Shoes - can't seem to cut back packing so many - what do you do?

[sparky-elpaso]

I think I'm in the minority - especially for a gal.

 

I wear my walking shoes on the plane - they're the heaviest. In my bag are my semi-dressy slipons (sort of like a loafer) for evening. We don't do formal anymore so no dressy shoes needed. And that's it.

 

We'll be in a warmer climate in the Med for our upcoming cruise so I make take my walking sandals too.

 

DH wears his walking shoes and his loafers go in the bag.

[flamomo]

One of my main criteria for purchasing shoes that I will take on cruises is weight. I often take 10 or more pairs of footwear, including a pair of flip flops for the pool, All of them, walking shoes/flats/sandals/heels, are lightweight or almost weightless and take up minimal space in my luggage. Fortunately nowadays there are lots of those sort of shoes available if one wants to shop with that in mind.

I am admittedly a shoe-a-holic and can't imagine leaving on any sort of trip without several pairs of shoes!!

[iancal]

We take two pairs each. One pair on our feet, the other in our carry on. Plus a pair of very light beach sandals. Seven days or three months..it is all the same to us.

 

We do carry on but do not bother with formal nights. We decided to cut down a long time ago and accomplished it simply by limiting ourselves to a specific carry on roller bag. It was challenging at first but now we could not imagine taking more and taking a larger suitcase.

[Doug S]

If you do the formal bit, and even the cruise casual, its hard not to pack an arsenal of shoes. I am usually a pretty low maintenance guy and I have a hard time packing less than 5 pair (and mine are not small, sz 13s). Sneakers, slides, black and brown loafers, and black dress shoes. Plus we are in Texas so I have to wear my boots on occasion or get my good-old-boy membership card revoked. If I wanted to update all the rest of the clothes I have I could cut either the black or brown casual loafers, but the DW would not be seen in public with me if I was not appropriately accessorized.... luckily we usually drive to our favorite port so 'packing large' is not a big deal.

Edited August 12, 2015 by Doug S

[mlmc424]

I take care of the "matching shoes" problem with OneSole sandals. One base with various snap-on tops to match outfits. The tops take up almost no space. Those with flip flops and my Reeboks do the trick.

[iancal]

We did three months in Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, and NZ this past winter. This included a 14 day and a 17 day cruise. We pass on formal night in the MDR.

 

We each wore one pair, packed one pair, and then added a light weight pair of beach sandals. Leaving next week for 8 weeks and we plan to exactly the same.

 

No issues whatsoever. The difficult part at first was getting used to the idea that we had a very limited amount of space. We simply prioritized.

 

Perhaps our society is too affluent. We don't need all that stuff...let alone carrying it to far off places!

Edited August 13, 2015 by iancal

[whataboutport]

I think I'm in the minority - especially for a gal.

 

I wear my walking shoes on the plane - they're the heaviest. In my bag are my semi-dressy slipons (sort of like a loafer) for evening. We don't do formal anymore so no dressy shoes needed. And that's it.

 

We'll be in a warmer climate in the Med for our upcoming cruise so I make take my walking sandals too.

 

DH wears his walking shoes and his loafers go in the bag.

 

I'm with you! I wear a pair of trail running shoes on the plane (so great for hiking or walking around town). Then pack a pair of Puma mesh flats that double as water shoes and walking around the pool. They are actually plain enough that I can even wear them with a dress if my feet are too tired to wear heels. Then the heels. Even though we don't do the dining room, depending on the line, people can be very dressy even outside of the dining room on formal night. Last we sailed on Celebrity and got a few stink eye looks from the older cruisers bc we hadn't changed out of our day wear yet at dinner.

[Shorex]

Here's my take -- "take" all the shoes YOU want. If you can get an entire shoe wardrobe from home to the ship and back, who cares what anyone else does or thinks? Full disclosure, I will pack more pairs of shoes than I "need", but hey, I have the luggage allowance and space in the stateroom closet. Only time I ever had an issue was combining a luxury cruise with my big boots for tramping around Antarctica (Seabourn). I ended up shoving smaller shoes inside the boots. Then I had to clean penguin poo off the boots, but that's another story.

