Having the right shoes is an ESSENTIAL part of making sure your time in Disney World is as magical as possible!

You’ve spent countless hours (and dollars) planning the Disney World vacation of your dreams. But if you treat your footwear as an afterthought, all that work could be derailed by some seriously painful problems!

Here are five rules you should know before you pick out your shoes for Disney World!

Break in Your Shoes BEFORE Your Vacation

You might think you’re doing your feet a favor by gifting them with a brand new pair of shoes that you’re saving for Disney World. But if you haven’t broken those shoes in before your trip, you could be setting yourself up for a painful experience!

We’ve learned the hard way that it’s a MUST to break our new shoes in at home first by wearing them at least a few times before our trip. Since new shoes can be a bit stiff, we’ve found that even when we buy a brand that we’ve worn before, we sometimes have some irritation the first few wears until they get a bit broken in and conform to our feet.

Make sure you’re actually walking around in them too, so they can get truly broken in! We also typically throw some Moleskin Padding Strips in our luggage, just in case we start to feel any painful pressure from a newer pair of shoes.

Moleskin isn’t a substitute for breaking in new shoes (ask us how we know!), but it’s good to have as a backup since Disney World involves a LOT of walking!

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Bring Multiple Different Types of Shoes

For most of us, our days in Disney World are wildly different from a typical day at home. Not only is there an intense amount of walking (it’s not uncommon for us to take 20,000+ steps a day while we’re in the parks), but we’re often doing all of that walking in hot, humid, and/or rainy weather. And that means even our tried-and-true shoes might start to cause some painful pressure points!

We always pack multiple different styles of shoes so we can swap a pair out if they become painful. Depending on your shoes of choice, that could mean multiple pairs of sneakers in different designs, or an assortment of sneakers, sandals, and other comfortable shoes. If you’re in search of a new sneaker brand to add to your rotation, we’re HUGE fans of the Hoka Clifton 10 Sneakers.

We love these Hokas because they have lots of cushion and support, plus they hold up super well with long-term wear. Even long after ours were broken in, they didn’t lose their shape, and still had a nice “bouncy” feel in the step.

When you’re shopping for your backup styles, we’ll definitely throw a vote towards the Hoka Clifton 10s as perfect Disney World sneakers!

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Opt for Sandals With Straps

One of the keys to setting yourself up for success with your shoe choice is going with what works for you. If you are 100% a sandal person and can’t stand to be caged in by a sneaker, there IS a way to successfully do Disney World in sandals. But our biggest piece of advice is to choose sandals with straps, and save the flip flops and slides for pool days only!

It rains A LOT in Disney World, especially during the summer, and that can quickly turn those flip flops into slip flops. The pavement can get slick, your flip flops will be slick, and your feet will slide and glide everywhere. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can also be dangerous! That’s why we recommend sticking with sandals that securely strap to your feet, like the Teva Sport Sandals.

We like these Tevas because, in addition to the secure straps, they also have a contoured footbed that offers support, which is much needed for a long day of walking and standing in lines!

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Pack at Least One Extra Pair of Sneakers

If you’ve got one tried-and-true pair of sneakers and are planning on padding out the rest of your footwear with sandals and other comfy shoe styles, let us make the case for throwing at least one extra pair of sneakers in your bag as well.

Between the Florida weather and the water rides around the park, there’s a chance that your shoes will get wet at some point. And if your sneakers get SOAKED (as they often do, thanks to pop-up downpours and front row rides on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure), there’s a good chance they won’t dry completely overnight. If you want to wear sneakers again the next day, you’ll definitely be glad to have a second pair as a backup so you don’t have to put on soggy shoes!

While we’re talking sneaker tips, we’ll also throw in a suggestion for another one of our favorite styles for the park, the Brooks Ghost 17 Running Shoes. Since these are made for distance runners, they’re perfect for long days on your feet and hold up under lots of walking. They’re super supportive, and they have breathable air mesh around the front, which we definitely appreciate on those hot and sweaty days.

The Brooks Ghost 17s have extra cushion EVERYWHERE, which makes them comfortable enough for all-day wear, even when we’re going from rope drop to park close.

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Some Shoes Are Banned in Disney World

We’re rounding out our list with an official rule straight from Disney! The only type of shoes that are explicitly banned on all Disney World property are shoes with built-in wheels, like Heelys, so you’ll definitely want to leave those at home. However, Crocs are banned on escalators around Disney World, since they’re considered a safety hazard.

Escalators aren’t necessarily SUPER common in the parks, but you will find them in various places like The Land Pavilion in EPCOT and the Disney Springs parking garages, as a few examples. Even though Crocs are allowed in most places around Disney World, you may want to keep this caveat in mind when deciding whether or not to pack them for your trip.

If you’re worried about your feet aching without your go-to comfort shoes (or just from the general strenuous experience that is a Disney World vacation), you can always throw a few Soothing Foot Mask packets in your luggage to show your feet some TLC after a long day!

They don’t take up much room and feel super luxurious after a long day of walking, so we usually bring some along to treat ourselves to a mini-spa experience in our hotel room.

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Choosing the right shoes is an underrated but essential part of the Disney World planning process! Keep these rules in mind when you shop for your vacation to set yourself up for success.