Momliz

Anyone tried earth shoes? I've been looking at them on zappos, and some are adorable, and I think they might be perfect for my plantar fasciitis. It's been a very long while since I wore any...

djkkk

Merrell's, Mephistos, or believe it or not, Sketchers. I took Merrells and Sketchers on my Vegas trip last year where we did ALOT of walking. They worked out great. From my experience, you'll need to "break in" the Mephistos before wearing them for several hours at a time. That's what I was told by the salesman when I bought mine, and he was right.

dancerrus

Merrells are the BEST shoes to take abroad! I bought a pair two days before leaving for Europe for four months - and they were my one and only. I never had one blister, one moment of discomfort, nothing. They are great - and I wore them when I returned to Europe last month. They are a little dressier, too, so they fit in absolutely anywhere.

h0b0

I'm wearling my Merrell "chameleon" boots and taking dressier Ecco black shoes and an almost weightless pair of Crocs on my upcoming France/Spain trip.

panucci

I really like Walking Cradles. They are hard to find, but Zappos does carry them. I've worn them to Italy twice and France once without ANY problems. I also look for shoes that have velcro in multiple places, like the heal and the toe. That way if my fett swell or I get a blister I can adjust as needed.

loisco

I thought I posted here but it disappeared?...anyway, have narrow feet, and lots of foot problems. Just got new orthotics so I am ready to go...

Finally decided to avoid problems and I am taking black SAS shoes and black Asics sneakers. Black sneakers don't stick out as much I don't think. They are really hard to find though. I have realized that comfort is primary.

Linds

I was wondering if my Diesel trainers would be sniffed at in Paris, but when I went there last weekend after a week of walking in London, I decided my sore feet wouldn't allow me to wear anything else. Sure, it's winter right now and cold enough that people aren't really thinking about fashion, but I found that many people on the street (not just tourists!) were wearing something similar. They're sleek, not your typical clunky tennis shoes, and I didn't feel conspicuous in them at all. (I'm in my 20's though, so maybe the jeans-and-trainers wardrobe is more forgivable?)

The best advice I can give you, though, is to start walking every day right now. Toughen up your feet a little before you get there, and you'll be so much more comfortable during your trip. A couple of summers ago, I started running every day about 2 months before I left for England, and I barely had any problems with sore feet. This trip, I was lazy beforehand, and believe me, my feet paid the price, even in my most comfortable shoes! Ouch!

sjde53

I do walk 2-3 miles a day anyway. But in tennis shoes. Ideally I'd like to find a pair that can go from jeans during the daytime to dressier black pants in the evening. Tough to do.

Sue

BabsB

I love my Rockport Robin Points that I purchased at Zappos. I have several pairs in different colors. Had to stock up in case they quite making them. They are lightweight and extremely comfortable. When we were in Europe we saw lots of colorful Pumas. The Robin Points are similar and I felt like I fit right in. Barb

McShane

My favorite topic! 10 years ago I took the advice of traveling with broken in shoes too much to heart and packed soft, broken in Rieker's with me to the Czech Republic. One wrong step on cobblestones and I broke a bone in my foot! Now I make sure I bring 2 pairs of good shoes that have sturdy support when I travel.

Earth shoes - don't buy them if you already have plantar fasciatis! I was starting to get a bit of plantar fasciatis last year and thought earth shoes would be just the thing...ouch! It stretched my heel out even more for instant pain. Right before a trip to Ireland... So I went back to my shoe salesperson and told her I was desperate for comfortable sandals. She knows me well and asked "how desperate?" before showing me SAS sandals. They are like walking on air. Not stylish (to say the least) but oh so comfortable and well made!

For a recent trip to DC & NY I brought La Canadienne boots and Finn Comfort oxfords. Both were good, especially the Finn Comfort with amazing arch support.

I've also had good luck with Softspots (soft but w/ sturdy heels and steel shanks,) with Naots and Wolkies. Sierra Trading Post often has great prices on Mephisto.

I agree about not wearing running shoes when traveling - even though it's hard to find just the right replacement! Zappo's is great, by the way.

TamaraEden

Right now I'm toying with two different pairs of shoes. I don't like sneakers, I mostly wear casual slacks not jeans. So I was looking for black, casual enough for jeans but dressy enough for slacks. I bought a pair of Munro slip ons at Nordstroms, a little out of my budget. I bought these in case the one's I ordered through walkingonacloud.com don't fit. From that site I ordered Geox Connection. I ordered the wrong size so now I'm waiting for the right size and I'll pick between the two.

I was told to bring 3 pairs of shoes
I will bring some Aerosole boots with a slight heel. Cute with slacks or skirts for night time, but not all day walking. One pair of walking shoes, and maybe one pair of casual walking shoes that I already own, just in case the others get rained on or are not totally comfy. My dillema, I wanted one pair of heels too. But, cobblestone and heels are a bad fit

NYerr

What about for walking in the heat of summer. Or what is comfortable to walk in the heat with a skirt or gauchos.
It's easier in the colder weather when you are wearing slacks.
Certainly not sneakers?
Are espadrilles comfortable for walking?

P_Texas

In my quest for both comfort and fashion, the shoe salesman at nortstrom brought me a pair of "helles". i'm not familiar with the brand but they are advertised as "fashion and comfort". they were both on first inspection, i'll ttt in a few weeks with the final answer.

sjde53

What I want is something that's cushioned with good arch support, yet lightweight.

Sue

dwhitten

I, too, have wide feet and a number of foot problems that make comfortable and roomy shoes a necessity. Hush Puppies makes some "Zero Gravity" shoes that look much better than athletic shoes but provide as much or better comfort. I spent two weeks walking all over England and Scotland in mine, without a single problem. They come in both Wide and Extra Wide sizes. What is more, they are far less expensive than most of the other brands mentioned so far. I am often able to find them at discount prices online at FootSmart, Zappo's, or ShoeMall.