angelaf

Weird question! However, I have 2 weeks in Paris and love to go for brisk walks for exercise. Everywhere I read that women in their 40's do not wear running shoes! What's a gal to do. I don't want to stick out like a tourist but walking long distances for me requires that. What do Parisian women wear to exercise in public???

Apres_Londee

They wear running shoes and regular exercise clothes. If you're going for a jog or an exercise walk, don't even think twice about wearing your regular gear.

StCirq

If you really are exercising, as in taking brisk walks along the river or in the parks, there is no reason at all not to wear your exercise clothing. You'll see scads of others doing the same. If you're going for high tea at the Intercontinental, though, please change into something nicer.

kerouac

Women wear whatever they want to wear. If it is for athletics, they wear whatever is appropriate for that, and you can see plenty of people running through the streets in the early morning or on weekends. If you are just out all day walking non stop, you should wear the best possible walking shoes for that. Any other footwear is pure folly.

Padraig

I reported of my recent visit to Paris that snug-fitting lycra is popular as exercise garb.

With heels, of course, because no Parisienne would be seen dead in athletic shoes.

Pepper_von_snoot

Bonjour!

Plenty of women in Paris wear trainers. Your assertion is absurd.

Just sit for 15 minutes in the Luxembourg Gardens around noon and you will see hundreds of men and women running through wearing all manner of exercise kit.

Go to Neuilly and watch all the mums wearing trainers taking their kids to school in the morning.

There are too many daft posters with axes to grind on this forum.

Thingorjus

alanRow

As long as you don't look like this

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8-EKvRMhOR...Ko/s400/lb.jpg

Christina

I can't believe than anyone claims that French women won't wear proper exercise gear, including running shoes, when they are actually exercising. You just won't read that "everywhere." YOu may read that they don't wear running shoes to go out at night or as regular shoes around town during the day if you aren't exercising, sure. And that would be real running shoes, not sneaker-type shoes which are actually fairly popular now as regular casual footwear (eg, Puma or Adidas).

I don't think running shoes are really what you should wear as regular shoes, either, and not just as a matter of fashion.

suze

<Everywhere I read that women in their 40's do not wear running shoes!>

That is simply not true.

suze

Parisian women wear exercise clothes *to exercise* same as anyone else, anywhere else.

I think what maybe you are mixing up is the advice sometimes given on this forum not to wear big ole white sneakers around as your every day shoe (and even that is questionable advice imo).

angelaf

Thanks everyone - I thought I would be arrested by the fashion police from some other comments! I would not wear white sneakers anywhere except for exercising, but that's just me I know I will be jogging to get rid of some of those delicious pastries, which I am already dreaming about.... : -)