Happy feet tennis shoes

Early this year, Ian and I decided to embark on a full-time travel adventure (and we’re still going). In order to make our transition as simple as possible, we decided to get rid of most of our stuff. I knew I had a lot of clothes in general, but as I was filling up donation boxes I was quite surprised at how many shoes I’d accumulated during my always-on-the-go life. I had a go-to pair for any situation. You ladies know how it goes. A few pairs I’d never even worn. Some shoes I’d worn a little too often, but they were too comfortable to replace. Many I hadn’t worn in a year or more, but since I always had plenty of closet space, I never felt the need to part with them.

I needed to “pare” down my pairs. I now own 4 pairs of shoes that I take on my travels. With these shoes, I’m covered for 99% of the conditions I’ve surrounded myself in. Versatile. Comfortable. Stylish. In a word: perfection.

I had a hard time naming this article as I was writing it. Alternate titles included ‘Minimalist Travel: 4 Shoes for a Year of Travel, ’ ‘The 4 Pairs of Shoes I Travel With, ’ and ‘The Only 4 Shoes You’ll Ever Need for Travel.’ These are all accurate names for this article’s content, but the main points are these:

• I’ve owned these particular 4 pairs for about a year.
• They’re the only ones I’ve been packing for my travels this past year.
• They’re all still in great condition.
• None of them went out of style.
• I have no intentions of replacing them any time soon.

In fact, as I’m writing this article (from a coffee shop across from Pike Place Market in Seattle), I’m sporting this first pair I show here.

Seasons to Wear ‘Em: spring, summer + fall

Back in May of last year, we were preparing for a trip to Vietnam. Scheduled activities included city walking, hiking opportunities, wet cave exploration, and plenty of heat and humidity. So I visited REI and found a shoe that fit our itinerary. These and a pair of flip flops were the only shoes I took on that 9-day trip, and this set-up worked perfectly. I’ve had these shoes for 15 months now and still wear them frequently — at least once a week — for a variety of activities. Mine are black with purple laces, but they come in a variety of colors.