Trying to get through a day at Disney World with wet shoes is one of the worst ways I can think of to ruin your experience.
We’ve tested TONS of products around Disney World — everything from ponchos to bags, and even different takes on souvenirs for characters to sign! But even after all of the tests we’ve done to find the most comfortable shoes to wear around Disney World, they just don’t stand a chance against the rain when a storm rolls in.
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If you happen to know anything about me at all, it’s that I’m the one member of the AllEars who absolutely hates wearing shoes. In fact, I’m kind of infamously known for my preference for wearing flip-flops around Disney World’s parks and hotels.
But, being an AllEars reporter and out for a long day against the elements traversing Disney World can take its toll on your feet eventually. I especially hate when I’m forced to wear sneakers when it storms and the main reason for my distaste for them is the thought of walking around in squelching, soaking-wet shoes all. day. long!
And it doesn’t even have to be rain to do it! Disney World is home to several water rides that can leave you completely drenched from head to toe. I cringe when I think about riding only to get completely soaked and face the next several hours of icky torture I voluntarily subjected my feet (and poor socks) to! BUT, when my editor approached me with the potential to change all that I was intrigued, to say the least.
All I knew was that our team was looking to experiment in the parks so I volunteered myself and hoped for the best. What I didn’t realize is that this particular experiment would be to wear literal plastic bags around my shoes and see how dry they would stay. Oh, and just for good measure, I made sure their first trip out would be when a hurricane was hitting Orlando… talk about timing, huh?
Alright, well… I figured it couldn’t get much worse than having to deal with squelchy shoes for a day and at least, we’d have a good story to tell. When the waterproof shoe covers arrived I literally pulled them out and had a moment of realization that I would have to wear these things around my feet all day long (and in the pouring rain).
I’ll be the first to admit — their appearance can be a little off-putting especially if you’ve ordered one of the brightest color combos these shoe covers come in, but don’t worry — there are plenty of colors that aren’t as loud if you’re looking to keep a lower profile.
See where I’m going with this?
As I hit Main Street, U.S.A., and started to feel the first drops of the storm along with the bouts of wind, I knew the time had come to put these things to the test. Surprisingly, they’re very straightforward and stretch just as you’d imagine to fit around your shoe (my recommendation though is toe side in first)!
Then with just a quick zip of each they were both on and there they stayed (kinda like Dorothy’s ruby red slippers) until I was home to take them off. Honestly, that’s all it took and I was hooked! NO, like seriously hooked on these things. From that point on I didn’t care that the wind and rain were coming in waves or have to watch as carefully about stepping in puddles because my shoes and socks were under great protection.
The sizes for these come in a pretty standard range to fit multiple shoe sizes with each category so if you find that you’re second-guessing yourself or wear an in-between size, I’d recommend you size up to keep the zipper that’s supposed to sit around your shoe’s tongue from hitting the front of where your leg meets your shoe.
Despite my bleak outlook on them when I started this journey, my socks and shoes for the most part stayed mostly dry. Of course, it’s they’re 100% resistant to when the water drips down your leg and into your sock so you may have to still contend with the tops of your socks being wet — but these things saved the bottoms of my feet from feeling like they’d been in a sloshy water bath all day. When you’re ready to take them off, it’s even easier — just unzip and slip them off from around your shoe. I hang mine out to dry and hand wash them after use but now they’re a permanent addition with me every visit to Disney World.
So, it looks like the joke is on me. Although I was the first to make fun of these wacky additions to my park gear, they’ve now become an extension I refuse to do the parks without! And, I think my editor’s probably patting herself on the back right about now, too, for good reason.
We’re constantly putting the newest trending products to the ultimate test around Disney World’s parks and hotels! Be sure to stay tuned with us at AllEars for even more.
I have some clear ones, and you can barely even see them unless you’re very close! I love them but would recommend having a gameplan for storing them after they get wet if you don’t want to wear them all day. Not only will they be wet, they’ll also be filthy (think about all of the surfaces they’re touching: walkways, ride vehicles, bathroom floors, etc.).
Yep we all had these as kids!!! They went over your shoes and there was a button on elastic to hook them.
These are galoshes! (Ours were always black) We wore them as kids over our shoes to walk yo school in the rain.
I put these on one rainy day over MLK weekend in Animal Kingdom thinking they were the greatest thing in the world (my son was 100% ashamed). My feet were dry as could be, however, I took a sliding fall flat on my back in the entrance to Dinosaur that my tailbone may never recover from. Do *not* be fooled by the ridges on the bottom. They do not give you *any* traction! I went with wet feet from then on. The other option is waterproof hiking sneakers.