“Here I am, where I’ve been
I’ve walked a hundred miles in tobacco skin,
And my clothes are worn & gritty.”
Lyrics from ‘Something Pretty, Patrick Park.
At this stage I’m confident to say that my Gobis are the best travel shoes I have ever owned. They have walked many hundreds of miles; from African deserts to Scottish beaches, from jumping onto London tube trains, to skipping over open sewers in Asia, and they are still going strong, if looking a little travel weary.
In my opinion these are VivoBarefoot’s ‘gold star’ shoe – they are tried, tested and trusted – for traveling to hot dry countries you couldn’t ask for a better companion. The simple design and stitched sole make them pretty much indestructible for rough and tumble travel, yet they are stylish enough to wear into a smart hotel lobby; but in my opinion their two most impressive features are their breathability and their pack-ability. The suede upper allows perspiration from your feet to sublimate through the leather and evaporate away. I’ve worn mine in the Namib Desert at 40+°C and had dry socks at the end of a hard days hiking. They also pack very small; will even go in the lid of a rucksack or can be rolled up and crammed into the bottom of a side pocket, helping to keep your weight down at check-in.
My granny used to say “spend your money on your boots and your bed, because if you’re not in one, you’re in the other”, so my advice if you are planning a trip somewhere hot this year, and want something light and comfortable to wear, you should give serious consideration to investing in a pair of Gobis, your feet will thank you for it.