 

Now, when there are external constraints, such as limited bag allowance, then make accommodations and set priorities. It's not a competition as to who can pack the lightest. Or the heaviest. :)

 

If you want to cut down on shoes, just do it. If you don't, then don't. No one else truly cares. But you will look adorable in all those different shoes. :)

Edited August 13, 2015 by Shorex

[simplelife]

I've been reading posts saying that people bring the shoes they wear and only one other pair. Can't imagine how they do this.

 

We usually pack shoes as follows:

 

Barbara

Flip/flops for pool use

 

Athletic sneakers for working out (wear these to embarkation to save room in suitcase)

 

Water shoes for rocky beaches and avoiding sea urchin stings

 

"non-slip" shoes - like Keens to avoid slipping while hiking, visiting muddy areas, etc.

 

Casual sandals for "non-fancy" day/night ship activities

 

1 pair of heels for formal nights

 

 

Tom

Same as above except for heels!

 

This is a reasonable list, and won't take an inordinate amount of packing space. Flip flops, water shoes, and Keens don't take up much room and are lightweight. You'll be wearing the athletic sneakers, so you will just need to pack the sandals and dressy shoes. Most suitcases have pockets that will hold two pair of shoes. Modern athletic shoes are lighter - you can also buy hybridtype shoes that could serve the purpose of both the athletic shoes and the keens, or both the keens and the water shoes.

[iancal]

If we were taking larger bags we would no doubt take more shoes and probably more of everything.

 

For us it is about being able to physically handle our bags without assistance on all modes of transportation. Our cruises are almost always combined with independent travel. They always involve two flights or more. So for us the tradeoff is usually between shoes and clothing.

 

We typically buy our shoes based on weight, suitability, comfort, etc. Same with clothing...lightweight, wrinkle resistant, layered, etc.

Edited August 13, 2015 by iancal

[maryjaden]

On my first cruise I had an entire suitcase of shoes....back before airport luggage limits....lol. Of recent, I get by with the following: heels, dressy sandals, casual sandal, water shoes and I wear athletic shoes to travel.

[Sea Hag]

One pair of black ballet flats for going into dinner and one pair of walking shoes for everything else. That's all I need. :)

[Dayenu]

I don't work out in the gym - must you have snickers, or you can work out barefoot? I'd get a pair of sneakers that "breeze" and wear them also during the day, including hiking. Flip-flops don't take much space. Nice comfy sandals that can be worn at formal dinners.

[bakersdozen12]

I've been reading posts saying that people bring the shoes they wear and only one other pair. Can't imagine how they do this.

 

We usually pack shoes as follows:

 

Barbara

Flip/flops for pool use

 

Athletic sneakers for working out (wear these to embarkation to save room in suitcase)

 

Water shoes for rocky beaches and avoiding sea urchin stings

 

"non-slip" shoes - like Keens to avoid slipping while hiking, visiting muddy areas, etc.

 

Casual sandals for "non-fancy" day/night ship activities

 

1 pair of heels for formal nights

 

 

Tom

Same as above except for heels!

 

Looks like you are bringing six pairs of shoes. For my cruise in Oct, I will be bring half that. For example, I don't need to bring flip flops and water shoes; water shoes alone are just fine. I don't need to bring sneakers because I don't plan on working out during vacation. For one thing, I'll be getting enough exercise walking around at ports and climbing the Coba Mayan pyramid, and besides, it's vacation! As for hiking and walking, I'll be bringing my Keen Rose sandals, which are great for walking and short hikes, and are cute at the same time! So that only leaves one pair of dressier shoes for elegant nights for my third pair of shoes.

 

Here's a link for the Keen Rose sandals. They are cute and practical at the same time! http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/shoes/women/rose-sandal

 

Hmm...now you've got me thinking that I might have to bring a forth. We'll be flying out of Boston in late Oct and returning early Nov, so it's probably going to be too cold to wear my Keens to the airport. Might have to wear sneakers or other shoes to the airport and for when we return home.

Edited August 16, 2015 by bakersdozen12

[Bizmark'sMom]

I use black or grey sneakers for walking shoes, airport shoes if it's cold where I live, and for hiking or working out. Water sandals that are also supportive enough for walking around. And a dressier flat that can also be used for general walking around ports.

