I Walked Almost 50,000 Steps (in 4 Days) in These Travel Shoes, and My Feet Have Never Been Happier

Miles and miles of walking were no match for these super comfortable sneakers.

I enjoy traveling and exploring new places—what I don’t like is finding new travel shoes or travel clothes for my trips. I’d rather wear the go-to clothes I know and love, even if that means they’re not packable or they’re not suited to the climate or activities of the trip, which isn’t the smartest move. (It’s like forgoing comfortable work shoes in favor of your favorite heels—a little bit ridiculous and a lot painful.) Recently, though, I’ve adjusted my stance on travel shoes and clothes, and my trips have gotten so much better as a result.

Take my recent vacation in San Francisco, Calif. San Francisco is notoriously hilly, and my family tends to embark upon hours-long walks from destination to destination during our trips. (The best way to see a city is by walking miles across it, after all.) When I was packing, I knew I was in for a lot of walking, so I forced myself to find a pair of walking shoes that were cute enough to wear almost constantly but comfortable enough that I could handle the miles and miles of walking.

I landed on Tropicfeel’s Monsoon sneakers, and I can happily call them the best travel shoes I’ve yet to wear. I know, thanks to my handy fitness-tracking watch, that I walked close to 50,000 steps in these shoes, up and down steep roads and stairs, across busy streets, and over rocks. I’m a consistent runner, and I’m used to heel pain, foot pain, shin pain, back pain, you name it from walking or running too far and staying on my feet all day long. With these shoes, I had none of that—not even my recurring foot ache appeared to ruin my trip.

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What makes these travel shoes so great? They’re super comfortable, with strong, firm support along the whole sole of the shoe, a must-have for any comfortable shoes for women. They’re lightweight, which made packing them easy, and they’re super breathable—no stinky feet in my hotel room. The shoes have a built-in elastic heel, which kept my foot in place without rubbing or blistering, even without a sock. It never rained during my trip, but I did step in a few puddles, and my feet stayed nice and dry through it all.

Beyond the comfort features, these shoes are also slim and good looking—if you’re into the sneakers 24/7 trend, you’ll feel just fine wearing them to brunch, dinner, and wherever else your travels take you. The shoes are available in five colors (including an all-black option) so you can match them to the rest of your wardrobe. They’re also made of recycled plastic bottles, so you can feel even better about wearing them.

These shoes were just about perfect for my trip, but there are a few downsides. The Tropicfeel Monsoon is pretty narrow, so people with wide feet will have to look elsewhere for their travel shoes. The sizing is also a little limited, with sizes ranging from a 6 to a 9.5 for women and 6.5 to 12 for men; women with larger feet can try a men’s size, but petite women with 5- or 5.5-sized feet won’t be able to get a pair in their size. And, of course, if it’s truly cold out, these shoes likely won’t offer the warmth necessary for walking through the elements; the same breathability that made them so great for my trip limits their ability to keep feet warm.

The Tropicfeel Monsoon sneakers are available for $100 from Tropicfeel’s website. The company currently only sells Monsoon sneakers, but new launches in travel gear are imminent.

The site launched relatively recently, but these sneakers already have more than 800 five-star reviews, if you don’t want to take my word for it. I plan on packing these travel shoes for all of my upcoming late-summer and fall trips; sure, they’re not my favorite strappy sandals or sleek booties, but they keep my feet happy and pain-free, and that’s what I really need on vacation.