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Theme park shoes


Shellydon
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Anything with enough padding and support should work.  I wear trainers with high arch support.

However, if it's your lower back that is hurting you may want to consider taking some time now to do planks or ab strengthening exercises, if you are in normal-people shape. 😄   When the body isn't using those muscles effectively it shifts the burden to the lower back muscles, which causes it to ache faster. 

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When we went to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando I wore my Crocs. Lots of room if your feet swell, etc., but  that was at the end of April, when it was warm.  In cool/cold weather, I would look for some kind of Enclosed Sandals that would keep feet warmer, or Tennis Shoes with Support, and room for expansion. Standing or sitting or walking, feet will swell. The shoes ideally will have both Support (Arch Support) and room for expansion and be flexible.

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I wear my tennis shoes in the parks. The two most important factors are 1) wear broken in, not new, shoes and 2) swap between at least 2 different pairs. Wearing the same shoes every day for that kind of long walking and standing on concrete is really hard on you- creates pressure points and hot spots where the shoes rub you, your stance is affected, etc. 

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Tennis/walking/cross training athletic shoes if you won't get wet.

Waterproof hiking sandals if you will.  Take several different styles and brands because when one type starts irritating your feet you can switch to another.

I agree that ab exercises help your lower back. Also try to loosen your hips and rotate them like a race walker when you do move.  It's terrible form for running but it really helps your lower back when walking.

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I wear either Skechers sandals or New Balance walking shoes to theme parks, depending on the weather. I hate wearing closed shoes (fortunately I live where they're rarely necessary) so I've spent years trying out different sandals that I can walk in all day. Birkenstock sandals work for me too. These are the Skechers I wear. We have Universal passes and go often. I wear them all the time and they help keep my back, legs, and feet from hurting after a day at the park. 

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10 hours ago, Shellydon said:

I'd love shoe recommendations for long days of walking at theme parks. My lower back hurts when I stand a lot. 

So two things. One, I finally improved my lower back pain that occurs with standing by getting some PT. Turns out it was my BIG FAT BUTT. No seriously, a lot of it was my gluts. He had some stretches, some easy easy exercises (standing up from a seated position, etc.) that nipped it. And we could literally tell with just 2 sessions we were on the right track. We did about 6-8 sessions, I forget, but we resolved 10 years of back pain on me that easily.

So that's thing one, take care of yourself. Solve the problem behind the back pain. Behind, haha. 

And then thing two, the right shoes. For me they're Altra Escalantes. Anything else and I get blisters in theme parks. But get fitted at a running store and let them nail it for you.

I hope you enjoy the parks! 

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I'm a then. You want support for sure. 

I wore my Skecher commuters for the first time this year, and they were awesome! Great cushion and support but easy to slip off for a while when sitting. I usually alternate between tennis shoes, but these were so comfy they were all I wore after the first day. The commuters have that low back, which is what makes them so easy to slip off, so I wore them with Skecher no-show socks. Had I been wearing pants instead of shorts, I would have worn any type of socks. 

Like this.

7 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

However, if it's your lower back that is hurting you may want to consider taking some time now to do planks or ab strengthening exercises, if you are in normal-people shape. 😄   When the body isn't using those muscles effectively it shifts the burden to the lower back muscles, which causes it to ache faster. 

Normal-people shape, lol. Yes, this can be very helpful, as can some yoga for stretching the spine (both ahead of time and during the long park days). 

7 hours ago, Lanny said:

When we went to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando I wore my Crocs. 

She may prefer to retain her dignity 😄

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