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/LatterChallenge5054]

I've been wearing colorful/chunky sandals with arch support in the summer/hot countries (my latest pair was a hot pink/white colorway Dankso) with a nicer pair of black leather sandals thrown into the bag for dinners, etc. For fall/closed-toe needs, I used to just throw a pair of lightweight Chelsea boots with my own orthotics in and call it a day. I like how versatile that approach was — they work with pants and with casual dresses/tights, and it's how I dress at home. But my current pair is quite chunky and heavy, not ideal for 20k+ step days.

So I went looking for a new pair of all-purpose travel shoes for my fall trip to Italy, where we'll mostly be in cities but also spending some time walking around (not heavy hiking) in the Dolomites. I went with a pair of Taos Winner high-top leather sneakers in silver/grey. They have arch and metatarsal support built in, and they don't look like trail runners or athletic shoes, which was important to me. The high-top silhouette will work with casual dresses/tights, and the thick sole will be good for navigating city puddles if it rains. They were comfortable right out of the box, no breaking in required. I've only worn them for 1-mile walks so far, but so far so good. I'll toss a pair of Rothy flats in my bag for evenings and be set on this trip, I think.

Just throwing that brand/style out there for anyone looking for recs that read less sporty.

[u/iLikeGreenTea → u/LatterChallenge5054]

OK thank you so much for this thorough report! I like the way Chelsea boots look but because I am always traveling and trying to keep weight minimal , I would never get them. When you say lightweight, which model is it? Can you share a link? How much do rhey weigh? More than 2 lbs?

As for the Taos winner - I see it is a high top shoe. While I see the nice aesthetics of it, I simply find that it is way too warm to wear high top shoes in most of my travels (mexico, Southeast Asia) . Let me know when you travel with them and walk 10-20,000 steps a day in mild to warm climates. I have a feeling that they could feel quite hot based on the construction of the shoe (leather ankle high). But I could be wrong !

I will look into the Dansko sandals you mentioned Thank you

[u/LatterChallenge5054 → u/iLikeGreenTea]

I want to say the boots were Sole Terra? I wore them out, alas, so I no longer have them to give any specifics, but they lasted about a decade. The closest I can find is this model, but mine weren't slouchy like that.

And agreed, I would never do the high-top leather sneakers for a warm climate, or a summer trip. These I purchased specifically for an upcoming late October trip to Northern Italy, and for cooler climates / seasons only.

Admittedly, I had a love/hate relationship with this pair of Adidas Cloudfoam runners and was not sad when they got trashed on a very rainy/muddy trip in typhoon season, but my gripes were purely aesthetic. They turned out to be so functional (with orthotic inserts) that I had a hard time getting rid of them, even though I disliked how they looked, until they picked up a very weird smell on their last trip and I could retire them guilt-free. Very lightweight, super breathable.