Comfy travel shoes.
 

Everyone says "bring comfortable shoes... you'll do a lot of walking!" Can anyone suggest a great pair of comfy (and hip) pair of shoes for a woman of 30? I don't mind investing in a good pair.

You can do a search on this site for ecco, mephisto and some other names that escape me for previous [spirited] threads on this topic. <BR> <BR>Having said that I swear by Easy Spirits, and was seldom out of my Ecco sandals on my last trip to Hungary and Macedonia.

I have been wondering about this myself. I looked at Ecco & Mephisto shoes and I feel that they are MUCH too old ladyish for me (I am also 30). In fact my 67 year old mother thinks they are too old ladyish for her. I have a pair of Nine West shoes that are pretty comfortable but they are open toe sandals. I will be going on a search and will let you know what I find. I have been asking all my friends and we have not been able to come up with any good ideas. If worse comes to worse I will have to be a (gasp)typical American and wear my Nike running shoes. I really do not give a rat's ass if I look like an American tourist since in 4 weeks time it may be difficult for me to lose my Midwest accent, adopt an Irish brogue, a British accent and speak French fluently. Please post any shoes that you find that will not make me look like a Grandma attending the church social.

lynn: ecco has many very "hip" styles to <BR>choose from. find out what store in your area carries them or look at their web site. I recently saw many pairs in <BR>NYC shoe store that I'd wear any time or <BR>place. All my friends swear by them, as <BR>do all Fodorites who've worn 'em to Europe. I'll be getting a pr. for my Oct trip to Italy. Regards.

Munro American. My 17-year-old daughter borrows my black flats all the time, the sandals look good, and they maked sort of ankle boot lace-ups and other styles too. VERY comfortable, I'm surprised more people don't mention them

I'm sold on having multiple pairs of walking shoes, even if the second pair is not your "best" . The change in tightness, elevation, etc., etc, of an alternate pair is a great relief. After deciding on any of the above recommendations, I would suggest taking another pair of shoes you already consider comfortable. Yeah, I know it violates all those light packing rules-- okay by me! <BR> <BR>FYI, the Nordstrom web site has tons of shoes, including most of the brands mentioned above. They allow FREE return shipping, so you can justify ordering several and trying them for several days. Shipping policy may only be for charge customers-- better double check.

A very important consideration believe me. I have sometimes had the right shoes and sometimes not. The main thing I have always been told is that the shoes should have thick rubber soles. Since thick soles are in style now that should be fairly easy. For my trip to Rome this summer I had bought a pair of Keds that had thick rubber soles. Since I wear them all the time at home and find them very comfortable I decided they were going to be the main shoes in Rome. First day---my little toes ached and ached from the pressure on them---never have done this at home--who knows. So I had brought a pair of sandals and decided to try them the next day---somewhat better but because my toes were so sore from the day before, it was still painful by early afternoon. I bought a pair of Reeboks in Rome and never took them off the rest of the week. Didn't look the best with my outfit of the day but they sure felt better--although it took several days for me to completely get over the first day shoes. <BR> <BR>Last year I went to Paris----bought a pair of Naturalizers. Didn't have a THICK sole, but it was rubber. I carried a pair of tennis shoes with me-just in case. The Naturalizers were GREAT!!! Wore them all week, no problem. <BR> <BR>I guess my point is, you never know until you get there if you've brought the right shoes or not. Make sure you pack a pair of tennis shoes, Just In Case!!!

I always wear Easy Spirits - black ones. We go to Europe in April so black is the color that most folks are wearing anyway so they look fine. Perhaps they are not the most elegant of all shoes, but comfort over glamour wins out everytime for me! I've done the sore feet bit, never again. One thing I've noticed is that no one really looks at your feet all that much. I've found that black slacks & black Easy Spirit shoes blend in together and work for me.

When I made my first trip abroad, I went to my local Goodwill and purchased a pair of Bass hiking shoes for .99. They are the best shoes I've ever owned and held up under 2 weeks of steady hiking/walking, and I've worn them all this past year too. I highly recommend them.

You might look into Aerosoles. They're not as sturdy as some of the expensive Euro. brands and don't ave as much arch support, butrealy flexible, thick rubber soles that are comfy, anf Younger, hipper styles.

Clark's are great!! I brought one pair with me to Italy in June-- wore them with dresses, shorts, pants etc... we walked many miles a day and I had no problems---even the rest of my family had Clark's and are feet were great!!! <BR>They are the best! <BR>Mary

Years of independent travel, on and off trains, dragging luggage and travel companions from here to there, walking miles and miles over cobblestones, and I swear by Aerosoles and EasySpirits. I iterate Robin's suggestion - more than one pair! Black seems to be the most practical (they don't show the dirt), and I usually have one pair of tie shoes and one pair of slip-ons. <BR> <BR>Try to go barefoot as much as possible; pack a pair of cheap flipflops (excellent for the trip down the hall to the toilet or into that iffy shower) and wear them around the hotel whenever possible. If it's possible, take off your shoes and walk in the grass - it revitalizes tired, hot, achy feet!

