practically half price in the States!).
And there you have it - a quick guide to the comfiest pair of shoes to wear to the Happiest Place in the World.
Hey Pal! Looks like you're new here. Don't forget to subscribe here to have future articles delivered directly to your inbox or subscribe here to have them delivered to your feed reader - it's free and easy! Every subscriber will receive my personalised Disney Autograph Book pages as a thank you - perfect for your next Disney trip, or as a Christmas gift.
Image via Wikipedia
