For someone like me, with a passion for beautiful shoes and high heels, starting a RTW trip seems like a true challenge. I mean fashion wise. All of our stuff should fit into 4 small aluminum panniers, so we have to reconsider things again and again, we have to measure and weigh everything before it finally ends up in our panniers. Shoes are no exception…

Tom is what one would call a typical guy who is more than happy with just a pair of sneakers and flip flops. I just couldn’t handle such a dramatic downshift in female luxury, especially not for a 5 years period. That little comfort of choosing your footwear… I just couldn’t resist. Once a woman, always a woman I guess…

Taking high heels on a trip like this just wasn’t an option. They take far too much space and I wouldn’t even be able to wear them most of the time. So I went for comfy but still fun. This is the result of my selection process (motorbike boots not taken into account of course):

1. Sneakers

Sneakers are an absolute must, especially when living outdoors. You can wear them for longer walks, for a visit to the city center, for those colder nights at the campsite or even on rainy days. Take a good quality sneaker that feels comfortable to wear and that doesn’t make your feet feel sore. I went for Adidas: super comfortable, good quality and still fashionable!.

2. Flipflops

Flipflops are at least as important, especially when you go camping a lot. You wear them on your way to and from the shower and sometimes even while showering.

When you get the opportunity to wash yourself, you want to get real clean now don’t you? And it must be said: hygienic standards aren’t always  on par with our expectations, unfortunately… They are essential on the beach or on a  sultry summer evening. I went for brightly coloured ones because the rest of my wardrobe is rather neutral in color (read: black, grey, khaki, beige).

3. Sandals

You also need sandals that withstand a good walk without the need for compeed band-aid. I chose the Gizeh sandal from Birkenstock. It fits me perfectly well, gives sufficient support to walk even longer distances and – despite the variation in opinions among fashionistas – if Heidi Klum can wear them, why can’t I?

4. Espadrilles

And yes, I even took a fourth pair of shoes: the espadrilles. They weigh close to nothing and don’t take too much space. Just what it takes to fill those little nooks and crannies in your panniers ;-). I went for espadrilles with a little bling bling. It makes you look a little more dressed up in no time and goes well with pants and a skirt. The ideal candidate for a night out!

A limited choice is better than no choice, well for me that is. I am glad I had it my own way. If you’re traveling for a longer period and you will be wearing motorbike gear most of the time, you have to make sure you can feel truly like a woman every now and then. And that doesn’t take a lot of effort!