My everyday struggle: what shoes should I wear with my outfit? I wear heels to work every day, but on the weekends it’s boots or cute sandals for me. You have limited space options when you travel, so how do you decide what to pack and what to leave home? 

I researched for weeks and weeks, trying to find the perfect shoes for my summer trip. And let me tell you, THEY DON’T EXIST! I wanted to wear something comfortable that would last for 10 hours a day, but I also wanted the sandals to be fashionable. That combination does NOT exist. That is an untapped market my friends. Sure I can wear my cute Steve Madden or Sam Edelman sandals around Dallas for an entire day with no problem, but day after day, hour after hour? No way.

After researching until my eyes were permanently bloodshot and crossed, I decided on three pairs of shoes to bring. In all honesty, I would never be caught dead wearing the black pair in Texas (EVER), but, hopefully, people won’t notice my feet too much on my trip (and I’ll take pictures from the waist up on the days I wear them).

Athletic Shoes:

Researching on the internet for hours led me to buy a pair of shoes that were ultimately wrong for me. What I should have done was go to REI first. When I went to return the pair of shoes I purchased, the sales people there were so helpful and led me to purchase a new pair: Brooks Cascadia 11 Trail-Running Shoes.

I have owned Brooks in the past, and to be honest they hurt my foot. This pair though is great. I have been wearing them for the past 3 weeks, and I have had no problems. The sales people assured me they are a great all around shoe. I told them I work out at the gym, but I would also be doing outdoors activities like hiking, etc. on my trips. So far, I am very pleased with this purchase!

Brown Sandals:

For my brown pair of sandals, I went with Aerosoles Chlose Together. A basic, cute pair of sandals that seem like they will be comfortable to wear all around Europe. The sandals seem to be well made with cushioned support.

Black Sandals:

And now, for the shoes I am not excited about. I looked far and wide, desperately trying to find a pair of comfortable, fashionable, and durable black sandals. To no avail. If something exists out there, I did not find it. The few I found (there were a few good ones from Born) did not fit my foot well. So, I finally decided on Cobb Hill Julie CH sandals. Definitely not something I would ever wear in Texas, but they seem like they will offer the needed support for Europe.