J’adore Jambu – The Best Travel Shoes for Home and Away

Disclosure: This is a sponsored collaboration with Jambu Footwear. As always all opinions are my own.

Want in on a secret? Jambu shoes are the trendiest and most comfortable shoes I've ever owned! It shouldn't be a secret, but it is. Jambu has been around since 2009 making comfortable all-day but stylish shoes yet I rarely see them on lists for “best travel shoe,” something I find to be a bit bizarre. Since I discovered these shoes last year, I wear one pair or the other almost every time I leave the house.

For Jambu, it's all about adventure whether that is across the globe or in your own backyard – the soles of their shoes even have a map on them! Adventure can take place anytime and anywhere from the cobblestoned streets of Paris to Redrock hiking in the Sonoran desert and I am here to tell you that if you haven't discovered Jambu, the secret is out and you are missing out!

The classic battle has always been comfort vs. style. Travelers have been forced to make a choice that was usually (and should be!) comfort, leaving the fashion-conscious traveler in a bit of a crisis. But I have also had to make this choice many times in my professional life.

I can't tell you how many times I suffered silently during a workday of commuting, running around the office, and out to lunch – silently cursing the gods that my feet had to hurt so bad in the name of fashion.

I don't have to make that choice anymore. With Jambu, I CAN have both! I have been wearing and traveling with these shoes for 9 seasons now, and not only do my feet sing no matter where I take these babies, but I get tons of compliments on them!

Eco-friendly with features like All-Terra Traction outsoles for a no-slip grip (I need this as I am a total klutz!) and comfy memory foam footbeds (no need to buy foam inserts!) make Jambu my shoe of choice.

Plus they have several completely vegan styles, one of which Spirit Encore Vegan I have been trying out and loving! There are also waterproof walking shoes and boots which came in handy on my latest trip to rainy Brittany France – if I can wear Jambu shoes there, I can wear them anywhere!

Fall is finally here and temperatures have started dropping Mr. Misadventures and I have been getting out for some weekend adventures in the high desert of Utah, the mountains of Tucson, and to more urban destinations, like an evening at Hermosa Inn. From camping and hiking to dining and shopping, I have worn Jambu shoes everywhere we've gone.

Time to share a little of where I have been and what I have been wearing!

Jambu – The Best Travel Shoes in any category!

When I made my fall selections from the Jambu lookbook I focused on 3 things:  comfortable walking shoes, waterproof walking shoes, and stylish walking shoes all with an eye for travel as well. As I previously raved about, not only are these shoes mega comfortable, but they are super LIGHT a bonus for the ever-vigilant airlines who charge for every ounce!

Their lightness means I can bring more pairs, but I generally stick to 3 or 4 depending on the length of my trip and what we are doing. I can bring 4 pairs for the weight of 2 (if even that!).  Here are my selections for this fall.

Jambu Nala in Navy in Catalina State Park

Mr. Misadventures and I had been counting the days when we could go camping and hiking somewhere that wasn't at serious elevation. As September hit the temperatures began dropping (at least during the night and early morning) which allowed us to book a campsite and head over to Catalina State Park near Tucson to hike some trails and enjoy the gorgeous mountain views.

We got up early the first morning and hit the canyon loop trail and part of the Romero Pools hike. The Nala shoes are great for cold, wet weather but also perform well on the trail. As the morning progressed it got a bit warmer so appreciate the angle that Mr. Misadventures chose for this post as my face was a big sweaty mess, but boy did my feet look good! I will be packing these for my next trip to Brittany as the navy goes perfectly with most of my navy, grey, and white with a pop of red wardrobe!

Features of the Nala:

• All Terra Traction: Non-marking and partially recycled compressed rubber outsole for superior traction and durability.
• Memory Foam Footbed: Contoured Memory Foam Footbed for support and comfort.

Jambu Carlton in Black at Hermosa Inn

Mr. Misadventures and I staycationed at Hermosa Inn in July. It was 1000 degrees. Kidding, Not. We didn't mind as we hung out in the pool and ate meal after meal in the fabulous (interior of) Lon's restaurant! Our one regret had been not being able to dine out on their gorgeous patio, so as soon as the temperatures started dipping in the right direction we headed over to the historic hacienda again for a meal under their amazing mesquite tree.

Traffic is always a bit of a snarl from our side of the valley to Paradise Valley so we arrived early and took advantage of the cooler air and shady trees to enjoy some much-needed outdoor time. The previous weekend Mr. Misadventures had been holed up at Kitt Peak Observatory for an astrophotography workshop and I had turned into a college student who remained in her pj's and survived on protein bars while partaking in a “writers weekend.” Needless to say, I needed to get out of the house!

I decided our evening out was a nice occasion to try my new Carlton Mary Jane-style heel. I have to tell you I rarely wear heels even the platform variety, too many bad memories, and sore feet, but this pair is super comfortable (sorry to keep saying that, but do you know, there aren't a lot of synonyms for the word “comfortable?”). 

I can see them being a great walking shoe for my next business trip to Raleigh. The hotel I stay at is about 2 blocks from the office and many great restaurants are within a 2-4 block radius. I walked everywhere last time I was there and I plan to do the same again next week while I am in Raleigh again, and without hesitation!

Features of the Carlton:

• Memory Foam Footbed: Contoured Memory Foam Footbed for support and comfort.

