Shelliac

My husband and I are going to France, Italy, and Spain in September for 4 weeks. After 25 years of marriage and 4 children, we are finally going on our honeymoon. I have never been out of the US. <BR> <BR>I came across this site and it has been more than helpful. However most of the people in the site write that you must pack light and if possible only 2 pairs or so of walking shoes. <BR> <BR>I am the type of person (please do not be nasty to me) that has several pairs of shoes, and probably wear a pair of shoes for each day of the week. I cannot see myself wearing 2 or 3 pairs of shoes for 4 weeks! I think it would unsanitary, the shoes would probably start to smell (just my opinion). We plan to go to nice places and restaurants at night, I need to take some nice shoes. <BR> <BR>Please I do not know what to do? How many pairs, what should I take? I have a dilemma. <BR>I was planning on taking 12 to 14 pairs of shoes, and 10 pairs of shoes for my husband. <BR>With all those shoes I am packing two huge bags, and 3 medium carry-ons plus my purse. Please help me reduce my luggage, or advice what to do about the shoe dilemma.

Capo

Hi Shelliac. If you don't mind schlepping all that luggage around -- or paying someone else to do it for you -- then I'd say bring as many pairs of shoes as you'd like. Just bear in mind that others have learned from experience that, once they get to Europe, schlepping a lot of luggage around isn't worth it. <BR> <BR>Why do you think that wearing two or three pair of shoes for four weeks would be unsanitary?

Katherine

Maybe you could start out with two pairs (I'd say tennis or walking shoes and sandals that can double for dressy) and buy some along the way!

annon

I'm not sure you are for real, but if so, I would do no more than 3 (2 walking and 1 dress) and that is pushing it. If sanitary concerns, wear socks. I just returned from 2 weeks in Europe. I had 4 pairs and lived in 1 pair of very good walking shoes. It was far more important to be comfortable than stylish. I also had 1 large suitcase and far too stuff in it; I would never pack that much again. With all your traveling, it will become very painful to haul all that stuff around.

Dennis

Shelliac, <BR> <BR>I consulted my wife on this dilemma. She also enjoys dressing nicely with appropriate footwear. Her advice is to take about 5-6 pairs of shoes: one dress pair, and the rest comfy, casual shoes. Save room to buy shoes, particularly in Italy. As far as your husband, I would say no more than 3-4 pair with the same advice to buy shoes.

MJS

I must say that your planned 14 pairs of shoes for 24 days makes me wonder whether you're for real, but in case you aren't you need to know that on international flights you can only carry on one bag per passenger, plus purse or briefcase. So the three carry-ons won't do.

curious

Wow! My husband doesn't even own ten pairs of shoes! How many different pairs of shoes does anyone need when traveling? I think you could manage quite nicely with 2 dressy "evening shoes" and 2 or 3 max. comfy daytime pair. Just think, if you took 12-14 pairs of shoes how many outfits would you need to coordinate with them? You would need to take steamer trunks with you! I always try to pack clothes for 2 color schemes so I have shoes to go with everything. <BR> <BR>Also keep in mind that most people will not see you more than once or twice and won't know whether you packed 4 pairs of shoes or 24. It would be different if you where spending 4 weeks in one spot but that isn't the case. <BR> <BR>By the way, I'm also wondering how wearing only 4 pairs would be unsanitary? Do you generally throw out your shoes after wearing them a couple of times?

MJS

Before anybody corrects me, yes I do know that 4 weeks is 28 days, not 24. Either way, 14 pairs???

Shelliac

Capo: <BR>I would think after walking all day visiting museums and other sites (and sweat) some of ths shoes would probably start to smell really bad (foot odor) even if I shower and wash everyday. We would probably sweat and be out almost the whole day. I do not want to be walking around Europe with sweaty, smelly shoes. Also (please do not be nasty) I also think the people at the hotel would see that I wear the same shoes every day, and make comment on that. That would embarrassed me. <BR>But I agree with most of you we also do not want to be pushing all that luggage around the train stations, my husband does not want to that. <BR> <BR>Most of you provided really good advice, I would probably take 6 pairs of shoes (4 to 5 for my husband) and buy along the way in Italy or France. I just like shopping and wearing different shoes. I feel embarrassed wearing the same shoes to work for a week.

