One of my first jobs when I was young was selling shoes and I learned more than the average person will ever know about footwear. As I got older, I found myself paying close attention to the types of shoes that people wear at different occasions. As someone who travels to Las Vegas on a regular basis, I have found that there are certain types of shoes that are better for wearing around the city, while others should be left at home.
Sandals
I know that this is going to sound odd when talking about a warm city like Las Vegas, but sandals should be left at home. First off, sandals do not give your feet very much support. Since Las Vegas is a town that encourages hours of walking, you need shoes that are going to give you more support. On top of that, I have seen times in which sandals were dangerous in Sin City.
Remember that there are countless drunk people in Las Vegas. I have lost count over the years of the times that I have seen people step on broken bottles or glasses while wearing sandals and get cut. I have also seen people accidentally step too close to someone else and trip them by stepping on the back of a flip-flop. These types of footwear are not meant to be worn in large crowds.
Dress Shoes
People love to dress up when they go to Las Vegas. The allure of Old Vegas and dressing up to head to the casino is still present. People want to rekindle the days of Frank Sinatra and look like they are on a higher level than the average fanny pack and visor crowd that you will see around the slot machines. This is fine as long as you are wearing the right dress shoes.
Stiletto heals and leather soled shoes might look nice, but they are not made for the environment that you will be walking around in while visiting that most popular city in Nevada. Long walks on the concrete going from casino to casino will wear down stilettos and will wear out leather soles. The friction of the hot concrete can melt these types of shoes like butter. Rubber soles or combination soles are much better.
Walking Shoes and Tennis Shoes
The number one choice for heading around Las Vegas would be walking shoes, followed in a close second by a comfortable pair of tennis shoes. These types of shoes will give you the most support for the long walks down the Strip, and still give you enough support for when you are walking around inside of the hotel. With the long days that the average person puts in while on vacation (I can usually go for about 16 to 18 hours in Vegas), you need all the support that you can get.
How Many Shoes?
If you are going to be in Las Vegas for multiple days, bring two pairs of walking shoes or tennis shoes. When you walk around all day, the rubber, nylon and leather that the shoes are made out of will expand due to the heat that your feet put off and will also stretch. If you are walking around for ten hours, it will take about 24 hours for the shoes to go back to their normal form and air out. A second pair should be used to rotate so that you can always have a fresh pair to help you tackle your day. Of course, if you are dressing up, bring at least one pair of dress shoes. Remember that casual shoes like flats, loafers or boat shoes are meant more for show. Leave those at home as well.