purple

My husband and I will be going to Venice, Florence and Rome this May. I don't really want to wear Nike's but I need something that will not hold up thru all of walking tours but looks stylish. Any suggestions

Gretchen

Probably if you do a search for "shoes" you will find more than you want to know. I bought 2 pairs of Eccoes 2 years ago 3 days before leaving for Paris and they were incredibly comfortable as well as waterproof. Have not been off my feet!!

Ursula

<BR>I don't know about your feet, purple.<BR>But I love my different pairs of Tod's and they go, wherever I go.<BR>Never have any problem, and believe me, I do a lot of walking.

kathcoll

there's a large section on walking shoes at RickSteves.com<BR>http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti92.html<BR>Personally, I love my Mephistos - but they were horribly expensive, even though I got them from a discount website!

GreenDragon

I'll put in another vote for Ecco's... VERY kind to your feet, and well worth the price. They'll last forever! On a slightly tighter budget, Timberland's will also last. <BR><BR>The added advantage (in my eyes) is you can easily get these brands in NON-white, and therefore be slightly less conspicuously American

buffy888

Wow, I never thought I would say this, but you might want to do a search for Walking shoes on the forum - I know there are lots of discussions of this topic already with many different suggestions.<BR><BR>I can vouch for Merrell Jungle Mocs (they make them for men and women). I was tempted to also buy a pair of the Land's End knock-offs of Merrells, but a co-worker has both and she said the Land's End are not even close to as comfortable. I have seen that L.L. Bean is also now making some, but I haven't tried those. <BR><BR>Whatever you get, make sure you try them out a few times before your trip. You may also want to look into some walking socks (stores such as The Walking Co.) carry them - they are supposed to help prevent blisters.<BR><BR>Good luck.

elaine

Hi<BR>again, if you do that search you'll find recommendations or comments on almost every brand of shoe there is<BR>My walking shoe of choice is Mephisto.<BR>For a pump with just slightly more good looks, there are German shoes called<BR>Theresia M that come in various styles with slightly higher heels.<BR><BR>It is very important that you try on lots of pairs to find the ones that are right for your feet. And wear them at home a few times before you travel with them. Even &quot;good&quot; shoes can give you a blister or rub in the wrong place the first few times.

sandi_travelnut

Josef Seibel &quot;The European Walking Shoe&quot; got me thru 12 hrs a day of walking in Paris and Rockports took me to Italy twice. Never had one seconds of problems or pains with either.

Ann41

I like Eccos in terms of comfort, but their women's shoes are pretty ugly. I found one style I liked, and then they discontinued them. I bought a pair of Ecco hiking boots, but got one of the men's styles.<BR><BR>One note: do not buy any shoe that requires a break-in period. I'd heard that before from my podiatrist, and then I was on the American Podiatrists Association (or some such title) yesterday, and they say the same thing. If the shoe is good, it requires no break-in period, regardless of if it's a dress shoe, running shoe, hiking boot, whatever.

julies

The 1st thing you have to do is figure out if you have narrow, medium or wide feet. I have narrow feet and although I like the European makers the only ones that fit me are Josef Siebel because they run narrow, and Birkenstock because they come in widths. All other European manufacturers come in one width only. I've worn my Siebels all over Europe. Rockport also makes good walking shoes for people who can't just wear the standard width.

in_wyoming

I like the Ecco Mobiles, because they look like a black running shoe in leather. You can walk forever or run for the next train if need be. I think I've invested in all kinds, but always stick to those.

djkbooks

www.deerstags.com

mclaurie

Purple you're right to be worrying about this now. In a way May is a problem because boots will not be an option then. I was in Venice in Dec. &amp; discovered the hard way (pun intended) that rubber soles (not leather) are a must because of the cobble stones. The most fashionable women I saw (mostly French) were wearing Tods which are expensive. Whatever you get (and do break them in before you go) I would suggest bringing along some Dr. Scholl's moleskin and a scissor (not in hand luggage) with which you can cut it. If you get a blister it's a life saver &amp; relatively expensive to buy there. FYI there is a Tod's store in Venice.

JEFF_

Try SAS shoes sold only in their own stores. They come in lots of sizes you won't find with other shoes-like 12½ Slim. Their &quot;Time Out&quot; line looks like a Rockport in black, but fits and feels better. I've warn mine almost daily for three years-ecept when I sent them to their factory to be restored with new soles. They have other styles, too and none are very stylish. But I've decided to give up fashion for comfort.

Debinnova

Purple, I'm getting ready to go to Rome again in July. The first time I went several years ago, I had found here in the states, a great pair of nubuk material (like a black suede)comfy sandle with maybe an inch and a half heel (almost platform type - not spikey). They were called &quot;featherlights&quot; and I wish I still had them. They were designed for walking/traveling and actually weighed next to nothing! They were like wearing tennis shoes - but perfect for the summer day or night. If anyone knows who makes &quot;featherlights&quot; or where they are sold, please let me know!

Sue4

I tried all kinds of walking shoes, usually resorting to Nike's, but not wanting to, in Europe. Then I discovered Mephistos - what a revelation for me!<BR>I walk miles and miles while in Europe, and they are so comfortable. True, as kathcoll said, very expensive. But well worth it, as miserable feet can spoil everything.

Lucy_of_Oz

I love my pair of black ecco sandals with a comfy rippled sole. They do up with a velcro strap &amp; look pretty good I think (I'm a 20-something &amp; they're definteily not grandma-ish).

pegg

I think all the above suggestions are great! The important thing is to try on as many shoes as possible, but many stores do not carry huge selections. I tried Walking Company (something like that), Nordstroms (they have a walking/comfort section), JJill and Naturalizer. I am on the younger side and have never bought &quot;walking&quot; shoes. I wanted a fashionable comfortable shoe with a heel. This is hard to come by. But I was successful with a pair from Naturalizer. If you find your feet like Naturalizer, also check their website - you can always return shoes to the store if you do not like it.<BR><BR>Type 'walking shoes' in the search field and there are great threads - I just came across other suggestions like Josef Siebal, Clarks, Born (Nordstrom carries all these I think).<BR><BR>My friend had me convinced I wanted those clog type shoes, but I would be wary on cobblestone (esp dragging a heavy rolling suitcase).<BR><BR>My husband wore Merrills and that worked out great with jeans and khakis. I think there are so many comfy shoes out there that one should never ever wear running shoes - unless that's the look you are going for..<BR><BR>good luck!

Shelley

I have some Very Comfortable born sandals.I wore them on our trip to France and beyond. They have about a 2 inch heel and are very stylish. I am only 5'2&quot; so I don't usually wear anything lower. They come in black, camel and a darker brown.

bigtyke

I agree with JEFF that SAS shoes are great. They require absolutly no breaking in. More than once I have put on a new pair and gone on a 10 km walk with no discomfort. <BR><BR>The wide selection of sizes is a big plus. I get 13 WIde. I have one friend who used to do week long, 250 km walks in Denmark. SAS shoes were the only ones he could use because his feet would swell two sizes - so he used size 13, 14, and 15 during the week!