Choosing and packing shoes for travel

[Badger]

Maybe you should take a look at Home Page | Soft Star Shoes . They are made in Corvalis, OR and sold via the web site or the workshop/showroom only,

They allow try out of their shoes on clear surfaces, not outdoor. Hmmm remind me of another company, which one could that be?

I'm from Corvallis! The awesome thing about Soft Star is that you can customize your shoes or slippers so they have the color, fabric, and sole that you want. They use Vibram rubber and suede for the soles.

Corvy is a nice little town—and so much more than "a slightly cooler Ames [IA]," as my mover put it to me. Um, thanks dude. "A slightly cooler Ames." Gah.

[backpack]

I'm from Corvallis! The awesome thing about Soft Star is that you can customize your shoes or slippers so they have the color, fabric, and sole that you want. They use Vibram rubber and suede for the soles.

Corvy is a nice little town—and so much more than "a slightly cooler Ames [IA]," as my mover put it to me. Um, thanks dude. "A slightly cooler Ames." Gah.

Oh really! You need to tell us everything about Corvalis!


I know about the possibility of customizing the Soft Star Shoes, I already have the models and color setups in mind, (color coordinated with my Tom Bihn Bags of course)

Right now, I am just happy to fit in my Plum canvas shoes, which is a miracle in itself.

[Badger]

Oh really! You need to tell us everything about Corvalis!

Corvallis. Two Ls. The name is derived from Latin (by which I mean someone made it up), and means heart of the valley. It's smack-dab in the middle of the Willamette Valley, and is a nice enough place. (And way better than Ames. Way better.) It's about 1.5 hours from Portland, another 1.5 hours from the coast, about 2 hours or so from Sisters. There are wineries nearby, lots of good running and cycling, good coffee and beer, and everything is organic. They just got a Trader Joe's a couple of years ago. Corvallis is the home of Oregon State University, a land-grant institution with a large college of agriculture. My parents live near-ish the OSU dairy, which, during the summer, is just as unpleasant as you might suspect.

We visited last summer with Titus in tow. He rather liked Corvallis, I think.

[thisisme]

What is a "minimalist shoe"?

I would say my clothing style is a slightly dressier version of the typical 'hiker/granola/traveler' clothing style.
For longer trips (2 - 3 weeks) I take three pairs of shoes (pack 2):

1. Comfortable 2 - 3" heels that I can wear with dresses and look fairly dressed up. Also works as walking shoe.
2. Pleather flip flops that work at the beach, yet are still dressy enough to wear around town.
3. Fluvog ankle boots OR my running shoes. I wear the ankle boots on the motorcycle, in the rain (not ideal, but better than open-toed shoes), and when it's colder. I can also hike in these, although they won't tolerate anything too backwoods.
I bring the runners instead if I'm not on the motorcycle. Again, I can hike in them (but I don't look as cool as the Keen-wearing folks.)

[Badger]

What is a "minimalist shoe"?

Check out birthdayshoes.com for a good primer on minimalist footwear.

[dorayme]

I am revitalizing this thread with a PSA. I was considering ordering another pair of Merry Janes from SoftStar Shoes yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to see they are now offering a LE Ballet Flat. I couldn't resist because I've been looking for a pair of Ballet Flats for a long time. I didn't know if there were any other SSS fans out there or not.

[Canonsue]

Love, love, love Soft Star shoes! I keep thinking I need to purchase more in case they stop making shoes. I can see myself wearing only Soft Star for the rest of my life.

Sue

[dorayme]

Love, love, love Soft Star shoes! I keep thinking I need to purchase more in case they stop making shoes. I can see myself wearing only Soft Star for the rest of my life.

I think I'm headed in that direction. More and more my feet like it better when they are in contact with the ground and more or less in a flattish position.

[giantsteve]

Just a caution that relying too much on lightweight form fitting footwear can increase the risk for developing plantar fasciitis, a painful condition of the foot. I know two women who after many years of thin shoe wearing have developed this condition... it's painful and can limit mobility.

From the Mayo Clinic website they list the risk factors which include improper footwear:

- Age. Plantar fasciitis is most common between the ages of 40 and 60.
- Sex. Women are more likely than are men to develop plantar fasciitis.
- Certain types of exercise such as long-distance running, ballet dancing and dance aerobics can contribute to an earlier onset.
- Faulty foot mechanics. Being flat-footed, having a high arch or even having an abnormal pattern of walking.
- Obesity. Excess pounds put extra stress on your plantar fascia.
- Occupations that keep you on your feet walking or standing on hard surfaces can damage their plantar fascia.
- Improper shoes. Avoid loose, thin-soled shoes, as well as shoes without enough arch support or flexible padding to absorb shock. If you regularly wear high heels, your Achilles tendon — which is attached to your heel — can contract and shorten, causing strain on the tissue around your heel.

[Badger]

Note that heel-striking (that is, walking or running in such a way that your heel makes contact with the ground first) is a significant contributor to plantar fasciitis. Heel-striking is an easy pattern to adopt, and our well-cushioned shoes minimize the sensation, but not always the damage, of repeated stressful contact with hard surfaces. Wearers of minimalist footwear (should, at least) undergo a period in which they re-learn the gait we have been evolved to use, striking with the ball of the foot, which can absorb shock much more effectively than the heel. For me, I walk forefoot-first, even in "normal" shoes. Since dorayme and Sue are long-time minimalist footwear users, I'm sure they have retrained their gaits as well.

[Canonsue]

Badger, you are correct about me. I used to have plantar fasciitis when I was running in regular running shoes. But I have no more problems in minimalist shoes. Soft Star Runamocs are the only shoes I wear daily and have been for several years. I exercise and use them for business casual. Great travel shoes as I only need one pair for everything. That is the reason I can go a week away with only using my Synapse 19.

Sue

[dorayme]

As you mention, I have regaited Badger, and walk forefoot first vs. heel strike first.
giantsteve, thank you for your PSA however, I'm sure somebody will benefit from the information.
I suffered from plantar fascitis in high school as well as a slew of other chronic and semi chronic issues in my lower extremities and back since then. I became very concerned with how my feet, legs and back felt after that point. Even though I'm not yet 40, I haven't worn heels of greater than 1.5" in close to 15 years. I actually can't without being debilitated the following day(s). Most of my shoes that seem like heels are actually platform shoes that have the front elevated as well as the back and give me height without forcing my foot into the typical shape a heel would. I mentioned moving towards mostly minimalist shoes because recently I have noticed that those shoes cause me discomfort.

On another note, I wore the Ballerine flats all day today! I went to church, then a meeting, and toured a camp facility. I walked over asphalt, concrete, hardwood floors, gravel, grass, wood steps, carpet, and probably about 3 other surfaces that I don't remember today and my feet really were happy the entire time!
Go SSS!

[Rocks]

In my Italy thread I mentioned debating bringing my Chaco sandals even though they're not the prettiest. I wound up packing them and I'm glad I did! So my advice: bring your most comfortable shoes and don't care what they look like. If you're comfortable you'll be so much happier.

[monkeylady]

Are you back? How was your trip? Pix?


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[Rocks]

Are you back? How was your trip? Pix?


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Yes I'm back! Here's shoe pics. I bought the plastic booties (Stivali) in Venice and donated them to my hotel when I left. They cost 10 euro and you can buy them everywhere. My Merrells wound up being great. Those plus Chacos meant I could walk all day. Add Smartwool socks and your trip will be blister free.