Travellious Test Labs: Sanuk Men's Shunami

Usually when I take shoes with me on my travels, I've broken them in, gotten to know them, and have an idea what to expect when I'm traipsing around. But not so with my recent trip to New York, where I ran my new pair of Sanuk Shunamis through the gauntlet. I broke them in at the airport, wandered for miles around New York City, and then had to dress up a little more formally at a seminar. Did we get along? I'll share with you my experiences and let you know if they were up to the tasks I threw at them.

Just like Kelly said in her review, my Shunamis were absolutely great for flying. I could get them off and back on in the security line, even though I was juggling my liquids bag, a laptop, AND a sweater (all without having to hold something with my teeth.) They were also easy to kick off when I was trying to get comfortable in my seat on the airplane. And when it came time to rush and get them back on my feet when I woke up at JFK, I could slide them on even though I didn't have very much room in my little seat. (Hint: If you've got long legs, give yourself a more than minute to get your shoes back on unless you're in first/business class.) All around, they were great shoes for flying.

On my trip to New York, I faced multiple challenges, shoe-wise. I was going to be walking a lot on the first day, as I was spending the entire day exploring New York City while encumbered with a backpack. Then, I was going to be switching it up and attending a seminar, so I'd have to look like I was somewhat capable of coordinating my attire. Could I really do that all with one pair of shoes? (Not to mention ones that I hadn't yet broken in.)
It turns out that the Shunamis performed well the entire weekend. After way too much walking, my feet still weren't sore and I had not a single blister. They also went well with all the clothes I packed, plus helped me through an unexpected fancy dinner. It's a rare shoe that can flourish in all these situations, and I was glad to have my Shunamis with me.

The Shunamis are great travel shoes, hands down. They're comfortable, even when you walk more than you should. Fit-wise, they exist in a rarely occupied sweet spot, not too tight, yet not as loose as a flip-flop, meaning you'll likely not see blisters. Finally, they can work with both casual outfits or modestly dressy ones, so you can save space in your bag for more important things, not matter what the purpose of your trip.