The Ultimate Summer Travel Sandal Guide
The wonderful world of travel shoes for your summer holiday. Whether you’re walking the historical cobbled streets of Spain, shopping in Paris or climbing the stairs of Positano or Mykonos, your feet and your shoes will be put to work.
It’s always hard to decide which shoes will make the cut (or suitcase) when it’s time to pack.
Put your best feet forward with these top tips on navigating summer travel footwear.
Comfort The good old ‘comfort or style’ debacle is a conundrum that has long passed. I must be frank with you this question is no longer relevant in this day and age. Why? Because we no longer have to sacrifice style or formality for comfort. There’s no need to pack an uncomfortable pair of stilletos that give you more pain than pleasure. And let’s face it you might only wear them once or twice on your entire holiday. If you choose wisely and invest in high-quality leather, you’ll be rewarded tenfold.
Versality Calculate how versatile the style of shoe is by asking yourself a few simple questions: how many outfits can you pair these shoes with? Can you wear them casually for a full day of sightseeing and then dress them up and wear them to cocktails, then on to dinner? Will they need cleaning or washing at all on the trip?
Worn In If there is one golden rule with any footwear, always wear them in before you pack them for your trip. They simply must be worn in to avoid blisters and any unwanted pain.
Pack Smart I can remember many times when too much luggage has created a huge amount of stress on my holidays. Be ruthless when it comes to culling heels and ‘statement’ shoes you might only wear once or twice. Try and pack, as if you’re only allowed ‘carry on.’ Believe me you’ll enjoy your holiday so much more if you don’t need to lug around a huge suitcase filled with unnecessary shoes.
In saying all of that, you know that I’ll be absolutely biased with my shoe recommendations but here goes anyhow: For summer in Europe, I only pack one pair of Ankalia sandals that I can wear all day and to all evening occasions. Other than my Ankalias, the only other footwear I pack is a pair of proper sports runners, namely my Adidas runners. These are for gym, tennis, and any hiking I might do.
My current Ankalia recommendation is the Alana with the cute little 2cm heel. They’re in nude leather so they go with absolutely everything and you can wear them during the day with shorts, denim or a cute little sun dress. At night they go perfectly with a summer maxi dress or wide legged, floaty pants.
Let me know what you pack for your holidays.
Lots of love,
Cheryl xx
