Five Rules, In Order of How Much They Matter

1. Closed toe. No exceptions.

   The ground on a parade route is broken beads, crushed plastic cups, bottle caps and occasionally glass. Your feet will get stepped on. Sandals and open toes are how a good day ends early.

2. Waterproof, or at least water resistant.

   February here runs wet. The neutral ground turns to mud, and you'll be standing in it. Wet feet in fifty-degree weather is the single most common reason people leave a parade early.

3. Cushion built for standing, not walking.

   Standing still is harder on your feet than moving — there's no gait cycle to spread the load. A max-cushion midsole is the right answer, which is why we point people at running shoes for this.

4. Nothing new.

   Two weeks of normal wear before parade day. Every year we see people limping in Lundi Gras because they saved the new pair for Carnival.

5. Dark, and something you don't love.

   Whatever you wear is going to get stepped on, spilled on, and walked through mud. White sneakers come home a different color.

The Route Changes the Answer

What We Actually Put People In

• OnThe waterproof Cloud models — a sealed upper on a cushioned sole. If we could recommend one shoe for standing on a wet route, it's this.
  Women's · Men's · Kids
• HOKAMost cushion under you. Bondi and Clifton. When someone tells us their feet ache by the third parade, this is where we start.
  Women's · Men's · Kids
• BlundstoneBoots that handle mud. Pull on, leather, weatherproof, and they look right with a costume or a jacket. A New Orleans parade standard for good reason.
  Shop Blundstone
• KizikHands-free, for parents. Step in without bending down — which matters when you're holding a kid, a ladder and a bag of throws.
  Women's · Men's · Kids
• KeenClosed toe with real toe protection, and the waterproof models handle a muddy neutral ground.
  Women's · Men's
• New BalanceWhen you need a wide. Standing four hours in a shoe that's too narrow is its own kind of misery.
  Women's · Men's · Kids
• OOFOSFor when you get home. Not a parade shoe — a recovery slide. Put these on after and your feet will forgive you in time for tomorrow.
  Women's · Men's

Shop Comfort ShoesFind Your Store

Don't see your size or width? Call 504-910-2900 — we can usually order it, if you give us the lead time.

If You're Visiting

You will walk far more than you expect. Parade routes close streets, rideshares stop running near them, and the last half mile is always on foot. Plan for eight to ten miles on a full day and pack accordingly.

February weather here swings hard — it can be forty-five in the morning and seventy-five by afternoon in the same week. Bring wool-blend socks, not cotton. Cotton holds water against your skin and that's what makes you cold. We carry Darn Tough and SockWell if you didn't pack any.

If you're here more than a couple of days, bring two pairs and alternate. A shoe that got soaked Saturday will not be dry by Sunday morning, and no hotel radiator fixes that.

Come Get Fitted Before the Season

We measure the length and width of both feet, plus arch length — where your foot actually bends. You step on the Harris mat so we can read your arch and pressure points. We watch you walk. Then we bring out the right shoe in the right width — we stock narrow through 4E, and up to triple wide in SAS.

Free, no appointment, every visit. See our five-step fitting method.

Also worth a look: wide and extra wide · plantar fasciitis · arch supports

Four Stores On and Near the Routes