Why You Should Always Pack Tennis Shoes on Vacation

Let me start out by saying it’s always a good idea to pack tennis shoes when you’re going on a trip. Even though I’m an advocate for light packing (as you’ve read in past posts like Caribbean Vacation Packing Tips) I firmly stand by this rule. There are plenty of people out there who much rather free their toes, especially while on vacation, and that’s totally fine, but there are some situations where tennis shoes will save the day, your feet, and your positive attitude. 

Here are 4 reasons why you should always pack tennis shoes while on vacation:

There Tends to be More Walking on Vacation 

For you flip flop/sandal (or really any sneaker alternative) wearers out there, I know you’re conditioned, but when you’re on vacation, you don’t realize how much walking is involved. Even if you don’t get blisters, tennis shoes offer more support for your knees, hips, and back. You don't want to spend your vacation aching, do you? 

Lovely walk along the waterfront in Charlotte Amalie

It’ll Save You From Blisters 

Blisters are the best… said NO ONE ever! Sure, you can still get blisters from tennis shoes, but we suggest you pack your trusty, worn down pair that have become a literal mold of your foot. It’ll save you both your nice shoes and your feet!

Keep Your Nice Shoes Clean 

Like I stated above, by wearing your sneakers during activities and days you’ll be out and about, you simultaneously will be saving your nice shoes for those less active outings. There’s nothing like dining at local restaurants and dressing up for the occasion or checking out the nightlife. These are the perfect opportunities to wear those adorable sandals you bought for this trip. A day at the beach or pool is another great time to sport those fun, colorful flip flops as well. 

A Lot of Activities Require Tennis Shoes

There’s a time and a place for flip flops and sandals, and the same goes for tennis shoes. As we assessed earlier, a day walking about town is totally a comfort shoe day, so what else? Glad you asked! Our zip line canopy tour, for one, requires all participants wear closed toed shoes, preferably tennis shoes. There are plenty of opportunities for you to not only lose your shoes if you were to wear loose fitting, slip on shoes, but we want to save you from stubbing your toes on our metal stairs as well. 

Other activities include hiking, sight seeing tours, off-road 4 wheeler tours, and any activity that you want to spare your nice shoes. 

Here’s a little final anecdotal tidbit to express my point. I’m an avid sandal/flip flop wearer. While vacationing in Europe, my teenage self thought it would be so cool to wear my new strappy sandals for the day walking around Paris, even after my mom protested that I wear sneakers. Low and behold, not even an hour into the day, I was holding back tears of pain due to putting fashion ahead of comfort. I ended up getting painful blisters and trading shoes with my mom after a few hours, who won’t let me live that moment down to this day. 

Final thoughts: Is there a chance you won’t end up needing your tennis shoes at all? Sure! But trust the old saying “ I rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.” 

For more info, visit our website at www.ziplinestthomas.com