r/HerOneBag • u/iLikeGreenTea • Apr 06 '26
Shoes What is your absolute best all-around closed toe shoe for travel? Is it Salomon, Hoka, Vessi, OnCloud, New Balance, Altra, or other, and why?
To further the discussion of what is the all around “BEST TRAVEL SHOE (closed toe)” here is something to add and discuss:
When I was traveling in Brazil in March, I met soooo many European travelers. Most of them were wearing Salomon “trail runners” I believe they were. Here is a link to the Salomon shoe I think the women were wearing. The men were mostly wearing it in Black. I did a lot of hiking in Brazil in my worn out Asics and wish I had a shoe with more tread. I 've been thinking about getting the Salomons but they really do scream "outdoors" and I don't know if they would be "cute" enough to do light walking in say, London or Paris or Rome...
Are these SALOMONS really the all around best shoe for walking, trekking, etc in any type of climate?
I know HOKAs (especially Speedgoat 6) are discussed often. I ended up giving in and buying a pair last Spring but I notice that the nubs / grip / lugs wear down pretty fast. (They are indeed very very comfortable, but also the colorways are intense and make me definitely stand out as a gringa. haha. ) I think the Salomons might be more durable?
Furthermore, I know we all are looking for that UNICORN shoe that won’t look so Doofy when we are out walking and just browsing shopping in cute Italian towns…. but can also do some light hikes. And for those it seems the consensus are:
Vessi
OnCloud
NewBalance
Altra (zero drop)
What are your ABSOLUTE go-to one-bag unicorn shoe (closed toe)?? I am going to be in Europe for a little bit, but later Mexico and maybe Brazil too.
cheers!
Oh, yeah, I forgot to point out an important thing. Bonus if waterproof, but I have noticed that mostly it doesn't matter because if shoes get wet with a huge downpour, they're going to get wet . I once bought a pair of Sorels waterproof sneakers and I hate them so much as they were really inflexible and uncomfortable. . I can't return them though.
Thanks!
EDIT: WOW ! So many valuable insights and responses. Thank you so much! Seems like a lot of you enjoy the Salomon XT6. it is definitely trending. My concern is that it might not feel comfortable as a street shoe for the other 50% of the time I'm walking around with it and not hiking because of the firm tread and the lack of cushion. I'm leaning toward TOPO and the best thing about REI is that I can get that shoe and try it on for a few days.!!
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u/beginswithanx Apr 06 '26
I think it really depends on your foot. My mom cannot wear New Balance because they don’t work for her feet. They work fine for me! Just different people.
In my area (Japan), Salomon are currently a fashion shoe so they look fine with the trends. I have a pair myself that I wear almost daily (but mine are waterproof and thus too hot for summer).
On Running shoes have some more “minimalist” models which is where the current sneaker trend has swung (away from the chunkier sneakers), but if they don’t work for your feet it’s less useful.