This is part 3 in our series of What to Wear to Disneyland. We have already posted: What to Wear to Disneyland: Part 1, Base Layers and What to Wear to Disneyland: Part 2, Cold or Wet Weather. Today we are sharing our recommendations on what shoes to wear to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.
You are likely to walk something like 10 miles during a day in the parks of Disneyland Resort, so the choice about what shoes to wear might be one of the most important planning decisions you make for your Disneyland visit! Our advice here is going to stick closer to the practical than the fashionable, and you will have to find your own way to strike a balance between the two. Here are our best tips:
Wear Something You Already Have!
You know what shoes you have and what shoes you like. We recommend considering the shoes in your closet and picking two pairs that are comfortable and seasonally appropriate for your visit. Unless your shoes are really worn-out and broken-down, the best way to avoid blisters during your visit is to avoid brand new shoes.
Pick Shoes for Disneyland That Are…
In our experience, the best shoes for a day in Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park are comfortable, quick drying, and have closed-toes.
Comfortable
Again, we plan to walk at least 10 miles during a day at Disneyland Resort, so we skip the stilettos and go for something comfortable.
You know if you like zero-drop minimal shoes or highly cushioned running shoes. We are not prepared to offer any advice in that area. Think about what you reach for on days when you will be on your feet a lot. If you do not have days like that, maybe consider logging some practice miles before your visit.
Quick Drying
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park have water rides we think are must-dos, so we wear shoes that can dry quickly when wet. Alternatively, you could go with waterproof shoes in the winter (or—GASP—skip the water rides), but you know what works for you.
In case you were wondering those rides where we get wet are Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Grizzly River Run and sometimes Pirates of the Caribbean. Plus, there are some water play features our kids like in Mickey’s Toontown.
Closed-Toe
We know some people swear by their sandals being their most comfortable shoes. We like sandals, but with the year-round heavy crowds at Disneyland Resort, we stick to closed-toe shoes at the parks. In this way, we keep our feet protected. Again, you know if this will work for you or not.
If you love sandals, but our advice on closed-toes is giving you pause, keep reading for our recommendations for closed-toed sandals at the end of this post.
Pick Two Pairs of Shoes for Disneyland
Earlier, we recommended picking two pairs of shoes for your visit. If we are going to the Disneyland Resort parks or sight-seeing on foot for two days in a row, we like to switch out our shoes.
This way, any “hot spots” that might be forming have a chance to cool-off before they get worse. If we get a blister one day, we do not want to pull on the same shoes the next day. In this way, we usually avoid blisters altogether.
Additionally, if our shoes get wet, we have a dry pair to switch into.
This advice probably does not apply to you if you are only visiting Disneyland for one day. Still, if your Disneyland day is part of a larger vacation, you may still want to have a back-up pair of shoes.
Try Them Out and Break Them In
If your shoes are new (or newer) make sure you have time to break them in. A great day at Disneyland can take a painful turn if your stiff new shoes start giving you blisters. Again, if you are not used to doing a lot of walking, you could condition your shoes and your muscles at the same time by doing some long walks before your visit.
Our Tried-and-True Disneyland Shoes
We think the best shoes for you are the ones that make you comfortable. Everyone’s feet are different, but we will take a little space to share shoes that have worked for us. This part of the post contains links to Amazon product pages. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We receive a small commission from Amazon for referring you with the product links below, but the price you pay is the same.
Shoes We Have Worn
- For shoes that are both closed-toed and sandals, we love Keens. We have been wearing Keens for years. They also double as pool shoes for the hotel pools! We buy this model for our kids every summer. Keen makes an adult version here, but we also like this classic model for more cushioning. We have also purchased sneakers from Keen.
- For shoes that are not sandals but feel light and breathable we have worn Olukai slip-on sneakers to Disneyland Resort (and everywhere else). If you are looking for something that looks cute with skirts and dresses but can support you through a day in the parks, we think these are up for the job. Here is another slightly different look in a similar shoe we like.
- For foot-friendly toddler and little kids’ shoes, we really like the sneakers that Pediped makes. You can find examples of ones we have purchased here and here.
- The fit on athletic shoes for adults is so specific to the individual. We are not going to share any specific recommendations here except to say that we have had the best luck with finding well-fitting athletic shoes when we go to a local running store and ask the pros for help.
Thanks for reading. We hope you have found this post on shoes to wear to Disneyland helpful.
Again, we have two previous posts in our “What to Wear to Disneyland” series. The first is on comfortable but fun base layers and the second is on clothing for cold and wet weather. For advice on what to bring to parks (like a power bank), we have a post here. For general Disneyland planning advice, we recommend our Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. Thanks again for reading!