Best walking shoes?
 

I have terribly wide feet and for hours of walking, nothing beats a good pair of tennis shoes. However, I would like something a little more stylish while I'm in Europe. Any recommendations? Ecco, Clark? Shoes from the Magellan's Travel website? Thanks!

Sue

Crocs

Prada Sport.

Try SoftSpots, available at a number of sites.

Merrell or Clark. Or Privo by Clark's. I have somewhat wide feet and they all work well for me. But try several brands on and see what works for you. And walk in them A LOT before you go on the trip.

I also have really wide feet and was having a hard time finding shoes for my upcoming trip to Paris. I bought a pair of really comfortable Born shoes at Dillard's on their end of season sale. They fit beautifully and are known to have added room at the front for swollen feet after walking. I've been wearing them for weeks and they are really comfy.

Try this site. They have shoes from all sorts of great manufacturers all in one place in lots of widths. And we ordered from them last night and found a code on the internet to get 20% regular priced shoes!

http://www.footsmart.com
code: WB999629

My husband has basically a brown pair of tennis shoes that he wears in Europe. I saw many things like that on the footsmart site.

Finn Comfort or birkenstocks.

Doh! That should read 20% OFF regular priced shoes.

Hey kelliebellie, my DW is waiting for her first shipment from footsmart. They were the only ones that we could find on the internet that specialized in the odd sizes. I wish we had your code last week!

If they haven't shipped the order yet, you can call them and get the code entered. My mil ordered before we found the code, but since half of her stuff was backordered, we cancelled everything that didn't ship and reordered with the code.

I'm not sure of the expiration date of the code. It worked last night, but you never know when it will disappear.

KB, we'll look in to it, thanks.

Puma H streets went around the world with me and didn't let me down once. Granted, they are tennis shoes and come in eccentric colors, but they are sooo comfortable.

You asked for "stylish" shoes and you're not looking at them, you may as well wear what you have pre-Europe.

These shoes all look clumpy, and scream "American tourist", not that there's anything wrong with that beside the obvious lack in aesthetics and neuroses associated with it. Jil Sander for Puma, Prada Sport, DKNY (even), Chanel, etc. etc. etc. all do trainers which are just as comfortable and far more stylish!

After suffering from foot problems for many years, my GP finally sent me to a foot doctor who insisted that I wear Brooks Addiction walking shoes. My feet have never felt so good and now I wouldn't go anywhere without them. Style is subjective but the plain black ones look good with jeans or slacks.

My philosophy is that if your feet feel good, you're happy and if you're happy you look a whole lot better. People look at your smile and not your feet.

They're available in wide widths and there are several different variations of walkers and runners. You can buy them online.

Most of the rubber soled offerings from Tods should meet both your comfort and style concerns.

paul greens from nordstrom. expensive but the best ..

kelliebellie,
Thanks for the link and discount code! I just ordered two pairs of shoes, and was pleased with the prices.

Questions about recommendations for shoes are always hard because it's so personal. What works for one person'may be totally inappropriate for another person. I can't wear Birkenstock, though a friend swears that she can't wear anything else. If you have problem feet, it's especially difficult to know what will work. That's my $.02 worth!
Paule

Munro shoes come in wide width, and you can find them at Nordstrom's.

SAS. They are leather, don't scream 'American Tourist' and the most comfortable walking shoes I have ever worn, and I have wide feet and bunions. I walk in them at least two miles a day. They are expensive, however.

More....if you google 'SAS shoes' it will take you to a site called where you will find all kinds of information about walking shoes, including a poll of which are most comfortable. I will try to put the link here..not sure if it will work...but the google works.
http://walkingabout.com/cs/shoes/l/blshoepoll95.htm.

Hey try these shoes they are $$$$ but outstanding and can be resoled over and over agfain and come in more than just tie ups now!!
Mephistos!!!!

If you have a Famous Footwear somewhere near you, I recommend looking for their Eurostep shoe. I paid $40 for the ones I have, and my feet are comfy after a long day of walking -- MORE comfy than my Josef Seibels that I shelled out $125 for.