For years I have sworn by my Bass bucks, but last year in Paris they absolutely killed my feet. So I did the dreaded, oh no, New Balance sneakers. This year I swore that I would search for comfy walking shoes. After reading many, many posts about this subject in this forum, I just bought a pair of Easy Spirit walking shoes called Morro. The seem to be comfortable - in the store anyway - black nubuck lace ups with lace ties. $59.00 they come in black and brown. Opted for the black since I intend to bring mostly black pants for our upcoming trip to France. Have also seen a pair of walking shoes by New Balance in the New Balance store at 42nd and 5th in NYC, but they were $82.00. Going to look at them again though, since I have always had luck with New Balance.

Last time I went to Paris I made the mistake of taking clogs, which I LOVE, but wound up with terrible plantar fasciitis (heel pain) that took almost 10 months to go away. Had to buy a pair of really ugly black leather French athletic shoes to even make it through the week. To lessen the risk of this, it is important to have heel support with closed heels preferred, and they also advised against going barefoot because it supposedly pounds the regenerating tissue and is bad for it.

Hi, <BR> <BR>I still think a good pair of hiking boots will do the trick. (for many outfits, anyway - and if you are planning to wear sneakers anyway - I think the boots look a little better and give you more support). <BR> <BR>Oddly enough, the big chunky flip flops you see out there (by Steve Madden) are THE most comfortable (summer) shoes I have ever had. This is my second summer with them - I wear them EVERYWHERE and I do mean everywhere. I walked 9 miles on July 4th with them (don't ask - let's just say Metro was completely packed, well into Arlington) and I felt fine. very very bouncy comfortable sandals. The instep is flexible elastic (almost a Lycra blend or something) and they form fit to your feet. Plus they are completely open so your feet can breathe. Don't knock 'em until you've tried 'em. (now, would I want to lug a ton of luggage wearing them, that I cannot say. but daily walking - AOK.) <BR> <BR>Beth

I think the reason many shoes are disappointments when you get them to Europe is that your feet are swollen from the plane ride and change of atmosphere and then you start immediately walking on them for probably 3 times the number of hours that you normally do. I actually had to buy new shoes once in Mexico and when I returned home with feet less swollen they are useless as they fall off now! Would suggest taking at least one pair that is adjustable--ie, lace ups, Reeboks etc. just in case. If you buy black walking shoes they are less noticeable with black slacks and you'll have a happier expression on your face. I save my prettier shoes for evenings when I won't do as much walking and will wear a skirt. Still stick with black Easy Spirits, however. For warm weather, Clark's sandals with the velcro straps are heaven! And, don't forget the moleskin--just in case!

All good advice from previous posters. I especially agree that you can't depend on one pair of shoes. I am taking 3 pairs on my upcoming trip - I have a pair of Aerosoles in navy (I wear a lot of navy and they look ok), a pair of older black Clark sandals (they look a little worn, but they'll be good when we're at the beach) and a new pair of sandals called Fly Flot. I had never heard of this brand before, but I happened to come upon a sale at the foot care centre of a local hospital. They were selling mephisto, ecco, etc., all the sensible well known brands, as well as this brand. I think they are Italian. They look quite stylish in black and are extremely comfortable. Price was very reasonable as well.

I always have feet/shoe problems, even at home. Last year on my way to the UK I had a one day stopover in Vienna, well I walked all day in a pair of K Shoes that I had been wearing for a year at home. I took them because they were my most comfortable.. HA! I ended up with HUGE blisters on the soles of my feet, besides all kinds of other problems. After that not even my Reeboks were comfortable and ended up buying Nikes, no luck, but with the help of blister plasters and toes bandaged, etc, I managed to limp my way through a six week trip. I can still feel the pain just thinking about it! This past May we again set off for the UK, then on to Italy and back to the UK for four weeks. On my first day in the UK I bought a pair of Clarks springer sandals (style-sundrift 3, black leather)That was the best thing I ever did. I wore them EVERYDAY for the whole trip, they were amazing, I never want to wear anything else. On the next trip I shall be bringing back the whole range, that's after I've slaved for a few years to pay for them!! They are THE BEST. You can check them out here <BR>http://www.shoesdirect.co.uk/acatalo...Shoes_122.html <BR>Good luck with the shoes Lynn, and everyone else : )

Kam's note about feet swelling in the plane reminds me . . . buy shoes late in the day when your feet are hot/puffy/tired!! This makes a huge difference (pun intended). This rule also applies to rings, but probably not needed as often. <BR>

Regardless of what you buy, just make sure you buy your shoes as far in advance as possible and wear them quite a bit beforehand (gradually) so your feet get accustomed to them. If you "break them in" while you're there you'll have blisters all over. <BR> <BR>I'm roughly the same age as you. For lace-up walking/hiking shoes I like New Balance -- found a pair of lightweight waterproof Gore-Tex ones that are fab. I don't wear these for city walking though. I certainly wouldn't describe them as "hip," but comfy, yes. Recently bought a pair of Easy Spirit slides also (part of the "Anti-Gravity" line) and they are great-looking but do get uncomfortable after wearing them for several hours. I do think Easy Spirit shoes are getting better looking than they used to be, but then I wonder is that just my increasing age showing? <BR> <BR>Actually my favorite pair of "city" walking shoes, particularly for travel, are a pair of black loafers with about a one-inch foam heel and sole. They are very comfy and go with everything from pants to skirts, easy to slip on and off. I love them and am already looking for another pair to replace these when they wear out.