I literally only wore one pair of shoes for the entire three weeks of our TaiThai adventure. I had packed another pair of black sandals just in case these broke or we went to the Skybar (which has a dress code). But, that was pointless. The Hi-Tec shoes I got (known as shandals, which is exactly how I would imagine Sean Connery pronouncing “sandals”) were all I needed.
My requirements were simple. My shoes needed to be:
- Open (I can’t handle being hot, and we were in temperatures of 35 to 38 degrees most days)
- Super-comfy
- Appropriate for the beach, hills, motorbikes, and wandering around malls and markets
- Not crazy-expensive, as I wasn’t anticipating needing them after the three weeks
I love shoes. I really do. But, I wasn’t looking for aesthetics with these. And, I admit, they aren’t the prettiest shoes that I own. I showed them to a few of my friends. Some said they were nice, some laughed at the distinctly “tourist” look, and one forbade me from wearing them in a public space. But, I’m nothing if not rebellious.
So, after a day spent shoe-shopping in Knysna (not the Mecca of malls, to say the least), I had tried on a motley collection of Crocs, Tsongas and boutique brands. Our last stop was Duesouth. I felt my pulse begin to race as the word danced before my eyes – SALE. I’m a SALE kinda girl. But, more than that, these Hi-Tec shoes felt like little cherubs were caressing my feet with bunny tails. And, they were only about R300 (I can’t remember exactly now). Score.
The bad news is that I suspect that this particular style is no longer available. BUT, check out their other shandals for some other comfy and practical options.
Meanwhile, have a look at how versatile my shoes were (I should’ve focussed more on them when taking pics, but I could hardly anticipate how much I was going to enjoy wearing them):



Having comfortable shoes when you travel is a must! And I think they look good too. 🙂
Thanks! I’ve had mixed reviews, but I like them. They’ve grown on me!