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Sanuks, Flojos and J-41 barefoot design shoes

When we were packing for our trip to Rome... I had to decide what kind of shoes to take for the extensive amount of walking we would be doing. 
I started walking here at home to test out different shoes to help me decide.  I ended up taking 3 pairs of shoes on my trip. 
Before I review each of them, you should know that I am a flip flop girl at heart.... I would wear them year round if we didn't get snow!

JEEP J-41-Barefoot Design
The first pair I got for the trip were J-41, Barefoot Design... these were actually purchased for me from a friend who got them at Costco!  I walked every day in these for 3 weeks and LOVED them!  They are absolutely perfect for longs walks.... This is a photo of them in the Vatican.  They were the PERFECT shoes for this tour!  Anytime I walked on something smooth or even these were the shoes to wear.
 
But, in the evening we went on a Roman night walking tour and these are a no go for this!  The ground is very uneven and my feet were killing me halfway through!
 
Sanuk
So the Other pair I purchased for the trip were Sanuks!  Some friends of ours use these for their trips to mexico and swear by them!  So we each got a pair of these.  These shoes are fantastic!  They don't rub anywhere, they feel like nothing is on  your foot....absolutely perfect for long walking... soooo comfortable... that is until you get to Rome.  Again... the uneven ancient cobblestone and rock ground are too much for thin-soled shoes to handle.  My feet were quite miserable at the end of this day.
 
Flojos
So the third pair of shoes I took on this trip were my Flojos!  My sister got me hooked on these a few years ago and I wear them all summer, every year!  She bought me a pair this year for my birthday right before our trip so I could have a new pair to wear.  Surprisingly, these were the best for my feet when walking on the uneven ground.  This is simply because they have the thicket soles of all the shoes I took. The flip side?  One of the things I love about these flip flops is they NEVER hurt or rub or irritate between my toes.... when in Rome though, on uneven ground, they KILLED between my toes! As you slip and slip and almost trip... they pull and tug at that point over and over.
 Also bear in mind, if you are in Rome and wearing flip flops, you will get crazy looks from locals, especially when its November and they things its gold at 68 degrees!  The other thing I would caution is this.... if its rained earlier at all.... these can make you feel quite gross as the streets are a bit dirty and metro as well. 
 
 
Conclusion
So what's the verdict?  Basically, I love all three of these shoes!  I will continues to wear them and take them on future trips... but no matter what shoes you pack, when you walk all day on uneven ground your feet will hurt.  And if you are walking on ancient roads that have shifted and become trip-worthy.... tennis shoes might be your best option.  If you are like me and hate tennis shoes... this isn't fantastic news. 
I did see some people on our tours who had dansko-type shoes... very thick soles and heres the thing, they rolled their ankles over the uneven ground.... see my point?  No such thing as a perfect shoe here! :)
 
The locals aren't a great guide either because Italians loved fashion and most wore stylish boots and the women high heels.... I will say this... the tour guides, who have to walk all day over all these roads wore tennis shoes..... You decide what to do!

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 18, 2014 at 5:07 PM

    take vibram 5 fingers for uneven ground. i am am all about minimalist shoes, and they shine where the ground is uneven! the bottoms of your feet will probably get tired tho. i think its pretty hard to be on your feet all day long on concrete and bricks and not feel anything. maybe next time put another pair of something in your backpack and switch off.

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