Your next vacation may be a sprint or a marathon, but either way it’s likely to be tough on your feet. Between the airport schlepping, the city exploring and the standing in line, you may be limping before you fly home.

But you don’t have to sacrifice your heels, toes and arches on behalf of wanderlust. Experts say there are ways to prepare your feet for the journey — and tools you can pack to help on the road.

“Travel can be like exercise; it’s just an entirely different way of life, and it’s something that shouldn’t be taken lightly,” said Rachel Prusynski, a physical therapist and assistant professor at the University of Washington. “You want to train for it like you would if you were running a marathon.”

Prusynski, podiatrists and fitness trainers shared tips for keeping your vacation from killing your feet.

How to choose shoes — and break them in

Depending on the type of trip and weather, you might want to pack hiking boots, sneakers, walking sandals or all three.

Do not under any circumstances buy these shoes the day before your trip. And don’t necessarily rely on your trusty old pair. If you’ve been wearing shoes regularly for more than six months and the heel is uneven and sole worn in, it’s probably time to invest in a new pair, said Adenike Sonaike, a podiatrist with Baker Street Health in Motion.

She said a hiking boot should be lightweight, but have a good grip. She recommended putting boots through their paces at least twice for an hour ahead of a trip. She also likes merino wool socks — or a blend with other materials, for warm weather — because they wick sweat away from feet, which helps prevent blisters.

Most travelers opt for running shoes on their trips, which experts recommend: A pair requires less breaking in, and the shoes offer stability for all types of walking.

Priya Parthasarathy, a podiatrist and physician spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association, said it’s a good idea to have a podiatrist evaluate your step and the type of support you might need. She recommends buying shoes a month ahead of a trip. They should have some flex in the toes, should not be able to fold completely in half and should have a firm heel cup, she said.

“I always tell patients that the shoe should feel good in the store,” she said. “If it hurts in the store, the shoe is not for you.”

She suggested shopping at the end of the day, when your feet might already be swollen from a day of activity.

Fit For Trips founder Marcus Shapiro, a hiking and fitness coach, said that even though walking or running shoes don’t require a lot of breaking in, people should wear them well in advance to see whether the feet develop any “hot spots.” If so, he said they should change their socks or put a bandage on the sensitive area before a trip.

Bring a backup pair of shoes in case irritation develops from heavy use of the main pair, experts say. Hiking sandals with straps or Birkenstocks could be good options to add to the mix, especially if the weather will be warm.

“Avoid any type of flip-flop; you’ll roll out of those,” Sonaike said.

What to pack to relieve foot pain

Sonaike recommends that people who plan to do a ton of walking bring a “podiatry first aid kit.” That should include:

• A low-profile orthotic, which could be custom-made or over-the-counter

• Alcohol wipes to clean cuts, blisters or ingrown toenails, because feet are “a dirty place,” and you want to avoid infections

• Blister bandages

• Powder to sprinkle between toes and blister-prone areas

• Compression socks

Applying a pain-relief cream and wearing compression socks can help alleviate tendon pain during the trip, Sonaike said. A foot roller or tennis ball can also help roll out arches and ease pain.

Parthasarathy suggests bringing recovery sandals to wear in the hotel room, which offer support and cushioning after a long day on your feet. She said Voltaren gel is a good anti-inflammatory to help relieve pain.

Prusynski, an American

Physical Therapy Association spokesperson, said she will often recommend one or a pair of foldable trekking poles.

“That can help take some pressure off,” she said, and they can help people avoid falls while walking.

How to train for heavy-duty walking

If you spend a lot of time at your desk but are planning a week of constantly being on your feet, it’s better to build up to the activity. Going too hard too fast can lead to tendinitis or stress fractures, Parthasarathy said.

“You definitely don’t want to go from doing nothing to walking five, 10, 15 miles a day on vacation,” said Michele Stanten, a walking coach and author of books, including “Walk Your Way to Better Health.”

Stanten said travelers should give themselves at least a month to get ready and should make sure their practice reflects the kind of walking they’ll do on vacation. She recommends starting with five to 10 minutes of walking a day, then increasing slowly. Build up to longer walks of an hour or two, maybe on the weekend when there’s more time.

She added: “If you’re planning a trip in the spring, start now — there’s no reason to wait.”

Prusynski says a two-month training window is even better. She suggests wearing a bag similar to what vacationers would carry so you’re accustomed to that additional weight. If your vacation destination will include terrain different from your norm, like cobblestones, seek that out and practice.

She even recommends building endurance for standing, since so much vacation time happens in museums or in theme park lines. She increases her time at a standing desk at work before vacation.

Shapiro divides preparation into a “base phase” and a “peak phase”; the base period of building a walking practice can begin 10 to 12 weeks before a trip.

Once you get closer to the trip, it’s time to set some milestone challenges:

• Six weeks before a trip: increase your mileage

• Four weeks before a trip: add more miles

• Two weeks before a trip: try long walks on back-to-back days

He said if a trip will be hilly, preparation should include walking on hills or on an incline on a treadmill. Practice going up and down stairs if there will be stairs on the trip.

Stanten encourages strength training as part of the preparation, especially planks, crunches, lunges, squats and balancing moves. Sonaike recommends calf stretching and strengthening exercises in advance and during a trip to keep the Achilles’ tendon flexible. When people start moving more without adequate stretching, the tendons can pull and lead to heel pain and arch pain.

“That’s when you start to see people hobbling,” she said.

Give your feet a break

Take time during busy days of walking to sit and put your feet up, Stanten said. Do the same at the end of the day to relieve swelling; go even further by laying on the floor and putting your legs up on the wall.

“It’s very relaxing,” she said. “Close your eyes, hang out in the position.”

Rolling a cold or frozen water bottle under your feet can also help aches, Stanten said. A tennis ball could also do the job.

Shapiro recommends sitting cross-legged and running your thumbs from under the heel to toes to stretch the feet at night and in the morning.

Icing down your feet and soaking them in an Epsom salt bath can help reduce inflammation, podiatrists said. It’s important to do a stretching routine after putting in thousands of steps on vacation, Parthasarathy said.

“It’s almost like thinking of yourself as an elite soccer player,” she said.