A day at a theme park can include miles of walking, water rides and potentially inclement weather. Getting blisters or wet feet can make this miserable and thus a good pair of shoes are vital to a good theme park experience. I have almost flat feet and have sometimes struggled to find comfortable shoes for long distances, especially with water involved. I heard YouTuber ElToroRyan talking about his Vessi shoes on one of his coaster videos and decided to give them a shot. That first pair of Vessis I got have been the best pair of shoes I’ve ever owned.

Vessis are comfortable and waterproof that have have never given me blisters, even on a 10+ mile rainy day. They’re the only pair of shoes I wear to theme parks now and I’ve quite literally walked hundreds of miles in theme parks in Vessi shoes. From Disney to Dollywood to Sea World to small regional parks to mountain coasters, these shoes have gone everywhere with me.

Let’s go over the attributes that make a pair of Vessi shoes so special and perfect for theme parks. First, they’re waterproof. This is of the upmost importance if you want to enjoy a log flume or get caught in an afternoon thunderstorm in Florida. Wet socks can make your feet miserable. Second, they’re incredibly lightweight. A pair of light shoes makes the endless steps more bearable and Vessis makes you feel like you’re wearing almost nothing. Third, they have excellent traction on the sole of the shoe. I can be a tad clumsy at times and wet metal stairs/platforms and wet hills can test the grip of any shoe sole. I feel more confident in slippery situations with my Vessis than any other shoe.

Fourth, the build quality is excellent. These have been my most worn shoes in the last year and a half and they’ve held up great. Normally in half that time another shoe is physically falling apart, but my Vessis have held together to the point that I’ll probably wear the tread off the bottom of them before anything else goes bad. Finally, they’re just comfortable and slip right on to your feet like slippers. I can literally walk the length of a marathon in a day in these shoes and my feet don’t hurt and I don’t get blisters. This is the only shoe I’ve ever been able to say that about and I walked 174 miles in theme parks in a single pair of Vessis in 2023!.

Vessi may not be a brand that most people are familiar with as they’ve only been around since 2018, but if you’re a theme park person you should be familiar with them. Even though they’re known most for being waterproof, these aren’t just rain shoes, these are “wear everyday” shoes. Sometimes people equate waterproof with rain boots and sweaty feet because rubber doesn’t breath. Vessi manages to be waterproof while still breathing and not making it feel like your feet are in two plastic bags. They’re just great shoes in general that happen to be waterproof too. I won’t go into all the science here, but the waterproofing on Vessis isn’t done with a coating, but is intrinsic to the fabric itself which allows it to be durable and breathable. The lighter color fabrics do tend to show dirt, but they’re also machine washable, so if they do get dirty like mine are right now you can just put them in the washing machine.

A pair of Vessis is going to cost you somewhere between $100 and $150, so maybe on the high end of average for a pair of sneakers. Occasionally you’ll catch a sale where you’ll see them as cheap as $75 on clearance. However, the value here is tremendous given their quality and long life. I’m a big fan of the Warren Buffett quote, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” The value of not being miserable during a rainy day at a theme park is much higher than the $150 price for a pair Vessis. Theme parks aren’t cheap when you’re paying $100 – $150 for a ticket plus hotel/food/travel and maybe taking vacation, so this is like insurance on your investment.

I’m a big fan of the Warren Buffett quote, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” The value of not being miserable during a rainy day at a theme park is much higher than the $150 price for a pair Vessis.

I love my Vessis and I sincerely believe they are the perfect theme park shoe. I received Vessis in exchange for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. However, I would have written this exact same article if that wasn’t the case. I originally wrote Vessi to get permission to use some pictures and logos for this article, but when they offered me more of my favorite shoes for free I wasn’t going to say no! If you do decide to get a pair you can help me out by using my Vessi link as there’s no extra cost to you, but I earn a small commission. If you love theme parks, give Vessis a try, I think you’ll be happy you did!