The Best Vionic Travel Shoes for 20,000-Step Days

Pack this, not that. Two orthopaedic surgeons told Travel + Leisure which holiday favourites give up halfway through a big walking day. Here's what they'd pack instead, and the Vionic styles that fit the brief.

Holiday shoes have one job: get you from breakfast to dinner without a detour to the pharmacy for blister plasters, whether that's a long weekend in Bali or a big European trip. The shoes that feel lovely around the house aren't always the ones that last 20,000 steps.

The best shoes for travel hold your heel in place, give you arch support you can actually feel, and don't twist when you wring them. Two orthopaedic surgeons, Dr Stephanie Avner of The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics and Dr Natasha Trentacosta of Cedars-Sinai, laid out exactly that in Travel + Leisure in September 2026, and Dr Avner picked out two Vionic styles as the pairs to pack instead: the Willa 2.0 Loafer and the Walk Max Wanderer Sandal.¹

Below are their five swaps, with a Vionic option for each. Everyone travels differently, so even if you're not a big walker, these swaps still count for airport days, cruise excursions and that one long museum day every trip has, and for staying comfortable poolside (with the option to go exploring if the urge strikes midway through your holiday).

Swap by swap: what to pack instead

Nobody's saying you need to live in running shoes for a fortnight. Dr Avner's point was that there are "more supportive versions of almost every style".¹ So each swap keeps the look you like and loses the version that gives out by lunch.

Swap the flimsy ballet flat for a cushioned loafer

Plenty of ballet flats are a thin sole and a pretty upper with very little shock absorption. For something dressier than a sneaker, Dr Avner looks for a cushioned or removable insole, a rubber outsole, room for your toes and a secure fit, and the Willa 2.0 was one of the loafers she named.¹

Dressy and walkable

Willa 2.0 Loafer

A slip-on loafer on a flexible, cushioned rubber outsole, so it copes with station platforms as well as it does dinner. Vio Motion underfoot, a footbed that lifts out and a low 1.5cm heel.

Shop the Willa 2.0

Folds flat in your case

Uptown Loafer

Soft, unlined and deconstructed so it collapses flat for packing, with a light, flexible sole and Vio Motion built in. A Travel + Leisure writer walked all over Paris in a pair.⁵

Shop the Uptown

Can't give up the ballet flat? The Klara Ballet Flat comes with two removable insoles, so the support is built back in. You'll find more in the Vionic flats range.

Swap flip-flops and slides for a sandal that holds your heel

Keep the flip-flops for the pool. With nothing holding your heel, your toes end up gripping to keep them on, and that gets tiring over a long afternoon. University of Salford researchers found a standard flip-flop changed how the ankle moves and how the foot is loaded compared with walking barefoot, while a sandal with a thicker, shaped midsole softened impact forces.² Go for a heel or ankle strap, a contoured footbed and a broad, stable sole. Dr Avner's own pick was the Walk Max Wanderer; these two hold your heel just as well.

Heel strap, all day

Reese Back Strap Sandal

Hook-and-loop straps across the foot and a strap behind the heel keep you sitting on the arch from the markets to a long lunch. It comes in a wide (D) width, too.

Shop the Reese

Adjust as you go

Essie Strappy Sandal

Three hook-and-loop adjustment points, so you can let it out when your feet swell on a warm afternoon of walking, with a back strap and an APMA Seal.

Shop the Essie

More options? See our Vionic sandal picks with built-in arch support.

Swap flat flip-flops for a toe post with support built in

The surgeons said to save flip-flops for the pool, and we're with them. If your holiday is mostly sun lounger, a good book and the odd swim, you still don't have to settle for a flat slab of foam. A Vionic toe post keeps the easy slip-on feel with the arch support built into the footbed, so the wander to lunch or a last-minute trip to the markets is covered too.

Made for the pool deck

Bella Toe Post Sandal

Vio Motion under a microfibre-covered footbed, a light EVA midsole and a patterned rubber tread for grip around the pool. The woven straps and little bow make it an easy one for a sunset drink.

Shop the Bella

The more affordable option

Islander Toe Post Sandal

A soft woven toe post and a foam-lined strap on the same Vio Motion footbed, over a durable tread. The pick if you want supported poolside comfort for less.

Shop the Islander

Swap the squishy sneaker for a stable one

The softest sneaker on the shelf isn't automatically the one for a big day on foot. "More cushioning does not automatically mean more support," says Dr Avner.¹ She'd rather see a broad base, good grip and a heel that stays put, and Dr Trentacosta suggests checking whether a shoe twists or folds too easily.

For the 20,000-step days

Walk Max Lace-Up Sneaker

A thick walking sole gives you a broad, cushioned base without the wobble, the laces lock your heel in, and Vio Motion adds structure under every step.

Shop the Walk Max

Walking shoe in disguise

City Walk Casual Sneaker

Walking-shoe comfort in a sneaker you'll happily wear with jeans. First Ray Technology helps steady the forefoot, over a light EVA midsole, and it only comes in a wide (D) width, so there's room to spare.

Shop the City Walk

Swap fashion-first sneakers for supportive everyday ones

Some fashion sneakers are dress shoes wearing a sneaker costume. Run the same checklist Dr Avner uses for loafers (a cushioned or removable insole, a rubber outsole, toe room), and take Dr Trentacosta's tip that the shoe should bend at the ball of the foot without folding in half.¹ The City Walk above counts here too, and for a white lace-up or an easy slip-on, pack the Winny or the Kearny.

