The Art of Wandering Without a Plan: A Love Letter to Slow Travel | RES IPSA

The Art of Wandering Without a Plan: A Love Letter to Slow Travel | RES IPSA

The French have a word for it: flâner. It means to wander without a plan. But flânerie is more than walking without a destination. It’s a way of moving through the world — slowly, with curiosity, letting the city unfold as it wants to. It’s the rhythm between the places you think you’re going and the moments that find you along the way.

Some of our favorite walks have no agenda at all. In New York, it’s leaving dinner in K-Town and wandering down Broadway, cutting across 23rd with a stop at the Hotel Chelsea. In Paris, it’s the stretch from the Opera to our store, passing through the Louvre and pausing for ramen and a thank you so much bubble tea on Rue Saint-Anne. In Tokyo, we love the route from Harajuku to Shibuya Crossing, carried along by the crowd. In Austin, it’s South Congress Avenue. In London, it’s the walk from Marylebone to Soho. In Nantucket, it’s the walk down India Street, past our store, weaving through downtown until Easton Street opens up toward Brant Point Lighthouse. These walks don’t live on a checklist. They live in our memories because they were never meant to be destinations.


South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas


Tokyo, Japan


London, United Kingdom


Paris, France


Paris, France

The best parts of wandering are often the things you never plan for. A storefront that catches your eye. A mural that makes you stop. The smell of something cooking down the block. In Marrakech, a detour through narrow alleyways led us to a quiet courtyard stacked with forgotten textiles — misfit pieces that would inspire a collection. In Essaouira, it was climbing a set of stairs to Ruly’s Ramen, a tiny shop above the seaside with one low table and a steaming bowl that made us stay a little longer. And in Santa Monica, there’s a certain golden hour when walking toward the water feels like its own kind of ritual.


New York, New York


Austin, Texas


Los Angeles, California


Essaouira, Morocco


Vienna, Austria

The shoes you wear become part of the walk. Our kilim clogs and loafers have carried us across continents, through airports, along cobblestone streets, over boardwalks, and into hidden corners. The right shoes make wandering feel effortless. When your feet are comfortable, you see more.

At our core, we believe that every person should travel as far as they can as often as they can. We believe that travel is important because it opens minds and hearts. Flânerie isn’t about checking off landmarks. It’s about paying attention to what finds you when you’re not chasing anything at all.

Wherever we go, we wander this way. With curiosity as our compass, and a good pair of shoes to take us there.

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