One of the most important pre-trip things you can do before visiting Japan is to make sure you have quality, comfortable shoes. This cannot be overstated. You will walk much further than you think you will, and those steps will punish you if your feet aren’t happy.
Recently, I was thinking about how my choice in footwear for Japan has changed over the years. On my first trip, I didn’t really give it much thought. I wore what was comfortable and rolled with it. Later, I opted for waterproof shoes, as there was a lot of rain in the forecast. The shoes I brought were heavier and sturdier, but weighed a bit more. They also took more effort to tie than my usual shoes. By my third trip, I was solidly moving away from the tourist train and found myself in restaurants and lodging that were “shoes free,” and the tying and untying became bothersome.
About that time, one of my friends said that when he goes to Japan, he always wears slip-in shoes. I said loafers and I didn’t get along, and he said not slip-on, but slip-in. I was confused until he showed me his shoes with a reinforced heel for hands-free use. He said that when he visited friends in Japan, whenever they went anywhere, by the time he laced up his old shoes the rest of the group was a block away.
The other factor is the bending down to tie and re-tie your shoes. Restaurants may or may not have a seating area for you to use. There may or may not be a long shoehorn available. Personally, I prefer not to do shoe aerobics in entryways.
I immediately went to work on finding some slip-in shoes. The key feature had to be the ability to put them on hands-free. When I bought my first pair, Skechers was the only shoe in town. I’ve been through several pairs of these. Today, there are many brands to choose from, with price points from modest to eye-watering.
My recommendation is to pick up two pairs and wear them on alternate days to break them in prior to the trip. If either of them doesn’t feel good on the 10th or 12th try, don’t bring them on your trip. Buy another pair. I bring two pairs of shoes on every trip, unless the weather is going to be very wet or cold. In that case, I bring a third, weather-friendly pair with traditional laces. By having two pairs, you can swap them out; this will be very important if you get caught in heavy rain or start to get a hot spot.
Bottom Line: Make sure your shoes are comfortable for the miles, and go with hands-free if at all possible.
