Hi, hello. This is not your regularly scheduled Disney parks fashion recommendation. This is coming from a former Disney World Cast Member who worked six days a week outside in EPCOT in the dead of summer. This is coming from a person who was on their feet — hard concrete, more specifically — for the entire day. As you can imagine, standing outside under the hot Florida sun can take a toll on your body. You need good shoes.
EPCOT
Even if you’re not planning to work as a Disney World Cast Member, you might still want to pack a pair of comfortable shoes for your next trip to Disney World. Trust us — the right pair of shoes can make a WORLD of difference.
OK, before we show you these magical shoes that saved our feet, let us explain how we got here. Before moving to Florida to work as a Cast Member, many people do a little research to see what kind of tips and tricks old Cast Members have to share. As it turns out, the internet has a LOT of great suggestions (many of which live right here on the Disney Food Blog 😉).
Minnie Mouse meet-and-greet
Social media quickly pointed us to the Hoka Women’s Bondi 8 Sneaker for Cast Members. At first glance, they might not look like the world’s most fashionable sneakers. But, really, have you seen some of those Disney Cast Member costumes? This is not the time or place to make a fashion statement. We’re here to work, not look like a model. We need durable, COMFORTABLE shoes. And so, we gave them a try. Then, we fell in love.
EPCOT Monorail
Here they are — the Hoka Women’s Bondi 8 Sneaker. As you can see, these things are PLATFORMED. But that means you’ve got a LOT of cushion, so it literally feels like every step is a cushy, rolling bounce. It’s hard to explain unless you put them on your feet, but trust us — these bad boys are GREAT for people on their feet for extended periods of time.
©Amazon
So, what made them so great? Well, here’s a little story. There’s a long list of acceptable shoes that a Disney World Cast Member can wear. If someone wanted to, they could wear a pair of plain black ballet flats to work. They can also wear black sneakers. Having worn both as a former Cast Member, the difference between a pair of flats, a pair of budget sneakers, and Hokas was VERY noticeable. Not ONCE — even after standing on hard cement all day — did we feel any pain in the Hoka sneakers. No back pain. No foot pain. No calf pain. As you can imagine, we can’t say the same after wearing those black flats all day. Don’t wear flats to Disney World.
We LOVE Cast Members!
The good news is that these shoes come in multiple colors, so if you’re not a Disney World Cast Member required to wear all-black shoes, you can try a more exciting pair. Oh, and if you’re into this kind of thing, these shoes have even been recognized by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), receiving a Seal of Acceptance “that recognizes products that have been found beneficial to foot health.” So, yes, these are the real deal.
Magic Kingdom Cast Members
This seems like a lot of praise for a basic pair of shoes, we know. But we put these shoes to the test. We put a LOT of shoes to the test, in fact. At the end of the day, these delivered the best results, and we want to pass this information on to YOU — it’s like the shoe circle of life! It only feels fitting to talk about these shoes online after first discovering them online.
Yee-haw!
So, if you need a dependable, quality pair of shoes for Disney World or for life in general, we HIGHLY recommend these sneakers. You can find them on Amazon below!
In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.
Why Disney World Cast Members Will NEVER Use This “L Word”
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My daughter is a nurse and swore they were the best shows last summer. So I bought a pair a couple of months ago and they have been feet savers this entire trip.
I’m a retired nurse. I promise Bondi 8’s are THE BEST! I wear them in the parks all the time.
We wear Hokas also and love them!! However, we should always recommend people go to a reliable running store and get properly fitted. We have seen all too often what may be great for me could be disastrous for another.
Are these like MBT trainers? The sole looks very similar
I swear by my Teva sandals. I have walked over 15,000 steps in these shoes in one day with no soreness. These shoes are comfortable in the heat and will not get ruined if they are soaked on water rides.