Shelliac

As the unsanitary issue goes, I never wear shoes days in a row. For example I would wear a pair on Monday, and would not wear that pair until two weeks have passed in between. I just think they would develop an odor, especially if you walk a lot with them. <BR> <BR>I thought 14 so I can wear a pair twice in four weeks. We also know that the weather during September is different so we are taking summer shoes and fall shoes just in case.

curious

Have you considered those Dr. Scholls foot odor pads they advertise (I don't know the exact name, nor have I tried them, but it might help if your concern is foot odor)? <BR> <BR>I'm quite sure the Hotel staff won't give your shoes a second thought, nor will they notice if you wear the same pair twice. Even if they do, most guests will not be wearing a different pair of shoes everyday of the week. You will be in the majority, not the minority.

tom

Please be a troll - I cannot imagine anyone being serious about taking TWENTY-FOUR pairs of shoes for two people. And do you really wear any pair of shoes only once every 2 or 3 weeks??? Imelda, perhaps. <BR> <BR>This can't be serious - I hope.

Not Imelda

I'm curious. How do you implement this system? Do you put date tags on your shoes so you know when the two weeks is up, do you rotate them in your closet, or do you just keep track in your head?

Katherine

I had a friend who used to stick a post it on her clothes to remind her what date she last wore them to work. I can't imagine thinking that the hotel staff would even notice what I was wearing from day to day. As long as I don't wear the same thing two days in a row, no one at work can accuse me of not going home that night. <BR> <BR>Besides, I think that Europeans tend to have a fewer number of very nice clothes than the huge supply of stuff we have. (At least, that's what my Italian teacher told me)

janis

Have you ever mentioned this shoe fettish to any of your friends - What is their reaction? I'm not being mean - but I'm sure you don't know anyone else who never wear the same pair of shoes twice. <BR> <BR>I usually take 2, 3 or at most 4 pairs of shoes on any trip. (Twenty-four pairs of shoes would fill almost half of your allowed luggage - not just carry on but any luggage - for both of you. So what do you plan to take for clothing? <BR> <BR>My friend who is the most shoe-obsessed (she has over 200 pair) easily manages with 6 pairs for a month-long trip. And last time she went to London, Paris and Scotland she took 6 pairs and ended up sending two home since they never came out of the suitcase.

ladyjane

1. By all means do what you feel will make you happy. If that involves a lot of shoes, well, it just does. <BR> <BR> 2. I think you live somewhere where you don't walk a lot. In NY we walk everywhere. I tend to wear the same shoes every day without a problem. I walk a few miles a day. I am above average in stylishness. <BR> <BR> 3. Most (stylish) European women have very few clothes. They buy one or two good outfits for each season, including bag and shoes, and they wear maybe two or three years' worth - so they have maybe three outfits available for a season. The thing of frequent clothes changing is tres American. If this helps. <BR> 4. However many pair of shoes you take, take some with THICK RUBBER SOLES, they are all you need to walk everywhere comfortably. There hsould not be just leather between the foot & the pavement. Check out Arche shoes, here or in Paris (where I think they'll cost less), they are great-looking, comfortable, and expensive.

janis

ladyjane has an excellent point - do you even have that many pair of shoes w/ rubber or compostion soles? You don't want to be walking on cobblestones, marble floors, and up and down the Metro steps in slick leather-soled shoes.

Susan

Shelliac, hold onto your chair because I aim to tell you I wore the same pair of shoes every day, all day (and nighttime too into some pretty fancy restaurants) for 18 days! I admit I'm not too keen on wearing them now that I'm home but they served me well. They are $90 Ecco black sandals and the best $90 I ever spent. Go to Europe to look outside yourself and at the rest of the world. Stop worrying about how you look so much. It will be a life-changing experience if you will let it.

susan

Shelliac, I would recommend paring down not only your shoes but your clothes as well. Most well-experienced travelers have learned (some the hard way) that a 22" suitcase on wheels and a carry-on are sufficient for several weeks. You don't say how you are traveling; if you're on a tour it doesn't matter because they will take care of your luggage, but if you are on your own, and taking public transportion, you will quickly regret taking so much luggage. Believe us, no one will notice what you wear. (Frankly, if I were in a hotel and noticed (which I can't imagine doing) another guest tourist wearing a different pair of shoes for a week, I'd think he or she was ridiculously vain.)

Tondalaya

yet another sick puppy