Leaving for Italy tomorrow!
 

Leaving for Italy (Venice and Florence) tomorrow and need to get advice on what type of shoes are best for walking all day long (sandals/sneakers)!!

Unfortunately, it's a decision better made a few weeks before the trip so the shoes of choice can be given a test run. For me, I prefer closed shoes--don't like all the dust and pebbles that might creep into sandals. But that's a personal preference, not a rule. It might also depend on the kind of shoes you usually wear.

I wear Ecco and Josef Seibel shoes, both of which are comfortable from the moment you put them on--might be handy for you, since you're leaving so soon!

The "Cosmos" model in Ecco is a great sandal. I talked my mother into buying a pair and she happily wore them while climbing the hill towns of Umbria for two months. So, if it passed the Mama inspection...

Yikes. All those shoes above are great, but my recommendation is to take more than one pair - after several days, I noticed that the newer pair wore on my feet in several places, and a change in shoes felt great. I wore ecco sandals, and my feet did get dirty, especially walking around in a location like Florence. Italy is in a real heat wave, so sandals would be cooler.

Are you going shopping today?
If not, take your sneakers, wear your sandals on the plane and bring some socks or peds in case your feet get cold.
I also always want more than one pair of shoes. If you don't have tried and true walking shoes (and for me, Eccos are not comfortable the moment I put them on, I bought Mephistos instead) then you will want sneakers and maybe at least one alternative that's a little less sports looking, or not.

Like ellenem, I too don't find sandals a good walking shoe, not even if they were Eccos or Mephistos--I don't like all the grit getting under my feet.

Take shoes you own that are already broken in. Sneakers, sandals, walking shoes. Take several pair so if one wears a blister you aren't commited to it. Take bandaids. Take socks as an option to cushion whatever you wear. Change footwear 1/2 day.