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This summer I traveled to Mexico City with a group of friends, and if you’ve ever been, you know two things right away: the weather has a mind of its own and the city is built for walking.
I usually default to sneakers on trips because of my flat feet. There’s nothing worse than clocking 20k steps only to deal with lower-back pain and the feeling that my feet want to give up on me. For that reason I’ve always been a sneaker girl when traveling, but in a city as stunning and stylish as CDMX, I wanted to look the part without resorting to my New Balance 530s or strapping into a platform sandal that screams “orthopedic.”
That’s where REEF saved me. Founded in 1984 by two brothers who wanted to bring surf culture into everyday footwear, REEF has always been about comfort without compromise. My boyfriend’s been a fan for years, so ahead of our trip we both packed brand new pairs to put to the test.
Roaming Roma Norte in the Vista Lune
In Mexico City, sure, Uber is easy, but the real magic comes from walking. Our group stayed in Roma Norte, a neighborhood buzzing with tourists and locals alike, but we often found ourselves drifting into the nearby neighborhoods of Juárez and Condesa.
During every stroll, street vendors lined the blocks with the kind of smells that stop you in your tracks – smoky al pastor turning on the spit, suadero tacos sizzling on flat tops. The sidewalks were alive with music, chatter, and the most trained and well-kept dogs weaving between legs.
Our first morning was a sunny surprise – rare for the city’s July rainy season. After a flight spent in sneakers, my toes were desperate for some space. I slipped into REEF’s Vista Lune in Black. They’re lightweight and cushioned in a way that makes you double-check if you even remembered to put shoes on. We wandered through art galleries, lingered over hand-painted ceramics, and ended up at Mercado de Medellín where we sampled dragonfruit so sweet it tasted like candy. I couldn’t resist scooping up a bundle of rambutan, their spiky red shells glowing against the market’s chaos.
Mexico City sidewalks are famously uneven, but the Vistas flexed with me instead of making every crack feel like a battle. By the end of the day, my step counter hit 17,000+. I was proud to say every one of them was in my REEFs. The next morning came with a little soreness, but I chalked that up to going from working remotely at a desk to suddenly walking across half the city. The real test was my back – and for the first time ever after that many steps, I felt no pain. Dream. come. true.
Sole Searching in Our Ojai Classics
The next day my boyfriend decided to match me (cough cough – *copy me) and we both wore pairs from the Ojai collection – him in the Classic, me in the Classic Slim. The design is sleek and easy, made with renewable cotton and responsibly sourced leather. They’re the kind of sandals you can throw on with anything and they’ll work.
We walked over to Panadería Rosetta for their infamous guava rolls, and the style compliments kept chiming in from our friends. Theo – my boyfriend – couldn’t stop pointing out how velvety the fabric felt and how much he liked the subtle platform. I agreed. They’re comfortable and chic, but the Slims did take a bit of breaking in. Think Birkenstocks or Docs. By the end of the trip they had molded perfectly to my feet and became my go-to beach shoes, though for long city walks I’d still grab the Vista Lunes first.
Sunday Ciclovía: Streets Closed, Beers Opened
On our last day we woke up hungover, thanks to a night of mezcal tastings and some of the best cocktail bars I’ve ever been to (don’t miss out on Xaman or Shhh). Yet somehow, early in the morning, Theo convinced us to join CDMX’s Sunday Ciclovía, when the city shuts down its main avenue to cars so bikers, runners, and skaters can take over. We biked roughly ten miles down to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and back. I’ll be honest – the first stretch had me feeling unwell – but once I settled in, the energy of the Ciclovía took over. The streets were alive with bikers, skaters, and runners whizzing past, and before I knew it, what started as a struggle turned into one of my top three experiences of the trip.
Theo and I opted for sneakers this time, but as soon as we got back to our Airbnb, Theo flopped down on the couch and said, “I need to put my REEFs on after that.”
This may sound like the words of a drama queen (and trust me, he is), but for context – Theo is a socks-and-underwear-for-Christmas kind of guy. He never cares about brands. Clothes are clothes. So when he longingly reached for his REEF Fannings post-bike ride, without hesitation, I knew we had a convert. Later that night, he and our friends cracked open beers and he finally got to flex Fanning's built-in bottle opener - major aura points??
Final Take
What struck me most about Mexico City is how colorful it is – pinks, blues, and yellows splashed across buildings, murals blooming around every corner. Even the food felt like part of that palette. I ate some of the best meals of my life: Contramar’s seafood tostadas that live up to every bit of hype, Bou’s chilaquiles Cariñito’s eggplant tacos I still think about weekly, and Trinidad, which easily wins my vote for the best tacos I’ve ever had – order everything, but don’t miss the squash blossoms. You’ll regret nothing.
And the best part is: I walked to all of it.
This was the kind of trip that reminded me how good it feels to fall back in love with life simply by being on foot. I never wanted to stop walking, which is why I was so grateful for my REEFs. They were sturdy enough to take on CDMX’s luscious green sidewalks and surprise rainstorms, yet slim and lightweight enough to keep me feeling put together. Comfort made me curious; curiosity kept me wandering. By the end, I’d covered more miles than I thought possible – and I never once felt like my feet were giving up on me.
I have to acknowledge that we stayed in the most tourist-populated neighborhoods. Mexico City is the largest city in the Americas, and there’s so much more to it than what I saw in Roma, Juárez, and Condesa. The locals I met were kind and beautiful people, many of them commuting over an hour just to work in the neighborhoods we breezed through. It’s a reminder that visiting is a privilege – and that the tourist hubs aren’t the whole story.
Back in LA, I found myself missing Mexico’s vibrancy: the color, the energy, and the walkability. They say Paris is the city for love, but having been to both, I’d argue Mexico City is just as worthy a contender.
Since returning, REEFs have become my default shoe. Our friends now joke that we’re the “REEF couple,” and honestly, they’re not wrong. Zero shame here.
