Footwear in Scotland

If you are hiking off road, it’s not the rain you need to worry about but the resulting mud which can be ankle deep or more. Water resistant will not be sufficient. If you are just doing gentle walks think about rubber boots (aka Wellies or Wellington boots), otherwise you need decent hiking boots with good gripping soles. The tennis shoes would be fine if you are sticking to towns and tarmac.

Are you taking 2 pr of shoes?

The first time I went to Scotland I did not have waterproof shoes and got drenched going out to Iona. I pulled out the insoles and put my shoes under the towel heater in the bathroom where they dried overnight. I was on Orkney and Shetland for 2 weeks in August and was really glad I had waterproof shoes. We didn't encounter much mud but did get into very wet grass and boggy conditions a few times. We were doing some cliff top hiking as well as walking to and through Neolithic sites.

At this point since you are less than a month away, I'd go with the shoes you know will feel good as opposed to trying to break in waterproof shoes. I would take a back up pair in case you do get soaked. It doesn't sound like you are going to do any major hiking anyway.

TBH, the water resistant spray (assume that is what you treated them with??) will not really help that much for really wet weather.

Thank you both so much for your input. I wasn’t planning on taking two pairs of shoes because we’re only packing carry on luggage which means limited space. Will have to really think about the info you both have given me. Really appreciate it. :-)

A compromise might be to bring waterproof socks: https://www.amazon.com/Fullsheild-Waterproof-Breathable-Outdoor-Athletic/dp/B096RRK8YS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=ZWAP9PDXTDO2&keywords=waterproof+sock&qid=1695271643&sprefix=Waterproof+sock%2Caps%2C227&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

I haven't tried it myself because I prefer to use waterproof hiking shoes, but if you don't want to take hiking shoes/boots it might help.

I'm glad I brought my Bogs Kicker Rain Chelsea boots to Norway. We aren't hiking much on this trip, but these boots have been great for the rain and muddy paths. My husband has both his leather, waterproof shoes( Keens and Merrells), and his feet have remained dry.

If you are doing any proper hiking (e.g. in Glencoe) you really need proper waterproof walking boots. We don't tend to pave or gravel our hiking trails here, so you will be walking through long grass and potential bogs. No way would I consider tennis shoes to be adequate for hiking in Scotland. Any walks on Skye really do require proper boots or at the very least waterproof walking shoes (e.g. Merrill). I have been on hikes and ended up ankle (or more) deep in bogs.

As the others say, I strongly suggest your main pair of shoes should be good Goretex waterproof walking shoes (not tennis shoes) - or boots, if you’re doing serious hiking.

Even in Edinburgh’s city streets, you’ll see people wearing this kind of footwear. They give you a much firmer base underfoot, and you’ll be able to go “off road” easily.

This is from a UK website, but I wear these kind of shoes pretty much everywhere in the autumn, switching to supportive boots for serious hikes.

https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/16243263/merrell-women-s-accentor-3-gore-tex-walking-shoe-16243263

Thanks again to everyone for your valuable information!! Well, I’m for sure not bringing tennis shoes!! LOL. I’ll be buying good waterproof boots. This travel forum is SO helpful. Many, many thanks!!

Like Golden Girl I have waterproof walking shoes that I wear in autumn and winter just for walking to and from work on paved streets. You quickly get wet feet in normal sneakers/trainers. If you’re going walking off road you will 100% need them.

I always bring gore-tex type lined hiking shoes to Scotland/Ireland and wear them on the plane over, to save space in the suitcase. Then I have a backup pair of walking shoes so the hikers can dry out.

I bought a pair of waterproof (lined with Gore-Tex) hiking sneakers at the Hotter store on Princes Street on the second day of my trip. Best purchase ever! I was so glad to have them, not only for very light hiking in Glencoe and Glenfinnan, but also for walking the streets of Edinburgh and St. Andrews in the teeming rain. It rained on five of my six days in Scotland, but my feet stayed dry.

After I returned from my trip, I bought a backup pair via eBay.

Further really great advice!! Thanks, everyone!!!

While you have gotten great advice on footwear from others, I strongly recommend two pairs. We are back from a very similar itinerary to yours. The mud, puddles, and soft ground cover are issues on almost every walk on the Isle of Skye and in Glencoe. We used small carry-on suitcases for our 2 1/2 week trip and found there was sufficient room for an extra pair of shoes each. Our longest walking day was 19 km, with an average of 10 km/day. I used Brooks Ghost GTX (nice firm sole) and regular Brooks Ghost running shoes, which were a pleasant change when it was not too wet. Enjoy your travels!

One added idea that was so helpful to us:
I took flattened flattened brown paper (like newspaper without the ink) in the bottom of my carry-on. My husband and I both wore our water proof hiking boots on the plane, but each packed tennis shoes for back-up. We had an amazing time hiking in all kinds of weather...but even on the gorgeous days, we were still encountering water, walking over and through streams. At the end of the day, if our shoes were wet at all, we pushed that brown paper into the toes of our shoes and by morning, they were bone dry!

Hi Robyn -

What Lesley said!

Ian

Hello, If you haven’t left yet, see my post under Red Weather posting.

I'm a hiker/backpacker. I am often in the woods when it is wet. Many trips we have to wade streams up above our ankles. I have found that the best solution is to wear light trail shoes with waterproof socks. Waterproof boots are rarely fully waterproof. Eventually they will soak thru. Even if that doesn't happen water can go over the top and inside. Once the insides are wet, it takes a lot of time for them to dry out. I wear Altra Lone Peak shoes with Sealskinz socks.