Happy travels,

Jules

I have tried many different shoes. I too was like you, in tennis shoes because of the support as I have a bad back. Was so thrilled to discover Mephistos when I was in France. Yes, though they are expensive, I now own 5 pairs. They have wonderful walking shoes and the most comfortable sandals by the name of Helen. They come in just about any color and can be worn walking all day!

sjde53 - Two days ago I slipped my tootsies into a pair of "Leap-CF" leather walking shoes made by HOTTER (www.hotter.com) I too have broad feet and most shoes tend to grip much to tightly. These were just glorious!

i, too , am a mephisto person. i wear my "helen" sandals every day except for our 2-3 days of winter. however, i am not fond of their dress shoes. i have tried on every pair of dressy walking shoes in houston and dallas without finding the perfect blend of walking shoe and styling to wear with a skirt. taryn rose is just too pricy for me. any suggestions?

Paul Green, SAS, Mephisto. There are many more Paul Green selections on Zappos.com (and other shoes too) than in stock at Nordstrom, which does carry PG.

And yes, Ecco.

Seconding Hotters. Their shoes don't really enter the stylish category but they are so comfortable. Despite myself, I have become a fan.

I have found that I can walk all day in my Bonita style sandals.

They specialise in extra wide fittings as well.

Sue, I share your problem. "Normal" people don't understand how hard it is to find a proper fit for us. I often travel to Europe to visit relatives and hate to walk around in a nice outfit with athletic shoes.

I don't know what you mean by "really wide" but, for me, most of the above suggestions didn't carry my size. My best bet is usually Zappos.com or, as mentioned above, Munros at Nordstroms. They really comfortable and not too ugly. Here's a link to Zappos:
http://www.zappos.com/n/es/d/7220002.../8/page/1.html

Sue,
My husband and I wanted to walk everywhere in Rome instead of ever using transportation -so we could earn our copious wine and pasta indulgence. That meant about 8 miles a day.
Once you get a blister, you cannot wear the same shoes. I started out with Dr. Scholl's sandals which were a very soft suede -really comfortable. The next day I switched to thong sandals which didn't touch the area the other shoes touched.
It's very important that you have already broken in whatever shoes you set out in - especially thongs. If you haven't already been wearing them, forget it.
Pack band-aids and Neosporin, too.
There are lots of copies of Prada Sport
type shoes that still look chic but are much more affordable.
But the key is variety so that you don't rub the same spots.

Hi travelers.
Looking at your suggested site "Zappos"
Did anyone try Propet Lifewalker? If so, what did you think of them for a person with hurting feet?

I've travelled all over Europe in running sneakers and before each trip I try to find something as comfortable with a little more style. So far nothing beats my sneakers, so I've given up on being stylish. Good luck and in the end go with whatever is comfortable as it's not worth it to have sore feet.

Columbia hiking shoes. They are a dark color, and don't scream SNEAKER. And yes, I have wide feet.
The pair that I got didn't even need to be broken in, they fit that well!

I have a pair of Mephisto that I wore all over Europe and never had a problem. I also have a pair of Receptors by ECCO. Comfortable but a bit more casual. If you have problems with widths, Nordstrom's is the best place. If they don't have it, they'll get it for you.

Second SAS. I have the opposite problem -- narrow feet -- but SAS carries wide widths too. I like the black nubuck which I don't think scream "orthopedic" even though I wear orthotics inside. Even with my ailing feet, I never have problems with my SAS shoes. I have walked more than 10 miles in a day wearing them -- no problems. For the folks who don't have to wear orthotics, SAS shoes come with a great removeable footbed that is comfortable and supportive.

What will they think of next? I saw in the March issue of Budget Travel magazine, This Just In column... Tecnica's new travel shoes, they are billed as lightweight, comfortable, and somehow they latch onto each other and compress for packing. Wacky!

Hiking boots are a good choice when walking. If most of the walking is urban, the type with relatively low ankles is fine. The ankle support from hiking boots comes in handy when you slip on a cobblestone: it can be the difference between just continuing on and losing one or more hours or days to a sprained ankle.

So glad to see all the Mephisto fans out there. Six years ago I bought a pair of their "walking sandals" for a trip to Israel. Snobby friends in NYC made a bit of fun at my practical sandals. It is now 6 years later, I own another pair of their sandals and my husband bought both their rubber sole shoes which can pass as almost dressy and his own walking sandals.

They conform to your feet after wearing them a few times. The first pair I bought in NY. My husband found his in Sienna and Chamonix. I got my second pair of sandals in Montreal. They apparently are very popular and all over the world. Worth every penny. I have very happy feet. And I don't think they are that unfashionable. Better than athletic shoes.

I have wide feet, too and love Merrell's... I have five pairs!!! I bought a couple of Ecco but it didn't fit me at all, so I gave it to my mom with narrower feet, and she loved them.