Amusement Park Shoes: Mixing Comfort and Fun!
What do Top Thrill Dragster, The Riddler’s Revenge, ice cream stands, corn dogs, Mickey Mouse, Harry Potter and endless walkways through exciting themed attractions have in common? They’re all things that make amusement parks fun! Each year millions of visitors trek through various amusement parks seeking unimaginable thrill rides and once in a lifetime experiences. As modern theme parks have grown in size, so has the amount of walking visitors have to do just to get from one end of the park to the other. For many, spending an entire day at an amusement park is the equivalent to exercising and if visitors don’t pay attention to the type of shoes they wear during these fun-filled outings, they could be in a world of pain when the day’s over.
I recently went to Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, and noticed that many visitors were wearing unhealthy footwear. I COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES! I saw kids walking around barefoot, mothers walking in high heels and fathers wearing dress shoes that would look good on them if they were wearing business suites.
We’ll explain.
Orthopedic Sandals and Flip Flops
Most sandals that people wear are cheaply made and only bought based on style, and not necessarily on support or quality. When it comes to sandals you do get what you pay for; so if you bought a $5 pair of sandals that have a poor design and are made with cheap materials your feet are most likely going to suffer at the end of the day.
But we understand that people are creatures of habit and that wearing comfortable sandals at amusement parks is inevitable, so we recommend wearing quality made orthopedic arch support sandals. Wearing healthy arch support sandals or flip flops will keep your feet from experiencing foot fatigue or stress caused by misaligned joints. Orthopedic sandals at HealthyFeetStore.com provide support along the arches for pronation control, come with a heel cup designs for added stability, have anatomical shapes for optimal comfort and come with durable footbeds to withstand longer wear. There are also various types of sandals to wear. Slingback sandals or sandals with ankle straps are great choices because there will be fewer chances of loosing them when riding roller coasters. One of the first memories I have of my first amusement park outing is waiting in line to go on a roller coaster ride and seeing flip flops falling from the sky – since then, I only wear sandals with ankle straps at amusement parks and I’m happy to say that I haven’t lost a pair yet. If you insist on wearing flip flops, you might want to make sure you take them off before riding certain coasters. Also, another choice worth thinking about is wearing water resistant sandals, especially if you enjoy water rides. Nobody wants to walk around wearing water-soaked sandals.
Noted brands that offer excellent orthopedic sandals include Dunham, Softwalk, Birkenstock, Naot, Keens, Moszkito and Chaco.
Orthopedic Running and Walking Shoes
If you’re like me before I started writing for HealthyFeetStore.com, you probably think that all athletic shoes are healthy to wear. WRONG! Yeah I was way wrong about that – I used to buy really cheap athletic shoes thinking that I was the smartest man in the world because I was saving a few dollars – boy was I misinformed. My feet suffered the consequences because the cheap athletic shoes that I wore offered no support or healthy benefits. So when going to any amusement park, we highly recommend wearing a pair of well made orthopedic running and walking shoes. Features of well made orthopedic athletic shoes include breathable uppers made with synthetic/leather or mesh materials, cushioning midsoles to help absorb shock, removable anatomical footbeds to accommodate custom orthotics, padded collars to help cushion the ankle and long-lasting firm supportive outsoles. These features are intended for wearers who are active walkers or exercise, so it only makes sense that orthopedic athletic shoes make excellent amusement park footwear.
Noted brands that offer well made comfortable orthopedic running and walking shoes include Brooks, New Balance, Aetrex, Earth and Cogent.
Whatever you do, don’t wear dress shoes – that’s a big NO-NO! High heels and narrow tight fitting dress shoes are probably the worst shoes you can wear at an amusement park. This isn’t rocket science; just remember you’ll be on your feet all day walking here and there, and standing in line for long periods of time. Just think of it as this way: would you go for a jog in high heel shoes or dress shoes? We really hope you answer NO to this question.
Please note: since walking in amusement parks can be a workout, we included Earth and Cogent shoes for those who are fitness shoe lovers. Wearing these types of fitness shoes can enhance you physical activity wherever you walk.
The labyrinth of various walkways and passages at amusement parks may offer the fastest way to get from one attraction to the next; but as the day wears on, your feet will definitely feel the mileage. Don’t let uncomfortable footwear ruin your amusement park experience. If you follow our advice, your feet could feel just as comfortable at the end of the day as they did at the beginning. There’s no point in going to an amusement park if you’re going to suffer the next day from foot pain caused by wearing unhealthy shoes.
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