The Finest Journey Sneakers of 2024

The right travel shoes can speed up the slog through security and make sprinting to make your flight feel much less harrowing. But finding the best travel shoes isn’t easy. There are tons of options on the market, and there’s not one perfect shoe for every traveler.  But don’t give up because our buyer’s guide to the best travel shoes won’t leave you stranded at the gate. 

Over the course of a few months, we tested a series of different travel shoes. Each shoe offered a different type of utility, but overall, each one was comfortable, easy to slip on and off, and stylish (more or less). Whether you’re looking for a shoe that slips on and off in a pinch, will pull double-duty as a city and off-road shoe, or just something comfortable that looks good, we’ve got a travel shoe for you. 

Find out what you should look for in our comprehensive buyer’s guide and comparison chart at the bottom of the article. Also, our price & value section can help see what kind of shoes are in your price range. Otherwise, read our complete gear guide below.

Editor’s note: For our November 8, 2024 update, we added the extremely comfortable Municipal Origin Shoes as well as a price & value section to our buyer’s guide content.

The Best Travel Shoes of 2024

Travel Shoes Comparison Chart

How We Tested Travel Shoes

Our Expert Tester

Lead tester Billy Brown has been traveling regularly for the last decade and a half for both work and play. During this time, he has developed a sense of what to look for in a travel shoe (and, unfortunately, what doesn’t). 

Some of his test trips during this test period included flights to Texas and Oregon, road trips to the California coast, and a weekend trip to the Happiest Place on Earth™, where he walked 32 miles in 3 days. 

Our Testing Process

Nomadic by nature, GearJunkie writers and editors have traveled to all corners of the globe, racking up countless miles. During those trips, we’ve accumulated insight on what to wear (and what NOT to wear) to make those trips more comfortable. 

To test these travel shoes, we packed various ones with us on flights around the country, long road trips, and ten-mile-plus slogs through theme parks. During these runs, we paid careful attention to comfort, how easy they were to get through security, and the intended use of each one.

Any shoe that took more than a few seconds to get on and off was omitted from this list, as was any shoe that we wouldn’t want to spend hours in. 

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Travel Shoe

Choosing the right travel shoe can be the difference between enjoying your trip and spending your vacation looking for a place to get off your feet. But there are tons of shoes out there and many different types of travel. That’s why we’re here to give you a few ideas of what to look for.  This article focuses on the best travel shoes. In separate guides, we have also outlined the best travel backpacks and the best carry-on luggage.

Easy On/Off

One of the most irritating parts of travel is wrestling off a pair of shoes while a line of people waits behind you. Which is immediately followed by hauling your bags and shoes in your arms while you walk to a bench in your socks so you can put them back on. 

That said, be sure to choose a pair of shoes that you can slip on and off easily. Often, a good pair of travel shoes, like the ON Cloud 5 Coast, will have a kick-down heel so you can ease in and out of them like slippers. 

Other shoes, like the 5.11 McClane Mid, are built sturdily enough to wear with the laces undone, so you can kick them off and on in an instant. 

Intended Use

Consider how you are going to use your shoes when you get to your destination. Planning on spending a week in the woods? You’ll probably want something durable good support and traction like the Salewa Puez Knit or 5.11 McClane Mid. 

If you’ll be on less aggressive terrain, a more casual shoe like the Reef SWELLsole Neptune or Combat Flip Flops LT-22 will do just fine, thanks to their low profiles and soft cushioning. For travelers who are planning on working out, a more supportive and responsive shoe like the OluKai Mio Li would be ideal.

Also, if you’re packing light, you’ll want shoes that can also act as casual shoes for when you’re going out on the town. That will vary based on an individual’s style and preferences. 

Cushion

Travel usually entails a good amount of time spent on your feet. So it pays to find a pair that you know you can stand and walk in for hours on end. Again, this will depend on personal preference. 

If you like extra plushness, look for a shoe with an EVA or Memory Foam insole, like the Reef SWELLsole Neptune or the Combat Flip Flops LT-22.  Are you an overpronator? Look for a shoe with more arch support, like the OluKai Mio Li. 

Not sure what you want? Not a problem. If that’s the case, look for a shoe with a removable insole. This will allow you to swap them out for whatever cushioning you prefer.

Stability

For travelers who plan on walking tours, or hiking, or those with flat feet or overpronation, a more stable shoe can offer additional support in the midsole or arch. This extra support can help to stabilize your foot and keep it in a more neutral position.

If you plan on spending time on uneven surfaces like trails or cobblestones, a more stable shoe like the 5.11 McClane Mid can also help protect your feet and minimize foot fatigue. 

Breathability

A breathable upper is ideal for preventing your feet from getting clammy during training. It’s also useful when spending time in warmer climates. We appreciated the breathable mesh uppers on the ON Cloud 5 Coast and Reef SWELLsole Neptune, which allowed air to flow freely and kept our feet cool and dry.

Packability

We tried to pick shoes that could act as the only shoes you’d bring on a trip, but sometimes that’s just not possible. When you need to bring more than one pair of shoes, it’s ideal that the pair you put in your luggage takes up as little space as possible. 

For your second pair, try to pick a shoe that packs down flat, like the Combat Flip Flops LT-22, or the Reef SWELLsole Neptune. These will take up much less space than more burly shoes like the Salewa Puez Knit and the 5.11 McClane Mid. 

Also, weight can be a factor when considering what shoes to pack. You don’t want to add an extra 2 pounds to your carry-on or risk going over the limit with your checked luggage. The 7-ounce ON Cloud 5 Coast would be a solid choice if you think you might be approaching your weight limit. 

Price & Value

Bargain

Technically, you can travel in any shoe — we’ve been guilty of hopping on planes in flip-flops before. So, really, the floor’s the limit if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on travel shoes. But if you’re looking to step up your travel game and buy a pair of shoes that’d be comfortable for long days on your feet and won’t be a pain at security checkpoints, we’d recommend starting with something like our bargain pick, the Combat Flip Flops LT-22 ($65) a sharp-looking casual canvas shoe with a soft, pillowy insole, or the light, breezy Reef SWELLsole Neptune ($75).

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Mid-tier

The middle tier of the price range here is a large one. You can find solid travel shoes anywhere from $100 to $150. The ON Cloud 5 Coast ($150) is a lightweight shoe with a kick-down heel and bouncy outsole. If you want something beefier, the 5.11 McClane Mid ($100) offers a more supportive feel underfoot and solid protection if your treks take you off the beaten path.

Premium

If you’re looking for a specialty pair of shoes, you can expect to spend up to $200 or more. Our priciest travel shoe on this list, the Salewa Puez Knit ($239), is an excellent hiking shoe that easily doubles as a solid walkaround shoe. But again, $239 might be a bit much to shell out for a shoe that you’re staying on the pavement with, so unless you’re looking for kicks with a specific travel goal in mind, the mid-tier might be the better bet.

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Frequently Asked Questions