On day three of my trip, before even leaving the US, I was in New York and had found myself in a Foot Locker because my feet were already hurting.

Even though I love walking, the sneakers that I thought were reliable — not perfect, but reliable — were failing me, and I was in pain.

So, I ended up purchasing a more functional pair suitable for lots of activity. After this purchase, I came to an important conclusion that I think will stick with me: it doesn’t matter if the shoes are cute if they’re not walkable.