5 of the Best Stylish Vegan Barefoot Shoes For Travel
We’ve traveled all over this great wide world (including all over the U.S.), and while travel backpacks and the perfect pair or trail to tavern pants so we can pack less and experience more are always on our radar, the quest for the perfect vegan shoes for travel has been a personal mission of mine for years. That’s because when I travel, I travel light, often only bringing along one or two pairs of shoes total.
So I want those shoes to be able to do it all: take me from the hiking trail in the morning to a cafe for lunch to a cidery at dinnertime. I want to be able to wear them mountain biking, for a hike to a rad viewpoint, and into town without people staring at my feet and grimacing in disgust.
Naturally, style is relative and shoes I might find perfectly suitable to wear with nice jeans you might think are ridiculous, but here are a handful we think fit the descriptors “stylish” and “functional” supremely well (and are often packable, to boot––see what I did there?).
So we dug in, put our feet in boots, pounded the pavement, hit the trails, tested a few travel-friendly shoes that also happen to be vegan, and found five of our faves.
The Best Vegan Boots For Travel
Vivobarefoot Primus Trail Flow Mid
These are some of our favorite barefoot boots for hiking in mild weather, but we also find them more than suitable for city travel thanks to their sleek styling. Do they go with everything? No. But if you prefer casual outings to dressing for dinner, their plenty stylish for more urban settings.
They’re mid-rise boots in style, but wear more like a shoe since they’re light, they have a soft and stretchy knit ankle, are breathable, ultra flexible, a tiny bit water resistant, and have plenty of traction. And they don’t look like clunky, overbuilt hiking boots, plus they supremely packable if you’re tight on luggage space. Bonus: they’re made of mostly recycled materials. Read our in-depth review here.
What we liked: The barefoot style sole and flexible upper make them supremely packable and are light on your feet and in your bag. We love the flexibility of the soles and the impressive groundfeel. Plus, the brand’s ReVivo program encourages customers to send their used shoes in for reviving and reselling!
What makes them great for travel: Not only are they packable and streetwear stylish, but they dry quickly when wet and the combination of the barefoot sole and sticky traction make them excellent sidewalk-to-trail boots.
Xero Shoes Dillon: The Everyday Sneaker
If there’s one go-anywhere sneaker we never forget to pack no matter where we’re headed, it’s the Dillon from Xero Shoes. We’ve worn the breathable mesh version of the shoe, but love the canvas version for its timeless stylishness.
The shoe is super comfy, flexible, and needs no breaking it; they fit like slippers right out of the box. The tread isn’t aggressive, but it can handle some minor off-roading. They’re perfect for around-town wear and casual evenings out. In fact, they’re out go-to sneakers for home as well as travel.
What we liked: These sneakers are super comfy, stupendously flexible, look good with just about everything, and come in several colors and fabrics (canvas and mesh).
What makes them great for travel: While it’s definitely not a hiking shoe, the Dillon can hold its own on chill, packed dirt or gravel trails. But where it really excels is hoofing it around town, exploring the sights, then transitioning seamlessly to dinner and drinks. Plus, it packs down practically flat.
Feelgrounds Chukka: The Stylish Mountain Town Boot
For a perfectly stylish boot that can absolutely handle everything from cobblestone streets to easy hikes (and not weigh down your bag), take a look at the new Chukka boot from Feelgrounds. Especially suitable for spring and fall travel, it’s not only comfortable and supports natural foot function, it’s made of more responsible materials, too. It features a breathable blend of abacá (like hemp, but made of a banana plant found in the Philippines) and cotton for the upper, the collar is made of TENCEL™ Lyocell and recycled polyester, and the inside is cotton. It even has a PFC-free water-repellent treatment! So if you get caught in the rain, you’re still golden.
The best part? They’re zero drop, have a super wide toe box, and are super flexible. It’s available for men and women in three colors: All Black, Gum Black, and Desert. Get 15% off with code TERRADRIFT
What we liked: A flexible footbed, extra wide toe box and soft interior make them comfy for all-day wear.
What makes them great for travel: While they’re more suitable for town than trail, they’re reliable enough on groomed trails that we don’t think twice about taking them for long walks on parkways and gravel paths.
Merrell Vapor Glove: The Minimalist Multitasker
If we could only take one shoe on a trip and that shoe had to be able to do everything from hiking to trail running to exploring downtown to going out for casual eats at the end of the day, it would be the Merrell Vapor Glove. While the tread and sole aren’t as robust as the Trail Glove (we compare the two shoes here), the shoes are more fashion-forward and less crunchy granola in our opinion.
The upper is soft and flexible, as it the sole, there’s excellent groundfeel, and they required no breaking in; they were comfy right out of the box. They are better suited for experienced barefoot enthusiasts, though, since there’s minimal protection underfoot.
What we liked: We appreciate that these are available in such a wide range of colors to suit your individual style. Plus, they’re minimal, comfortable, and offer great groundfeel.
What makes them great for travel: These shoes not only take up impressively little room in a suitcase, backpack or duffel, but they’re multifunctional, too, and make solid running/hiking/street shoes when there’s minimal room in your luggage.
Astral Loyak All Weather: The Waterproof Sneaker
If you need a shoe that can handle groomed trails, cobblestone streets, city sidewalks and even shallow creeks and urban puddles, look no further than the Astral Loyak All Weather. We’ve long appreciated multiple Loyak styles over the years for their wide toe box, flexibility and comfort. But also their sized sole for extra stability in shallow water. So we were glad to see a trail-to-town shoe that also offered moisture protection for soggy travels.
They don’t look like waterproof shoes, though, with is a win when you’re planning to wear them around town. But the canvas sneaks do have a waterproof membrane that works pretty dang well and still breathes. The tread isn’t super aggressive, but we’ve taken them on plenty of urban hikes with great results.
What we liked: We appreciate these shoes for how comfy they are, but also their understated looks and more responsible materials (recycled polyester canvas).
What makes them great for travel: These shoes pack flat, look good with jeans, a skirt, shorts and more, and are functional on all manner of surfaces and in all weather.
Bottom Line
What defines “the perfect travel boot” may be relative, but if your goal is to pack just one or two pairs of shoes on your next trip, a sleek look, capable tread, and comfort after long days of wear are of the utmost importance. Especially if you’re going to be sliding your feet into the same pair day after day. So hopefully, we helped you find one that’s right for you. If we did, or we missed your favorite, let us know in the comments! Then get out there and wander on already!