Jambu Spirit Encore Vegan in Navy and Iceberg in Cottonwood Canyon

OMG, I love these shoes! When Mr. Misadventures says we are going scouting, I never know what we are going to end up doing, and let me tell ya we have gotten into our fair share of fights because “I am not wearing the right shoes.” I think we are going to drive around and scout locations (which happens a lot) instead we end up hiking through a creek, up a hill, and to grandmother's house we go and if I don't have the right shoe (a pet peeve of the husband's) then I am toast!

When the hubby and I were camping on the Utah/Arizona border a few weeks ago, we moved from White Pocket to Alstrom Point with several hours of photo-reconnaissance in between, with my Spirit Encore Vegan I was able to comfortably, and very stylishly, roll with the punches when he set out to search for some rock (it is always some rock) that was on the other side of a creek bed and hill.

These beauties are tough! They performed just fine in that rocky creekbed through the cottonwoods and more, and I did mention they are so cute! And their vegan-ness makes me feel good about wearing them! Besides all that hiking in the creek, they were perfect for the entire weekend while setting up camp, relaxing, you name it. I put these on in the morning and didn't need to change shoes or take them off until I hopped into our rooftop tent (or at some points wearing them in the tent)!

Features of the Spirit Encore Vegan:

• All Terra Traction: Non-marking and partially recycled compressed rubber outsole for superior traction and durability.
• Memory Foam Footbed: Contoured Memory Foam Footbed for support and comfort.
• APMA Seal of Acceptance: The American Podiatrists Medical Association gave their seal of acceptance to these shoes for promoting good foot health.
• Vegan: Jambu's Vegan Designs use no animal products while providing the same comfort and quality standards.

Jambu Cornflower in Red in Paradise Valley

It wouldn't be a shoe post, or at least one written by me unless it included a pair of red shoes! I love red and while I don't wear it as a “main” color (it makes my face look ghostly pale, and I already fair complexion!) I do like red highlights – glasses, a scarf, a watch, and definitely shoes! I love the shade of red that Jambu uses for their shoes, it is perfect.

The Cornflower has a slightly higher heel than my Sunkist but not as high as my Daisy and as I believe you can't have too many red shoes, now I've got 3 heel sizes to choose from! And with bleu, blanc, rouge – the Francophile in me is happy!

These shoes are going to be in my suitcase for my next trip to Paris as that memory foam cushioning can take on the cobblestone streets without any effort! These are the go-to shoes that I wear out to the movies, the grocery store, you name it. They slip on easily, go with everything (in my wardrobe at least!) and they are lots of fun!

Features of the Cornflower:

• All Terra Traction: Non-marking and partially recycled compressed rubber outsole for superior traction and durability.
• Memory Foam Footbed: Contoured Memory Foam Footbed for support and comfort.
• APMA Seal of Acceptance: The American Podiatrists Medical Association gave their seal of acceptance to these shoes for promoting good foot health.

Tips for Selecting the Best Travel Shoes

• ALWAYS pick comfort OVER fashion. A blister or sore feet can ruin your day and your trip. It doesn't matter how cute you look if you can't walk the next day (or the day after!). Thankfully, with Jambu, you do not have to sacrifice one for the other!
• Get good socks! People spend so much money on their shoes but then buy super cheap socks. Socks matter! I don't need them for any of my Jambu sandals, but for the boots and hiking shoes, I wear wool or microfiber socks.
• Don't let your trip be the first time you wear your shoes! Please, please, please break them in! Wear them around the house – try them out with the socks I mentioned above to make sure the socks aren't too thick for the shoe. (You should wear them on the weekend around your house before trying to wear any pair to work too.) Honestly, I will say that I break this rule with Jambu because I have so many pairs I know how they work on my feet and I never need to break them in, even for hiking! But for non-Jambu shoes do not attempt!
• Test out inserts. Another thing to test out or break in before you go out walking in London for the day is any insert you might put in a shoe.  What's the point if they make your feet hurt? I do have an insert in some of my shoes, but NONE of my Jambu because the Memory Foam Footbed is super cushioning.
• The weather around the world is unpredictable, so make sure to pack at least one pair of waterproof shoes, you do not want to ruin a good pair of shoes because it's raining and you don't have a choice!

How to Pack Shoes for Travel

• Use a shoe bag. A lot of my Jambu shoes came inside shoe bags inside the box when they were shipped to me, but if your shoes don't come with one or you lost it along the way during your travel then I highly recommend portable shoe bags. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but I bought these to keep our shoes at the end of the tent and I can also repurpose them to use for travel.
• Only put one shoe in each shoe bag. You are going to have more efficient use of your suitcase space if you pack your shoes into bags individually, that way you can place them with the sole touching any side of the suitcase, and you can pack the rest of your items in the middle.
• Or put your shoes on the bottom of your suitcase. If you choose to put a pair of shoes in a single shoe bag, then put the bags on the bottom of the suitcase as your first layer and pack up from there. Remember, put the shoes together feet to toe for maximum compression of space.
• Wear your heaviest shoes while traveling.  Airlines being what they are today and the amount you have to pay for being overweight, always wear the clunkiest heaviest shoes for travel and keep the light ones in your suitcase. As I mentioned before, Jambu shoes are super light so that helps a lot!
• Pack whatever you can into your shoes. Socks, rolled-up underwear, scarves, toiletries, use the space your shoe offers to pack smaller items into! Consider spraying your shoes with a shoe freshener before sticking your unmentionables in there!

Et voila! There you have it, with Jambu's latest fall collection, they prove once again that they are the best travel shoe out there – comfortable, stylish, and light! I continued to be impressed by these shoes and surprised that they seem to be such a secret. 

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