My Feet Survived a Full Day at Disneyland Thanks to These Cute Shoes

A day at Disneyland is no joke when it comes to your step count. When I went in February for the first time in five years, I forgot just how much you move throughout the day. We were there from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and my Apple Watch said I walked 25,000 steps that day. And even though I wore some old running shoes that I thought would get me through the day, my feet felt swollen and sore on the car ride home. I wondered if it was my age (much like a hangover, a full day of walking hits harder in your mid- to late 30s, I think); if I had worn the wrong shoes; or if I just don’t get that many steps in the day and am used to a sedentary lifestyle.

For my next trip to Disneyland this past July, I knew I had to wear better shoes that would get me through the day. I was going to go with a different pair of running shoes in my closet, but I had recently gotten my hands on a pair of island-inspired footwear brand OluKai’s new travel shoe, the Island Hopper, so I decided what better way to test them out than with a day at Disney?

Courtesy of OluKai

I started second-guessing my experiment when I was getting dressed for the day and my fiancé asked with a wary, judgey voice, “You’re wearing new shoes today?” Did I think about the whole break-in process when I decided to do it? No. But was I committed to the bit? Yes, potential blisters and foot pain be damned.

When I put them on for the first time, they felt comfortable and fit just right. They weren’t too tight like new sneakers can feel and dare I say it, there was a little bounce in my step. The latter I like to think was a mix of the shoes really feeling that way and also me trying to prove a lesson to my fiancé.

The first real test happened when we got there a bit early and had some time to kill before we met up with our group, so we decided to skip taking the parking lot tram and walk through Downtown Disney. It’s a good 15-minute walk, but my feet were okay. Sometimes the backs of sneakers can rub the back of your ankle, but I wasn’t feeling that.

Dan Carter

When we met up with our group and got into the park, my cousin was another new-shoe naysayer. She asked in a similar judgey voice to my fiance’s as she was looking at my shoes, “Those are brand new?! Okay….”

But off we went and I survived the day with no blisters or foot pain. In fact, I didn’t even think about my shoes the whole day—not even to re-tie the laces (double knot for the win). We went from ride to ride and even park-hopped and my feet felt comfortable the whole day. OluKai says the shoes have footbeds that are “inspired by the sensation of bare feet walking on wet sand,” and I agree—my feet felt supported and cushioned; the bed was neither too soft nor too hard. To quote Goldilocks, they were just right.

Courtesy of OluKai

It was also blazingly hot and my shoes still felt lightweight and breathable—not that kind of dragging feeling you might get if you’re wearing heavy shoes on a hot summer day. The shoes have a soft knit upper so they’re both breezy and flexible to wear. And when I took them off at the end of the day, my feet weren’t swollen or in pain. Sure, my feet felt like they had a very active day, but I didn’t feel like I was going to be hurting the next day (and I wasn’t!).

I can’t wait to bring these with me on my next weekend trip or vacation—I think they’re perfect to wear on a plane, but also lightweight enough to pack in your suitcase. They’re versatile enough that you can wear them for a day of sightseeing and to the hotel gym, so you don’t have to worry about packing another pair of workout sneakers. And another added bonus? Every sale of the Island Hopper will support the Ama OluKai Foundation, which was created to preserve land and ocean, serve island communities, and maintain Hawaiian culture and traditions. It’s a win-win!