Contray to popular belief Italy is not a tropical country. In May Rome can be warm or coolish, rain is quite likely - and temps in the 90's are not (that's for late June, July, Aug).

You will defniitly need some sort of light jacket and cotton sweater - and I think flip flops are just a means of ending up with filthy feet and stubbed toes. Sidewalks in Rome are sometimes non-existent (you walk in the street) or one person wide (and cars do park on them at night). You're much better off with comfy walking shoes - that will keep out the rain and dirt.

Girlspytravel, I'd be happy to learn that some types of flip flops are comfy enough for pounding city streets, so I've been doing a bit of investigation. Are these the type yopu mean ? -www.tevadirect.co.uk/catalog/womens-teva-mush-wallpaper-port-p-232.html.

If so I think I'll try ordering some.

I had a look around town yesterday but nowhere seems to stock Tevas. I did find some Rocket Dogs but they didn't seem very padded or look very comfy. I would welcome a link showing me what you mean !

By Dr Scholl's do you mean the wooden ones ? They were quite 'in' when I was a teenager & I used to wear them a lot; but as with any hard sole I don't think a wooden sole would be comfy for walking on pavements all day.

I have these Tevas in black. They are very lightweight, comfy and can be worn with most things.
http://tinyurl.com/2hfloj

No, the Dr. Scholls I am referring to do not have those wooden soles. (I also had those for years). I tried to find them online but had no luck. I wonder if there is a Dr. Scholl's store in Paris (??) They were really great-looking and stylish.

I looked in the Dr Scholl's shop here yesterday but there was nothing remotely cool-looking - maybe those ones are only available on the Continent. (The wooden ones were probably the coolest ) Although there was a sale on, so maybe I should look again when the sale is finished.

I just walked Italy in a pair of polkadot Vans since the shoes I brought absolutely killed my feet even though they were fine at home. Bought the Vans in Venice and never looked back! (And nobody laughed).

KYBOURBON:
Are those really comfy on the cobbles? Are they snug enough to wear @ the forum and Pompeii? 'Cause they look great!

Hi -
Just got back on the 13th - and glad I was prepared, having checked weather.com before we left. I wore everything from tank tops, cardigans, long sleeves, rain gear & a jacket. We had 1 1/2 days of rain, some days in the 60's, some high 70's & extreme humidity. The nights were cool, in the 50's, glad I brought a jacket. So don't forget your layers and have a great trip.

ddstrangg - Everyone's feet are different. I made the mistake of getting a cortisone shot in my foot before my last trip to Italy (heatwave 2003)thinking it would help a problem. Instead it made it worse. I couldn't get regular shoes back on the rest of the trip. I also wore them a bit (not much and not really a good idea) on the Appalachian Trail last summer.

In Italy, I was traveling with a diabetic and she developed blisters. She ended up borrowing a pair of glitzy, cheap, denim flipflips that belonged to my daughter.

My sister swears by Okabashi's. They are supposed to massage your foot as you walk. She buys the Madison style and says it's the most comfortable shoe she owns. She has the black and you can change the ribbons to go with your clothes (she's preppy lol). This website is a bit quirky, but it has more selection than the official Okabashi website. You have to click multiple places to find all the styles and colors.
http://www.shoesthatloveyou.com/