I'd take the sneakers and skip the souvenirs.

I recently vacationed in Italy. I didn’t bring my work out tennis shoes, but opted for casual, low profile tennis shoes for walking on unstable cobblestones, especially in the rain.

wear them on the plane

The one time I didn’t we were going to Hawai’i for 48 hours at the last minute. We had booked a coffee plantation tour but had to cancel because I didn’t have closed-toe shoes as required by the hosting farmer. It was 8 am so I couldn’t even run out to grab a pair somewhere. It’s probably the only time I didn’t fly in sneakers and even at the time I couldn’t remember why I didn’t bring them.

Also agree that you might encounter spontaneous putt putt or rain.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I usually wear them on the plane. You do not want to be wearing sandals in an evacuation. They also come in handy if we are walking through uneven terrain.

Same. I always wear at the airport.

This - always wear closed toe shoes on an airplane.

If you’re not flying and you have a pair of nice sandals you can walk a bit in, no need! But I would never do anything athletic on a beach vacay besides swim

If flying, I want my toes covered on the plane . . . for warmth, and also in case there's some kind of emergency. Also, if it rains out, I prefer sneakers because sandals can get slippery and gross when they get wet.

I dont like walking in sandals so always bring tennis shoes. I wouldn't be comfortable in the airport. Being barefoot in an airport is gross too if you have to take shoes off for security.

I always walk or run for exercise or end up spending a day shopping or at an amusement park or putt putt golf and prefer a sneaker.

If you know you wont do any of that or will do it in sandals then OK for you.

Anonymous wrote:I usually wear them on the plane. You do not want to be wearing sandals in an evacuation. They also come in handy if we are walking through uneven terrain.

Same. I always wear at the airport.

I always wear tennis shoes on the plane and taxis etc. you never know if there is an emergency and you need real walking shoes for something.

I usually wear them on the plane. You do not want to be wearing sandals in an evacuation. They also come in handy if we are walking through uneven terrain.

I do not love walking in sandals everywhere, esp. on cobblestones or in the rain, so yes, I bring super lightweight sneakers. I usually wear those on the place, or tuck into my shoulder zipper/tote bag that I bring on the plane.

I bring them only because at some point we are doing something athletic like basketball, tennis, etc. Other than that, I never wear them. So if you are 100% sure you won't need them for an activity, you can skip them.

I wear them to drive, but I never wear them once I'm at the beach.

We have a week at the beach coming up, and our plans are extremely low-key: pool, beach, dinners out, one boating day, and a little sightseeing. No hiking, no sports, no long excursions, and nothing outdoors where we’d be trudging through mud or rain. My exercise for the week will be swimming and walking to and from the hotel room, and everywhere else, so I don’t need them for that.

I could wear sneakers to the airport, but honestly I’m perfectly comfortable traveling in sandals. The issue is luggage space; I am planing on bringing two strappy, dressy-type sandals that coordinate with my evening outfits and non-beach clothes—packing one and wearing the other—and I’d love the extra room for souvenirs and a little packing flexibility on the way home by skipping the sneakers.

For those of you who do beach vacations often, are tennis shoes actually necessary in this scenario, or do you routinely skip them and never miss them?