I have a rather exotic sounding ailment known as "peripheral neuropathy" in my feet..what it means is that it hurts like hell to walk any distance on hard surfaces..we are going to Europe in the fall and I would really like to be able to walk as much as possible..would greatly appreciate any advice regarding the best possible shoes for same...thanks

My husband has problem feet and swears by Ecco shoes. But he did just buy a pair of Mephisto and is very happyi with those also. <BR> <BR>Eccos kill my feet. I recently bought a pair of Campers which I love. <BR> <BR>I think every foot is different and you need to go to a good shoe store with a wide selection and see what works best for you. <BR> <BR>Nordstrom's has an excellent shoe department also - and I am told by friends that they take returns on their shoes forever - even AFTER the shoes are worn. <BR> <BR>Donna

Mike, <BR>Actually my own dad also suffers from this condition, you so have my empathy completely. <BR> <BR>Mephistos are alleged to be an almost miraculous boon to the wearer, alas, here in the states they're out of my price range. Mephisto has its corporate headquarters in France; I used Google to locate www.mephisto.com, & e-mailed them, asking them if they could give me locations of their Paris stores. (I'll be in Paris in October & concluded this should be one locale in which prices will be lower than here in the U.S.) Two days later, they kindly e-mailed me a spreadsheet (! Yes!) of several store locations in Paris, with addresses & phone numbers. I'm hoping to obtain a pair & report back here on the comfort level. <BR> <BR>No matter what brand you go with, I would recommend you bring some shoe inserts & change them out. Can't hurt! (Sorry, no pun intended!) <BR> <BR>BC

In my salad days, I sold sneakers and ski boots at a sporting goods store and the best shoe is ALWAYS the one that fits your foot!! No matter how well made the shoe is, if the arch is in the wrong place (for you) or the toe box isn't a good match, it's not the brand for you. I can't wear Nikes or New Balance sneakers for that reason; plenty of people swear by them. <BR>Mephisto is a very good brand of shoe, but so are Clarks, Rieker, Ecco, etc. You need to try several different brands on (and make sure you always try them on both feet and later in the day after you've been walking around; don't try a shoe on early in the morning or it will be too tight in the real world). Don't get a shoe that's too flat or doesn't have enough support. And don't just try them on in the plushly carpeted shoe store; see how they wear on a harder surface (we always let customers walk--within visual range, of course--on the harder mall floors to get a better idea of the shoe's cushion). <BR>BTilke

Mike- my husband wears both Eccos and Mephistos here in the states--however,for our last European jaunt he took his Mephistos for the heavy duty walking...Buy one pair here and if you are anywhere in France or Monaco, get another pair---he did and he siad price was 1/2 of US prices!!1 This was 2 weeks ago.

I find Merrill "moccassins" to be great. They are sort of slip on shoes that sort of look like sneakers but you can get them in black so if you wear pants they just look like non-descript black shoes. I wore them every day for 10 days walking all over London and Paris and didn't get a single blister.

I bought a a pair of Finns sandals, broke them in a few hours at a time, then walked 6 blocks. It took a month for the blisters to heal and another month for the scars to fade. <BR> <BR>I then bought a pair of Mephisto sandals that are not so ugly as some of the others I have seen and I think I have died and have gone to heaven. <BR> <BR>They are so comfortable and offer a lot cushioning. But you really have to try a few different styles and each store that I have been to have different styles too. These ones have a very thick sole and a bit of a heel.

Sorry, I just saw that you are a "Mike" so the ladies sandal tip won't help you but I know that my father-in-law has been wearing his Mephistos for years and swears by them.

Yes,Its me again. Sigh. Book chick , would you mind mailing me the addresses of the Mephisto stores. I would love to get another pair at a better price.

Lisa, <BR>I will e-mail you directly at your e-mail address. <BR>Best Wishes, <BR>BC

There is a shoe store on Rue Cler that has a very good selection of Mephistos. We went to two Mephisto stores in Paris and found that the shop on Rue Cler had a better, IMO and for what I wanted, selection. I can't remember the name, but it was on Rue Cler very near Avenue la Motte Picquet. It's a very tiny shop, but the had lots of good shoes. If you wear the right size, they even had some Mephistos on sale. My feet have been happy since I found the right shoes for them! <BR> <BR>

Ilene, where do you get the Merrill <BR>moc.? They sound great. Thanx.

Arche shoes made in France are heavenly. <BR>Also available in US. (Not sure where) <BR>A little expensive in US but well worth the money. <BR>I know they have them at Galleries Lafayette in Paris. <BR>You must try them!

A year or two ago, Consumer Reports <BR>did a study of walking shoes, and their <BR>testers concluded that Mephitos were <BR>not materially better than the top <BR>rated shoes, which were considerably <BR>less expensive. I've never worn them, <BR>but I have worn about twenty pairs of <BR>Rockport Pro-walkers, and I think <BR>they're great. <BR> <BR>Happy travels, <BR> <BR>Gerry K

Arche has shops in NYC. The shoes are also available in Neiman Marcus stores and and some Nordstoms.

Wow! That was my first message on this website..what a bunch! Thank you all for taking the time to respond with your very helpful messages.. <BR>an "enlightened" Mike

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I also have terrible feet and indeed there is a lot of walking in Europe (but well worth it of course). Have tried Ecco, but found them to be not as supportive or cushiony as would have liked. <BR>Returned from Italy about 6 weeks ago and happily have found the shoe I will ALWAYS take with me....feet didn't hurt once,, they only got tired. It is the New Balance #810 mens...comes in black and white (black better for Europe). I am a lady, but found the mens "last" fits me better...and do many other women. I inserted a gel liner by Scholl.

Before our trip to Paris in March we went to the Walking Company to shop for shoes. Husband is incredibly picky about shoe fit because otherwise his feet HURT from a Morton's neuroma. He found a pair of Mephistos (in only about 5 minutes of trying--a record) and has never looked back. I found 2 pairs of Eccos and am also a very happy camper. But the interesting thing to me was that one pair of Eccos that I really really liked just did not fit my foot. I know that sounds elementary but I think the reason these shoe makes are so good is that they are NOT all made on the same last as I think many other manufacturers are. For example I can never wear some shoe makes because their last is just wrong for me. By the way, we bought these shoes on Saturday and left on Tuesday--NO problems!!

I prefer SAS shoes. They are so comfortable that I have put a new pair on and done a 10 km walk without any breaking in necessary. They come in a very wide range of sizes and widths.