There is no such thing as the perfect walking shoe.

There is only the shoe that is right for your feet, your walk and the conditions you’re about to meet.

I’ve learnt this over several long-distance walks — from Sarria to Santiago, most of the Portuguese Camino, the Cotswold Way and, more recently, 130 kilometres of the Via Francigena through Tuscany.

And if there’s one piece of advice I’d be particularly careful about when preparing for a long-distance walk, it’s this:

Wear the shoes that work for your feet.

It sounds obvious. But spend enough time researching walking shoes and you’ll quickly discover that everyone has an opinion. Trail runners. Hiking boots. Waterproof boots. Sandals. Lightweight shoes. Heavy-duty shoes. Wide fit. Narrow fit.

Somewhere amongst all those opinions, it’s very easy to forget one rather important thing.

Your feet are yours.

No two people have exactly the same feet. And, as I’ve discovered, not even our own two feet necessarily behave the same way.

So rather than telling you which shoe you should buy, I want to share what I’ve learnt about choosing footwear for a long-distance walk — from thinking about the terrain and weather, to allowing for swollen feet, finding enough width, choosing the right socks and, yes, even embracing socks with sandals.

Because when you’re walking hundreds of kilometres, your feet are really the ones in charge.

On Day One of our Camino journey from Sarria to Morgade, we walked through centuries of history, rural Galician landscapes, and hydrangea-lined paths. Join us for reflections on ancient cemeteries, piggery memories, and the quiet joy of simply putting one foot in front of the other.

Three years after our Camino dreams were first postponed, we finally arrived in Sarria—backpacks packed, boots laced, and hearts open. This was more than just the start of a walk. It was the beginning of something we'd held onto through lockdowns and longing.