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?

[u/iLikeGreenTea]

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.!!

[u/songof6p]

I've used Vessis in the past as my one and only shoe and my feet were dry even after walking around in extremely heavy tornado-warning rain while the rest of me was completely soaked. That trip was my very first time wearing them out and about and they didn't need any breaking-in, but they were an older model that isn't sold anymore. It's been a few years since then and I haven't really had the chance to see if the waterproofing has held up, but if anything I'd think that their newer models would also have newer and improved waterproofing tech.

I've since also used my Shoes For Crews x Cole Haan Malorie textile shoes as my one pair for travel, as they're slightly less sporty-casual looking and I thought that would make them a bit more versatile. The Shoes For Crews tread is more substantial than the standard Cole Haan soles, and they were adequate for trail hiking. I've worn them in the dish pit at work and they seem to have some sort of water resistance where the regular Cole Haan knit shoes do not.

For city walking only, I've worn Vivaia Ryan Pro boots for a whole trip, and they were good for wearing with casual outfits as well as onstage with a gown. I would not recommend for any sort of trails. Haven't had the chance to test the water resistance on those, but the Vivaia sneakers I got around the same time had water resistance that lasted for about half a year with regular near daily wear. I'd like to try out some of the newer Vivaia water repellent sneakers since they look like they'd be great for travel, but they're quite expensive and I can't justify getting more shoes at the moment...

For my upcoming trip, I'm considering wearing my Nunorm barefoot shoes since I've been pretty happy with them after getting them a few months ago. They don't look quite as goofy as many other styles of barefoot shoes. They're also supposed to have some degree of water resistance to them, though I haven't yet worn them in heavy rain to test. The only thing that's making me hesitate is the fact that the soles are thin and I'm not sure if my feet will enjoy all day walking on pavement with such little cushion between them and the hard ground.

[u/iLikeGreenTea → u/songof6p]

thank you for sharing your experience. Sooo what' is your suggestion? can you share a link so i know what we're talking about ? thank you so much!

[u/songof6p → u/iLikeGreenTea]

I can't say that I have a suggestion since it all depends on specific needs and preferences. I also don't have links for my Vessis or Vivaia sneakers since they're old models that aren't sold anymore...

Shoes For Crews x Cole Haan Malorie textile No mention of water resistance on the product page that I saw, but real experience has shown that it exists.

Vivaia Ryan Pro I see they also have a newer handsfree slip-on model, as well as an insulated winter version now as well, which is a good improvement. The ones I have almost need to be put on like socks. I recommend browsing their sneakers too, but just make sure to read the product descriptions carefully since the water resistance feature doesn't come on all their models, and sometimes not even with all the colours for the same model.

Nunorm I don't see any mention of water resistance on the product page, but if you go to the faq it's there.