 

So there's my three.

[moqui_girl]

I have very few pairs of shoes but I don't understand how people are able to take just one pair of shoes for formal and one for casual wear. Surely they don't match with every outfit? I take 3 pairs of pumps/flats (black, navy and white) that I wear with both casual and formal outfits. They are very lightweight though and take up hardly any room or weight. If we are going somewhere where we'll be hiking etc I'll take trainers or waking boots. If we are going somewhere where we'll be on the beach I'll take water shoes.

[morbihan]

Depends on the time of year and where we are sailing from.

 

This year we left home in May and it was a bit chilly so I wore my hiking boots. I wore these every morning doing my hour round the deck. Canvas sandals during the day. Sparkly sandals every night.

[cruisemom42]

I have very few pairs of shoes but I don't understand how people are able to take just one pair of shoes for formal and one for casual wear. Surely they don't match with every outfit?

 

For me, it's easy. All my dressy (formal or smart casual) clothing is black or goes with black. I take one pair of dressy black shoes that can go with all of them. They are dressy enough for formal but not so much so that I can't wear them for more casual looks.

 

I do usually take two pairs of casual walking shoes -- not so much because of color but because I walk a lot on my trips and don't want to have something go wrong with one pair without having a backup.

 

That plus one pair of lightweight but nice looking flip flops is it for me.

[Bizmark'sMom]

I have very few pairs of shoes but I don't understand how people are able to take just one pair of shoes for formal and one for casual wear. Surely they don't match with every outfit?

All of the shoes I take with me are black, grey, or nude. They may not match each outfit, but they don't clash, either. Black sneakers don't call attention to themselves, so I felt fine wearing them around Amsterdam, Dublin, and Edinburgh with pants and a decent shirt. All of my travel skirts are black, so the black flats work really well.

[Guest maddycat]

We drive to the port so I can take all the shoes that I want. I need a variety for comfort. I am not comfortable wearing the same shoes two days in a row. It hurts my very sensitive feet. This is especially true in the Caribbean where my feet tend to swell during the cruise. So, I usually bring 2 pr. of Merrell sandals and 5 pr. of flats, both dressy and casual. They're all light weight and take up very little room in my suitcase.

[gymbomb]

I usually take 1 pair athletic shoes (wear for flying to port), 1 pair dressy shoes, 1 pair flip flops for wearing to the pool/beach, and 1 other pair of sandals which might be Keens or a comfy pair of flip flops depending on the itinerary. If driving to port in warm weather I would probably eliminate the athletic shoes.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[margeecruiser]

I bring 1pair walking/athletic shoes (wear on plane), 1 pair flip flops, 1 black dressy heeled sandals , 1 silver evening sandals and 1 white sandals. This is for the Caribbean. For the Mediterranean I drop the white sandals. These get me through a 3 week cruises and pre- post-cruise touring. After 25/30 cruises, this works for me. Since all my shoes are sandals except what I wear on the plane, they pack well and are not heavy. Not so for DH.

 

Margee

[donaldsc]

I've been reading posts saying that people bring the shoes they wear and only one other pair. Can't imagine how they do this.

 

We usually pack shoes as follows:

 

Barbara

Flip/flops for pool use

 

Athletic sneakers for working out (wear these to embarkation to save room in suitcase)

 

Water shoes for rocky beaches and avoiding sea urchin stings

 

"non-slip" shoes - like Keens to avoid slipping while hiking, visiting muddy areas, etc.

 

Casual sandals for "non-fancy" day/night ship activities

 

1 pair of heels for formal nights

 

 

Tom

Same as above except for heels!

 

Why flip-flops AND water shoes?

 

Why athletic sneakers AND non-slips.

 

DON

[Tudorcruisers]

One pair of comfortable sandals

One pair of silver sparkly sandals that go with all my outfits, even my formal dress.

[ozarkmama]

Don't need "water shoes" if bringing Keens, I wear mine in the water and out. I wear my tennis shoes on the plane, bring my keens, a pair of flat sandals that work for dinner even on formal night and a pair of flip flops (which take very little space)