This is me with sore, swollen feet and ankles after our recent 3-day trip to Disneyland. It's hard getting old and I'm really not that old yet. I stand a lot for my job so I didn't expect to have such sore swollen ankles and feet. The first day we hit the parks hard and walked 13.69 miles. We got the max pass and hopped the parks and went from ride to ride with really not much wait time in lines. We pretty much did both parks in one day! The other 2 days were repeats of our favorite rides and some of the parades and shows. We still walked over 10 miles on those days too. We averaged 11.36 miles each day. It was so fun but really took it's toll on me. I'm not sure why, but I guess I'm getting old. By the end of the 3rd day my feet were so sore and swollen that I had to pry off my shoes. The next day I couldn't even get them back on. I had to pull out my sandals and have the straps as loose as they'd go for the plane ride home. Even the sandals were tight, and left marks from the swelling, but at least I made it home. I would do the trip again in a heartbeat because it was fun having all our kids there with us and no littles to have to push in a stroller or hold in lines. Although there were times that last day or two that I wished I could be pushed in a stroller and I was tempted to rent a mobile cart for me to use... hehe. So yesterday, I took a vacation from my vacation and laid on the couch with my feet up above my heart and ice packs on them to help get the swelling down. My left side was the worst, but thankfully today, my feet actually look like feet and they fit in my shoes. There for a little while I was wondering if I was ever going to be able to wear shoes again.... LOL So that got me wondering if I'm the only one crazy enough to literally walk myself ragged while on vacation or if you've done that too? If you do a lot of walking, what type of shoes do you have? Apparently my shoes weren't good enough to keep me from swelling.
Oh, I'm so glad you had a wonderful time, Kayla!! We felt the same way when we went to Disney World. Mine and my SIL's feet were killing us! The hotel we stayed in had the BEST foot rub that I've ever used, so there must be a lot of sore feet! I hate to wear shoes (just flip flops) but sometimes I have no choice. When mine hurt really bad, I soak them in Epsom Salts. I fill a tub and put it under my desk so I can soak while I work on my laptop. The most awesome soak is "Dr Teal's Pink Himalayan Mineral Soak! It smells heavenly, too.
oh gosh Kayla..so sorry you had such issues But glad you had a fun time with your family.. I have issues when I go on vacation and do a lot of walking, but not from swollen feet but sciatica... re the walking I wear those rocking sneakers and those work well when we go on our tours to the UK and also when I went to Universal with all the walking. So sorry you had issues.. hugs and glad you had your feet up today and rested. Hugs and feel better.
Kayla... so sorry about your feet, but I do exactly the same thing! When Clara and I go to Disneyland, we go non-stop and are on our feet all day long. We also stay a little ways offsite and walk back and forth to our hotel. The last time we went (October 2018), Clara had *just* had foot surgery a few days before so not only did I walk that much, but I was pushing her in a wheelchair the entire time! I didn't think much about my feet that trip though because I was preoccupied with the blisters I was getting on the palms of my hands... eek! My thing is that I can't quit walking, as soon as I do, I'm done. I think that's why I end up with so many steps on those trips... I know if I ever sit down, I'm going to want to stay there! The last two trips, I wore my Allbirds and did just fine (I wore them all over Paris and London with no issues as well). In the summer, I wear my Keen sandals to Disneyland.
I love walking, but must wear good shoes, or that pain, eek..... lots of water, lots of water, and good shoes... and as hard as it is, less coffee...
I have a pair of Nike running shoes that I love for walking. (I know: I should get walking shoes for walking, but these are super comfortable and they fit my feet--more on that below.) I have good luck with Toms, too. I've worn them all day walking around and my feet are fine--but I think I've only walked like 5 or 6 miles in them, not 13. I have a pair of Allbirds but I'm not completely sold on them yet. You're supposed to wear their wool sneakers sock-less, which i just don't like to do. So the first time I wore them I wore socks...but i had a blister before I'd walked a block. I'm hoping I just need to break them in because I want to wear them to Europe. The issue is that my toes spread out when I was pregnant. I had narrow feet before pregnancy; after, they grew--both in length and width. I went from a 9 to an 11. But the problem is my heel: it's still very narrow, which makes it tough to find shoes that are wider for my toes but slim for my heels. (I'm not technically a "wide" width, but I don't fit into narrow shoes anymore. Boo!) Anyway, I think the Allbirds fit really well in my toes but my heel slides. I need a "blister preventer," I think. They're very comfortable, though, besides my personal heel issues lol. Perhaps next time some ibuprofen and ice would help you at night, to help prevent or relieve the swelling--oh, and maybe next time you can rest with your knee on a hotel pillow at night. That's what I do for my knee, which gives me trouble if I walk too much. It's not easy to deal with at a hotel though, is it? Sigh.
When the kids and I went to Universal Studios I wore my Birkenstocks the first day and I paid the price at the end of the day. The next day I wore my Adidas Cloudfoam sneakers and was like "aaaaaaah." Much better.
I have Saucony running shoes that I walk in every day, so I wear those and I do fine. But I hear you on walking so much; it is very tiring. We usually do a long day every other day - or we take the entire middle day off to do non-walking stuff. I have had plantar fasciitis twice (once in each foot) so I am real careful about what shoes I wear.
Buy some Birkenstocks! My feet love them! They are worth every penny I spent on them! (and I have 5 pairs! 2 pairs of sandals and 3 pairs of sneakers)
Oh Kayla....so sorry to hear that story. I have a pair of Brooks walking?running? shoes that I got around the time of my knee replacement. I went to a really good athletic store recommend by my ortho dr and tried on several pairs after they watched me walk round the store. Each pair felt pretty good but when I put on the Brooks...the angels sang! The price maid me cringe but they were sure worth it. I wear them when I do serious walking on vacations but also take my pillowy Sketchers if I know it's just a short walk. No matter what we wear, feet like a break. Flip flops? never. Knock on my hard head, but I've never had foot issues - yet!
I usually don't notice my feet hurting because my back hurts so much worse! LOL The last time we went to Disney was before my spinal cord stimulator surgery but it was right after an injection. I wore Sketcher flip flops - they are called Goga Mats. They were delightful. I can't stand to wear closed-in shoes because I get so very hot. I took frequent breaks. I found places to sit. I often was by myself as I would let the others go on without me, but that was OK. I needed to make sure I was available for the long haul. I still was able to be there, even if I did miss out on quite a bit.