The white sneaker that walks

Winny Sneaker

A clean white leather lace-up that works with dresses and denim, with Vio Motion built in, a rubber sole and a removable footbed. InStyle named it one of the best packable shoes for summer travel.⁶

Shop the Winny

Easy through security

Kearny 2.0 Platform Slip-On

Off and on in seconds at the airport, with Vio Motion built in and a leather upper. The footbed lifts out if you'd rather use your own orthotic, and the platform adds a little height without a heel.

Shop the Kearny

Browse more in the Vionic sneaker range.

Swap everyday sneakers for a hiking shoe on rough ground

A week of beach walks and exploring a city is a very different trip to a week on uneven mountain tracks. On rough terrain, the surgeons want grip, a stable base and, depending on the trail, some structure around the ankle to help stop a roll.¹

Honest answer: Vionic doesn't make a hiking shoe. The Spencer Boot has hiking-style eyelets and a lugged sole, but it's a heeled fashion boot, so leave it in town. For gravel paths, park trails and cobblestones, the Walk Max Lace-Up will serve you well. For a real hike, pack a dedicated hiking shoe that fits properly, and save your Vionics for the town days.

Pack for the trip you've booked

Two or three good pairs beat six so-so ones. Pack around the days you've actually got planned:

Test your shoes before you fly

Five quick checks at home save a lot of grief on the road:

1. Stairs. Walk up and down a flight. If your heel lifts or your toes are gripping, that pair stays home.
2. Twist. Hold the heel and toe and wring gently. A little give is fine. A shoe that twists like a tea towel won't steady you on uneven ground.
3. Bend. It should bend at the ball of the foot, where your foot bends, not through the middle.
4. Toes. Feet swell on long flights and in the heat. Try shoes on in the afternoon, in the socks you'll travel in, and check you can wriggle your toes.
5. Pain. Pinching, rubbing or pressure are red flags. Dr Trentacosta doesn't recommend buying a painful shoe and hoping to break it in.¹

One nuance. A contoured arch can feel noticeable if you're used to flat shoes, and that's different from pain. Vionic suggests wearing new pairs for a few hours a day at first, with full comfort usually within one to two weeks.³ So buy your travel pair at least two weeks out, and never debut a brand-new pair on day one.

What's inside a Vionic travel shoe

Every pick here sits on Vionic's Vio Motion footbed, developed in the Vionic Innovation Lab.⁴ Here's how it lines up with what the surgeons asked for.

• Heel cup. A deep heel cup keeps your heel centred, the "heel that doesn't slip", on cobblestones and station stairs alike.
• Contoured arch. Support that meets your foot from the first step and is still there at step 20,000.
• Cushioning. Shock absorption for hard floors, from airport terminals to marble galleries, without the wobble of an overly soft sole.
• Flexible forefoot. It bends where your foot bends as you push off, which is exactly the bend check above.

Many of these styles, including the Willa 2.0, Uptown, Essie, City Walk, Winny and Bella, also carry the APMA Seal of Acceptance, awarded by the American Podiatric Medical Association to products its committee has reviewed as promoting foot health.⁷

Seen in the travel press

Vionic is a regular in travel shoe roundups. A few recent ones:

• Travel + Leisure (September 2026): the Willa 2.0 and Walk Max Wanderer were picked out as travel swaps, and the City Walk made the lifestyle sneaker edit.¹
• Travel + Leisure: a writer walked all over Paris in the Uptown Loafer.⁵
• InStyle: the Winny, one of the best packable shoes for summer travel.⁶
• AOL: the Walk Max, in a podiatrist-informed guide to the best shoes for travelling.⁸

Travel shoe questions

What are the best shoes for travel?

The best shoes for travel hold your heel in place, support your arch and don't twist when you wring them. In the Vionic range, go for the Walk Max Lace-Up or City Walk for big walking days, the Willa 2.0 or packable Uptown when you want something dressier, and the Reese for warm-weather walking.

Are loafers okay for sightseeing?

A supportive loafer can be. Orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon Dr Stephanie Avner told Travel + Leisure to look for a cushioned or removable insole, a rubber outsole, plenty of toe room and a secure fit, and the Vionic Willa 2.0 Loafer was one of her dressier picks for travellers.

Are flip-flops okay for a holiday?

Flip-flops are fine for the pool or the beach, but they don't hold your heel, so your foot works harder to keep them on over a long day. For sightseeing, choose a sandal with a heel or ankle strap, a contoured footbed and a broad, stable sole. By the pool, a toe post with arch support built in, like the Bella, is a comfortable middle ground.

What should I wear on a long flight?

A comfortable slip-on with a little give, because feet can swell on long flights. Make it your bulkiest pair so it doesn't take up case space. The Kearny 2.0 and Uptown both slip off and on easily at security.

When should I buy new shoes before a trip?

At least two weeks before you go. A shoe that pinches or rubs is the wrong shoe, but a contoured footbed can take a few days to feel normal, so wear new pairs for a few hours a day at first. Full comfort usually comes within one to two weeks.

Pack for the days you've planned, run the five checks and give new shoes a head start at home. Your feet will thank you by day three.