Hey everyone,

Many questions like this one have been asked in the past, but I can't find an answer in the archives, so...

Is it possible to get by in Spain with no shoes other than a pair of dressy sneakers? My sneakers are not your usual white Nike tennis shoes -- they're quite nice, black leather with tan highlights, and not designed for athletics.

Because I'm going backpacking in Spain, I'll be doing a lot of walking with all my stuff, so I'd rather not carry shoes around. We'll be going to some casual restaurants and tapas bars, maybe a flamenco show and some clubs... nothing too fancy though.

For those of you who have been to Spain before -- do you think I would be denied entry to anywhere with shoes like these, or would I horribly offend anyone?

Thanks!

I think you'll be fine. Most people won't even notice what you have on your feet. I lived for 6 months in Spain with no footwear other than a pair of army boots and I don't remember having any problems, even if it was 9 years ago.
Anyway, if you start to realise that your shoes aren't smart enough for the places you are visiting, then it'll be an excellent excuse to buy a new pair when you're there! Most Spanish cities I've visited are great for shoe shopping

Hola

I've just returned from 4 weeks in Spain. I wore shorts and sandals (I didn't backpack it so I don't know if this footwear is adequate for walking with a load) everywhere. I found it very casual there because of the heat. On rare occasions I wore more formal footwear.

The best part of Spain is that it's really laid back. You'll be fine.

Adios

Of course you'll be able to socialise dressed like that.

But, if they're the only shoes you're taking, backcountry footpaths in Spain can be VERY steep, and are often no more than an imaginary line, occasionally signed by microscopic stone cairns, across extremely rough country. You really need very good, impeccably fitting, hiking boots to manage it comfortably and safely.

For your purposes, your shoes are fine. No worries.

"dressy sneakers" - well, casual footwear is fine if you intend to do casual things. So of course you can get away with doing casual things in them.

However, for comfort's sake, you might want to take at least one change of shoes with you. I can't imagine it would be terribly pleasant wearing the same pair day in day out.

Hi,
I agree with m_kingdom2. You need just one more pair just to change. I was just in Madrid and Barcelona and
I found that it was very hot and i enjoyed wering flip flops. You might want to bring a light weight pair of sandals that don't take up much room in your backpack.

The other issue is rain. I know it doesn;t all that frequently in Spain but did heavily twice the last time we were there for 3 weeks - and you simply can't continue to walk around in the same pair of soggy or half dry shoes. One pair is never enough.