I've needed spare shoes on four occasions:
1 Ferry to Bukom Island, Singapore - health and safety on ferry to oil refinery island.
2 Club dress codes. I go online to check dress codes at clubs. If you are a member of a club you probably have reciprocal agreements with clubs around the world. You can check the dress codes for their restaurants.
3 On planes leaving on a chute to the ground in an emergency you need to remove heeled shoes which at speed could rip the fabric or get caught in any obstruction or tag, also impede you in running away from the plane which could explode or catch fire.
4 Safety regulations may require you to wear shoes with : covering toes to protect them; and with solid backs, not straps at the back, so shoes don't fall off.
5 Dress codes in some clubs require men and women to wear shoes with covered toes (for reasons of formality, smell, and sight of uncovered body offending some; also no flip flops (called thongs in Australia, the sort which are backless and have a toe post) nor 'slippers' (in Singapore meaning backless shoes either with a band across the toe or a covered front but no back - the sort you can slip your toes into, of the sort worn casually or around the house for ease, no grip and make a slushing noise which annoys others, looks sloppy, and as you walk they prevent you walking with lifting your feet so you are more likely to trip over steps, and again could be smelly as well as exposing the feet to view and not sufficiently formal when surrounded by people dressed up for business meetings, weddings, anniversaries, engagement parties and other celebrations.
6 My heel broke at an event.
7 My rubber soled platform heels disintegrated at an evening dinner at a conference.
Answers
1 If you are in a health and safety environment you need closed shoes or shoe covers. Black is less conspicuous if you don't want to get attention. However a mere thin plastic rain or pool shoe cover might not be considered protective.
2 Exchange or borrow shoes from somebody in an office on land just for the ferry journey.
3 Ensure all members of your group know the dress code in your first invitation email. (And report the dress code in all later emails.) Don't wait until they confirm they are attending. They might not reply if they think they are not able to make the meeting and might join the group at the last minute. The search for shoes, or wait, or change of people attending, and escorting them back to base as a courtesy, can cause disruption, delay and embarrassment to everybody. They might send in their stead another colleague who has been invited by phone or is out of email contact and does not get the follow up emails containing the dress code.
4 Go through your cupboard and find your lightest to carry closed shoes. If you are a group organiser, or travelling by car and don't mind extra wight and bulk, carry a spare pair small for ladies and large for men to lend to others. You might go for a year and a hundred meetings and never need them. Then one day, you are the person who saves the day.
5 If you are visiting 5 star hotels and restaurants carry a spare tie. Whether you are a man or a woman, one of your family or business group may be without a tie, demanding that the entire group leaves. Also travel with a spare tie on any long trip.
Stories
Disintegrating Heel - UK conference
My rubber soled platform heels disintegrated.
It happened as I walked to the basement ballroom along a long corridor, leaving black mess everywhere. I began limping, one foot high than the other, danger of falling. No chance of dancing later.
(Luckily I was at a hotel at a conference in Brighton, England. However, my dinner companion was annoyed that I arrived at dinner late, missing the opening speech.) My new (to me) gold evening shoes were very pretty gold leather shoes with a black rubber type base made by a top end high street store, my third pair, originally I had one pair from the shop, then a second bought in a sale, but I bought a third second hand pair years after they were out of production from a second hand shop. Shoes disintegrate a lot - I've read whole forums on this with customers from the USA and UK and Singapore with even brand new or never worn shoe heels and bases disintegrating, including designer shoes.
USA Broken Sandals
In the Sixties in Haight Ashbury, with scrappy gladiator type shoes, after two months of trading about, my shoes fell apart. You would think you would be able to find a shoe mender. No. Cheap replacement shoes in small size suitable for a lot of walking. No.
Indian Wedding
I want to India, having been told we were dressing casually. On the plane we were delayed 24 hours and made friends with somebody going to their relative's wedding, who invited us to attend. You just never know when you will be invited to a wedding in a country where all comers are invited, or a PR invites you to an opening of an event, a foreign country is celebrating a national holiday, a member of royalty of government is visiting your hotel or hostel, new office or school.
Tips
Companies supplying spare / fold up shoes
Mahabis.com
rollaoole.com
cocorose.london.com
Foldashoe.com
fitkicksshoes.com
If you just want spare towelling slippers to wear in a hotel or home when your outdoor shoes are wet from rain or snow or mud, you can buy backless towelling slippers from the Pounds shops or similar shops in the UK.
Look out for cheap spare shoes in the sales.
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my books on Lulu.com and Amazon.com
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