Festival season is in full swing, and how about this weather?! If you’ve got tickets to your favourite festival this year, you’ll no doubt be thinking about what to take with you regarding clothes and festival shoes.

Those who have been to festivals before will benefit from their past experiences and fashion lessons. But for those of you eagerly anticipating your first foray into festival culture, we at Gabor have some top dos and don’ts of festival shoes to keep you from making any of the big mistakes.

Table of contents

• Do: Consider the weather and location
• Do: Take multiple pairs if you can
• Do: Take welly socks
• Do: Go for something sturdy
• Do: Break out the prints
• Don’t: Take your heels
• Don’t: Take your favourite shoes
• Don’t: Wear white
• Don’t: Leave your toes exposed
• Don’t: Put fashion over function
• Festival footwear at Gabor

Do:

Consider the weather and location

This might sound obvious, but it’s also one of the most important things to consider. Festivals can be totally different experiences depending on the location and the time of year. Keep an eye on the forecast during the week before the festival, and be ready to change your festival shoe options at a moment’s notice.

You should also research the type of grounds where the festival is set. Fields can get muddy, beaches can get hot, and street festivals can be hard on the feet, so you must adjust your footwear choices accordingly.

Take multiple pairs if you can

We’re not suggesting you take 10 pairs of shoes to a festival; we’re not suggesting you take five. But options are still good, particularly for the longer festivals. For example, if you’re taking wellies, it can be nice to have a pair of lightweight, comfortable trainers, sandals or canvas plimsolls to give your feet a breather while you’re not watching performances. Variety is the spice of life, though more often than not, it’s just plain necessary.

Take welly socks

If you’re going to a muddy field festival and know you’ll be in wellies and shorts most of the time, welly socks are an absolute must if you want to avoid ‘Welly Leg’. Welly Leg is the very unofficial term to describe the highly uncomfortable chafing that occurs when the tops of your wellies rub against your calves. It feels bad and looks bad, so invest in some long, substantial socks that come past the top of your wellies to protect your legs.

Go for something sturdy

Most festivals are heavy-going on your footwear, even if the weather is kind, so we recommend choosing something sturdy and strong to take the brunt of the wear. Leather is always a good choice as it’s strong, comfortable and easy to clean, but plastic and rubber are also good choices. A pair of biker boots with a solid grip should see you through and protect your feet.

Break out the prints

It is summer, after all, so why not tell your footwear? Yes, your festival shoes need to be sturdy and reliable, but that doesn’t mean they can’t reflect the fun and creativity of the festival itself. Keep an eye out for bright colours and prints when you go festival footwear shopping, and make your feet stand out from the thousands of other festival-goers around you.

Don’t:

Take your heels

It doesn’t matter what type of festival you attend; heels are never a good idea. Even if you practically live in your stilettos, we can guarantee you’ll regret wearing them within the first hour of them being on your feet and traversing uneven ground. Leave your heels at home; you and your feet will be happier for it.

Take your favourite shoes

We’ve all got that one pair of special shoes we would never take off if we could get away with it. Do not take these to a festival. No matter how much you love them, the festival will not love them back. Even if you’re lucky not to be met with a mud bath, festivals are full of other shoe-damaging hazards (spilt drinks, burger sauce and other people’s stompy feet, to name a few) that can ruin your favourite footwear forever.

Wear white

Following on from our last point and considering all those classic festival stain hazards, wearing white shoes is rarely a good idea at a festival. Granted, a pair of bright white plimsolls or trainers with your favourite shorts and skirts looks incredible and is on trend. But fast-forward a few hours; your glam whites are likely looking slightly sorry for themselves. Stick to the darker colours; it’s much safer.

Leave your toes exposed

Festival crowds are fast-paced and stompy, so don't wander around with your toes out and unprotected. It’s frustrating, especially if you’re blessed with glorious sunny weather. Still, a stomp on the toes from a heavy boot-clad foot is enough to ruin the entire festival for you, so keep them covered with strong, sturdy footwear when you’re in the thick of it. Take some sandals, by all means, but keep them reserved for the time spent at the campsite or away from the main crowds to avoid unwelcome accidents.

Put fashion over function

Festivals and fashion go hand in hand, but you must put comfort first when it comes to footwear. If you love a certain style but know it tends to rub and give you blisters, avoid it at all costs. Leave them at home if you know that certain styles are too narrow or pinch in the wrong places. You’ll be on your feet often throughout the day or weekend, so pick some comfortable festival shoes you can rely on.

Festival footwear at Gabor

And speaking of comfortable shoes, that's exactly what we're experts in making. If you're hunting for a new shoedrobe for your next summer festival, look at the latest Gabor flat shoes collection for a festival of on-trend, foot-loving new season shoe styles.

For dryer festivals, Gabor trainers are ideal. The shoes' durable nature and solid grip will keep you steady and comfortable on any surface. Festivals also include a considerable amount of walking and our trainers are made to make any journey on foot feel as easy as possible.

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