What is it they say about the foundation of a good family: Happy wife, happy home? Well, when it comes to exploring new and exciting places, the mantra should definitely be happy feet, happy travels.
With all of the walking involved when traversing a new town or country, it’s absolutely imperative that your feet stay well supported, comfy and cute to boot. Your feet are the foundation to any good traveling experience. And thanks to the long strides we’ve made in tennis shoes, women no longer need to trade in function for fashion.
During my recent 14-day trip to Spain, I surprised myself by becoming someone completely unbeknownst to me: an energizer walking bunny by day and a party machine by night. I stayed up until 5am night after night and I never seemed to tire. (I think I only stayed out until 5am a handful of times in undergrad and grad school combined). So what happened to my nearly two-decades older self that I should break this record in a span of two weeks?
The proof is in the shoes. In Spain, I wore these neutral-colored Zara platform tennis shoes, which I bought completely on a whim. I not only ended up wearing them for all of my walking during the day, but ended up wearing them at night when I went out, which was completely unintentional.I never intended go out at night in Barcelona without my heels. But like most good discoveries, this too was made by accident.
One of the things I look forward to most about preparing for my trips is planning the outfits. But perhaps I was a little too ambitious while packing for Spain though. Because besides my tennis shoes and a pair of Tory Birch flip flops, the only other pair of shoes I brought were five-inch Jimmy Choos, which I only wore once to Arzak in San Sebastian. The cobblestones in Europe are not conducive for heels that high. Since there was no way my feet would stay alive for more than five blocks in five-inch heels, I had no other choice but to default to my tennis shoes (there wasn’t a lot of time to shop on this trip). But it was a true blessing for my tired soles.
What I learned is that comfortable feet, or rather that uncomfortable and cramped feet, leave you feeling cranky and exhausted. It literally depletes your energy supply and rather quickly. When you no longer want to stand, you no longer want to be out.
What was particularly great about these tennis shoes from Zara was that they were platform, so they doubled as functional walking shoes and provided a little flair for going out. Hands down, my $70 investment into these comfy tennis shoes were the most indispensable accessory on this trip.
There are plenty more cute platform tennis shoes to be had. After scouring the world of tennis shoes, we culled 10 of our most versatile platform tennis shoes sure to fit your next travel adventures.
1. Women’s Superstar Bold Leather Sneakers; $100 at Barneys
The Classic. The staple Adidas tennis shoe just got a subtle lift, which elevates this sneaker to our must-have traveler’s wardrobe.
2. FENTY Women’s Pointy Creeper Patent; $95 at Puma
Pointy Toes. Nothing will give the tennis shoe a makeover quite like changing the traditional dimension with pointy toes. The edgy look is made even edgier with patent leather.
3. Kenneth Cole Allyson Espadrille Platform Sneaker
The Espadrille. Espadrille’s in the past have only shown up on sandals. Their mere presence on these white leather Kenneth Cole’s are much more suggestive of fashion than function, though they certainly serve all the functions of a tennis shoe.
4. Stella McCartney ‘Binx’ Hi-Top Platform Sneakers; $118
The Boot. These Stella McCartney’s boots stay true to the sole. It has all the appearance of a stunning boot but with the comfortable rubber support of a tennis shoe. The best part about these platform tennis shoes? How steeply discounted they are, slashed from $580. Don’t walk to purchase these. Run!
5. Steve Madden Arctic Rose Gold Cutout Sneakers; $90
The Cutouts. Clothes don’t deserve all of the cutout attention. Besides, if there’s any body part that needs ventilation, it’s the feet. A shoe this sexy is meant to be play the star role as much as a supporting one. The rose gold color on black and white also lends itself to fashionable and functional versatility.
6. PUMA Bakset Platform Trace Block; $110
The Treaded Platform. The extra treads on these platform not only guarantee traction but bring cute detail to the extra height on these suede traditional tennis shoes.
7. Dr. Scholl’s Leota Platform Slip-On; $98
The Expert. Who knows comfort better than the doctor himself? The great twist on these Dr. Scholls is that the expert on comfort is also the highest featured platforms. We wouldn’t just trust anyone from this altitude.
8. Zara Platform Sneakers; $40
The Steal. The best bang for your buck. For the reluctant buyer who doesn’t want to spend hundreds on tennis shoes, these are currently on sale, without compromising any of the quality or style. The heightened appeal on these otherwise plain Jane’s are the stripes on the 2-inch platforms.
9. Vince Warren Slip-On Sneaker
Slip Ons. These sophisticated slip on platforms are as sleek to the look as they are to the touch.
10.FENTY Puma x Rihanna Leather Chelsea Sneaker Booties; $176
The Showstopper. Puma really stepped outside the sneaker box with these all white leather sneaker boot. For the showstopping wanderlust who loves to strut as she travels, say the way Rihanna struts while performing, you may find these sneaker platform boots hard to resist.
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