Ask any traveler or travel blogger for their favourite travel tips, and there’s one mantra that’ll be constantly whispered in your ear: get yourself a good pair of waterproof shoes. It’s just age-old wisdom, and it never pays to go against that, right? But when you’re planning for a trip abroad, you don’t want any old pair, or an overhyped brand that ends in disappointment and wet socks: you want to get the best waterproof shoes for travel.
But how do I find these mythical beasts? I hear you cry. If the brands I’ve heard of don’t really do a great job, how am I supposed to track down waterproof hiking shoes on my own? Plus I don’t really want to be wearing hiking boots in the cities I’m visiting; I want something that makes people go “hey, c’est chic”. Where is a travel blogger who does daft things like upending a watering can over their own feet, in order to put waterproof sneakers through their paces?
Oh, that’s me! I do those things! And I have done exactly that to a pair of Loom Footwear’s waterproof sneakers for women, which were provided to me by Loom for review purposes (but all opinions are most definitely my own, because I’m just darn well that way inclined!). So, read on, because I’m going to tell you how they coped under a watering can onslaught, and why these well-made, comfortable shoes are absolutely perfect for your travel plans.
Plus you want to know whether or not my socks stayed dry, right?
Why do I need waterproof shoes for travel?
Let me take you back in time, to when I was a mere travel scrub, excitedly exploring Prague for the first time. Beautiful city, Prague. But did you know that it gets rather wet in the autumn?
I sure forgot all about that, which is fairly inexcusable given that I hail from the United Kingdom, where rain is our default setting. So rather than take waterproof shoes, or even some sturdy winter boots, I took ballet flats.
Want to know what I don’t recommend? Squelching your way around the Czech Republic in soaked shoes; that’s what.
So at the very least, you want some waterproof walking shoes, because otherwise you’re letting yourself in for an awful lot of evenings in your hotel, drying your socks on a mini radiator. Which is not generally considered one of life’s edifying experiences, I’m sure you’ll agree. But you also have an extra consideration when it comes to travel, in that you generally want to make any pair of travel shoes you may own as light as possible. Whether you’re backpacking it, or carrying your belongings in a suitcase, no one wants to deal with the extra backache and airline fees that come with heavy luggage, and having a chonky pair of walking shoes can be one of the worst culprits.
Fortunately, that’s another reason I think Loom’s sneakers are genuinely the best waterproof shoes for travel – not only will they keep your toesies cozy, but they’re pretty darn stylish-looking. You’ve got all the functionality of a pair of waterproof walking shoes combined with the looks of a sneaker. I would have zero hesitation in wearing these in a hotel or restaurant, or anywhere I wanted to go. They just look like a normal pair of sneakers you’d wear at any time of year.
And want to know something even better? They are ridiculously light, whilst still being a sturdy, well-made shoe. You can chuck these in your pack, and it’ll barely make a difference. Or you can just wear them everywhere. It’s true versatility.
Who are Loom Footwear?
So, you’ve seen me gush about Loom a bit now, but you might not be familiar with the name. New shoe, who dis? Not a prob; let me share some nuggets of info about them.
Loom are basically a design team of shoe-obsessives – and I don’t know about you, but if I’m trusting a company to look after my precious pinkies, I want them to know their stuff. And trust me, Loom really do.
Their entire mission is to create a single shoe which does everything: one shoe to rule them all, if you like. You know how you have shoes in your closet which are good for style, whilst others are good for comfort, and others are good for keeping you dry? That’s all well and good, but it’s actually incredibly bad for the planet. Each pair of shoes you own has gone through a manufacturing process which uses up a surprising amount of resources – and half the time, you’re not using them. When you think about it, it’s pretty wasteful.
So the Loom team set out to create shoes made not only with love and nifty design, but 100% cruelty-free materials sourced from eco-friendly farms. They’re vegan, antibacterial (important for travel!), and highly flexible – basically, they’re the most eco-friendly footwear on the planet, because they’ve been designed to be exactly that.
Want to know what else they feature? How about a durable rubber sole that’ll give you some excellent arch support, thanks to the merino wool lined cushion that absorbs the impact of your stride, making things much more comfy on your feet? It’s ridiculously important to have if you’re planning to do a lot of walking, and Loom really delivers. Plus they come in two different colors, white and black – and if white is your favourite, you won’t even have to worry about getting them dirty; they’re fully washable!
How do they perform in the wet?
Okay, I know this is what you really want to know. Did my feet get wet when I quite literally upended the contents of a watering can upon my feet, recreating weather conditions that you’ll probably only ever experience if you visit somewhere in the monsooniest of monsoon seasons? (believe me, there was a LOT of water. I did not hold back.)
So, here’s the Loom waterproof sneakers post-soaking (if you want to see the full video, head over to my Instagram!).
I poured water over the entirety of the shoe, including up where the laces and the eyelet holes are, and you can see that it’s merely collected a few droplets that are sitting on top. You might’ve previously thought that only a leather shoe would provide that kind of water resistance, but you’d be wrong. Loom use a breathable mesh, the H2-Go Layer, which is actually four separate types of mesh technology put together – and no water is getting through that. Your feet are kept nice and cozy inside in a cocoon of merino wool, whilst even those lace holes are protected by durable rubber.
Just to prove it, here’s my socks, immediately after I took my shoe off.
It was completely dry, as was the sock on the other foot (and good, because these are my favourite hedgehog socks, yo). I can also confirm that walking across my soaking, sodden lawn in order to reach my testing area was a breeze: the soles are designed to be non-slip, and they definitely work as advertised.
So, to cut to the chase, the Loom sneakers performed to 100% of my expectations. I couldn’t find a single flaw; not one. And as a Brit who has had their socks soaked many a time, I was prepared to be tough and picky when it came to reviewing these.
Put it this way: I have a pair of sneakers I bought last year, made by a well-known outdoor equipment brand, which I wear for everyday use and a lot of walking. They are supposedly waterproof and slip-proof, and generally fail on both of these aspects. Without hesitation, I am going to be retiring those well-known branded shoes, and using my Loom pair instead. They are genuinely that good, and I’m incredibly impressed with them.
Sounds neat! Where can I get some?
I really hope that I’ve conveyed just why Loom shoes are genuinely the best waterproof shoes for travel, because I can hand on heart say that you won’t be disappointed if you grab a pair! So where can you purchase these fine foot defenders from?
Simple! All you need to do is head to the Loom Footwear site, and you can peruse all the lovely sizing and color options available to you. Btw, another thing I love about Loom? They’ve given me a discount code to share with you all! So not only is the price super-reasonable in the first place, especially for what you’re getting, but you can make it even cheaper. I know, right?!
So here’s your Loom Footwear discount code: enter TAT10, and you’ll get a rather lovely 10% off!
I really hope this Loom Footwear review has been useful to you! I genuinely think these are the best waterproof shoes for travel out there, and they’ll definitely be accompanying me wherever I go, as well as serving as my everyday sneaker! Thanks again to the Loom team for trusting me with a pair; you’ve given me a new shoe-love, guys.
If you’ve found this handy, or vaguely entertaining (how often does someone pour a watering can over their feet for your amusement, riiight?), how about giving it a share to the social media network of your choice? You can hit one of those nice buttons over there on the left, and impress all your friends!
If you’re super-smart, pin one of the below images to Pinterest! That way, you’ll have a bookmark back to this page so you can swipe that sweet discount code when you’re ready to buy!
Thanks for reading!
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