Around the World: Shoes

by Brenna Holeman

Nepal Feet

Kathmandu, Nepal

Italy Feet

Bernalda, Italy

Laos Feet

Luang Prabang, Laos

London Feet

London, UK

Guatemala Feet

Antigua, Guatemala

Peru Feet

Machu Picchu, Peru

Myanmar Feet

Yangon, Myanmar

Botswana Feet

Okavango Delta, Botswana (with an elephant footprint)

Liechtenstein Feet

Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Romania Feet

Bucharest, Romania

Brunei Shoes

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

Chile Feet

Viña del Mar, Chile

Mongolia Feet

Terelj National Park, Mongolia

Poland Feet

Gdansk, Poland

Brazil Feet

Paraty, Brazil

Australia Feet

Melbourne, Australia

Hong Kong Feet

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Russia Shoes

Ulan Ude, Russia

Bolivia Feet

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Sometimes I say things like, “One of the reasons I am able to save money to travel is that I don’t spend money on other things, like shoes,” but then I look through my photos and realise that I have bought a lot of shoes in my life, so my point is moot. Almost all of these were bought on the road, and almost all of these died on the road.

Instead of investing in just one really good pair of walking shoes that would last me years, I’ll probably keep buying cheap local shoes that wear out before I’m even done travelling through the country.

What can I say? Maybe I’m a shoe person after all.

Chile Shoes

Valparaiso, Chile

For other Around the World photo essays, click here. 

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31 comments

Erin - The World Wanderer July 31, 2014 - 2:21 am

I absolutely love this post. I also take photos of my feet around the world and have one of them with an elephant print in the Okavango Delta too! So funny. Great shoes by the way!

Reply
Brenna Holeman July 31, 2014 - 2:32 am

Thanks, Erin! I loved coming across the elephant footprints, it was such an amazing experience.

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Sheherazade July 31, 2014 - 7:44 am

Great post! My favorite are the Nepal, Laos, and Mongolia shoes!

It does make me sad that these aren’t made well enough to be taken home and added to a forever shoe collection.

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Brenna Holeman July 31, 2014 - 12:07 pm

Aw, thanks! And yes, there are so many pairs of beautiful shoes I’ve had to toss. If they are especially interesting (that pair of shoes I’m wearing in Nepal vs. a pair of basic flats from H&M, for example) I take them home anyway. I now have a pretty unique shoe collection from around the world which I have on display… even though I can’t wear them, they still look really cool!

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Glamourous Traveller August 1, 2014 - 8:32 am

LOVE IT! This is deff one of my fav posts =) It highlights the cute differences of the locations and their footwear choices. Thanks for sharing!

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Brenna Holeman August 1, 2014 - 12:18 pm

Thank you so much!

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Cynthia August 1, 2014 - 2:01 pm

Love this post– such pretty photos! I’m always taking pictures of my feet too.
But I have to say, man… your shoe collection puts me to shame big time! I only have 3-4 pairs and they’re definitely not the cutest or most interesting. I miss having shoes 🙂

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Brenna Holeman August 1, 2014 - 2:24 pm

Thanks, Cynthia! Don’t worry, these photos are taken over many, many years, so a lot of these shoes have since fallen apart. I wish I still had them all!

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Ashley @ Ashley Wanders August 1, 2014 - 3:58 pm

Love the shoes you were wearing in Nepal, Laos, and Bolivia! I’m horrible for buying unnecessary amounts cheap tank tops.

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Brenna Holeman August 1, 2014 - 5:31 pm

Thanks, Ashley! I bought far too many tank tops in Southeast Asia, I just loved them…

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Katie Featherstone August 2, 2014 - 8:06 pm

Some really lovely shoes here! I currently only have two pairs, but definitely could do with changing them now!

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Brenna Holeman August 3, 2014 - 12:31 pm

Thanks, Katie!

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Grace August 4, 2014 - 10:23 am

Love Love Love all of these!! Especially the ones in Gdansk, Poland!! Love buying shoes overseas, if they last untill home they are usually a one-of-a-kind pair and make for great travel stories when your friends ask where they came from! Only problem I have ever faced was in China buying shoes, asked for my size (40/ NZ.9) and they laughed, started taking pictures of my feet…

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Brenna Holeman August 4, 2014 - 4:40 pm

Oh God, it was the same trying to buy shoes in Japan! There I was size LL… not a good feeling to be laughed at in the store…

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Stacey August 5, 2014 - 6:33 am

I really love the photo series!

Also, I wanted to point out, Melbourne Australia had you standing over a sugar maple leaf (canadian tree), perhaps if you had of had some gum leaves it would have been perfect… or not, I did smile when I saw the Canadian tree, knowing full well how many Canadian/English/Other Northern Hemisphere trees we have here.

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Brenna Holeman August 5, 2014 - 10:25 am

I did it on purpose… as a Canadian, I’m always looking for maple leaves!

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Laura August 5, 2014 - 8:56 am

I love this! Such an interesting perspective, and funny to look back on your changing style isn’t it?

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Brenna Holeman August 5, 2014 - 10:28 am

Yes – some of those shoes I wouldn’t wear again, ha ha!

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Expatkerri August 7, 2014 - 3:02 am

Ahhh those Chilean yellow shoes melt my heart!! Love that you’ve been taking these photos over the years… 🙂 Keep ’em coming!

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Brenna Holeman August 8, 2014 - 9:54 am

Thank you for being the photographer in that case, my travelling friend!

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Zalie August 7, 2014 - 2:34 pm

Ummm…I would definitely say that you are a shoe person, and a jewellery person, and a hat person, and a bag person…. hahah! I love all these pictures!!

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Brenna Holeman August 8, 2014 - 9:55 am

HATS?! No way. Everything else, though… yep. Everything else.

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Meg August 14, 2014 - 2:02 pm

Love, love, love this post (and your whole blog too, btw)!!! So many different colors and styles! I know I have seen those Keds in multiple countries though. Have you had more than one pair on your travels (i.e., are they your go-to shoe for traveling) and do you still have/wear them? It would be cute to see a post like this for “where my Keds have gone” too!

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Brenna Holeman August 14, 2014 - 2:06 pm

That’s a good idea! I have indeed had the same pair of Keds throughout my travels (no, I was not paid by them in any way, ha ha). They are great little shoes for walking around and I even hiked through the Himalayas in them. I will indeed do a post like that, thanks for the suggestion!

Thanks for your comment. 🙂

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Stefania @The Italian Backpacker August 16, 2014 - 7:25 pm

I love these pictures. Thank you for yet another inspiring post! 🙂

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Brenna Holeman August 16, 2014 - 9:20 pm

Thank you so much!

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Maya August 20, 2014 - 1:49 pm

These are awesome shots. Until I read the comments I thought you’d asked women around the world with cool shoes to take a picture of their feet, haha.

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Brenna Holeman August 20, 2014 - 2:56 pm

Ha ha nope – all mine! Thanks for the comment. 🙂

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Cheap and Easy Souvenirs to Collect - This Battered Suitcase September 20, 2014 - 2:48 pm

[…] you can reuse the fabric or just fold them in a cool way for display. Shoes are also fun – here are a few I’ve worn around the world. I often recommend buying bags and scarves because those things are incredibly easy to incorporate […]

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rebecca October 20, 2014 - 5:09 am

cool photo idea!

Reply
Brenna Holeman October 20, 2014 - 10:54 pm

Thanks, Rebecca!

Reply

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