Shoes!
 

F/26, Going to Venice, Florence, and Rome and am curious about what shoes to bring. I know to leave my chuck taylors and stilettos at home. Would black wedge boots be all right? What about for walking around?

Hi

What's wrong with wearing Chuck Taylor's? If you like walking in them wear them. The cities are as ritzy as you want to make them. Or live just like the locals.

Ciao

I do not want to stick out like a sore thumb. I have travelled in other countries before, but everyone (who mind you has never been there) is telling me that Italy's 'dress code' is different.

i am going to italy from 6/25- 7/18 and bringing 3 pairs of shoes.....comfy walking sneakers, teva type sandles and black maryjane type sketcher sneakers to wear with skirts. comfort to me is so much more important than looking good....lol

A lot of in Italian towns have cobblestone streets; you have to be careful what you are wearing for sightseeing ( so you are comfortable).
That being said , there are many local women walking around in stilettos.
One can find comfortable shoes that look nice and don't scream "tourist".

A) Beauty is Pain
B) So is getting your stuff stolen on the street because you stick out like a sore thumb.

I want to be comfortable. My goal is to try and fit in, or at least look as if I have been there before and know what I am doing.

alphaj13,

In the words of Maya Angelou "All God's children need traveling shoes". Ignore worldinabag and go get those traveling shoes. Just make sure they are Comfy Shoes :)

I was in Rome in February and ALL the women were wearing boots, some with stiletto heels but lots with low and wedge heels--if your black wedge boots are comfortable, wear those--you'll fit right in.

I have marvelled at the Italian gals' ability to walk briskly across cobblestoned streets - I couldn't do it no matter what! Unless you're skilled at this as well...I'd say strap on those comfy Danskos or Borns and see the sights!

Take the shoes you like at home. Two pair that are comfortable by day for walking and one fancy pair if you want for evenings (take taxis!)

I live in Switzerland in a city with cobblestones and can't wear stilettos while walking even to the bus! Maybe because I'm an ex-pat US and didn't inherit the stiletto-walking gene from my Polish and Irish immigrant grandmothers.

Anyway, we were in Rome at Christmas and one thing that really struck me was that women there (and men), even more so than in Paris, all wear black! Black pants, leather coats or jackets, shirts, sweaters, shoes.

So if you have comfy shoes in black you won't stand out like a sore thumb. I wear black and pink Puma sneakers for comfort. Plus they're cute and all the younger women here wear them (and I'm not young anymore).

Why is it men never feel compelled to ask these questions?

!

Because--they have one or two pair of "uniform" shoes that they wear everywhere all the time, no matter the occasion or destination. One brown, one black, all comfort.

"Ignore worldinabag and go get those traveling shoes."

Errr, my original point was "If you like walking in them wear them". Which means if they are comfortable, fasionable etc. Don't worry about looking like a tourist. Despite your best efforts you'll still "stick out like a sore thumb". Accept it and travel smart - use a money belt, no expensive jewellery, keep your camera in your bag until you need to use it, no dark alleys etc.

I agree with worldinabag - despite your best efforts, the Italians will still know that you're a tourist. As long as you're not wearing a hat and sweatshirt with your favorite football team's logo on it, and aren't talking loudly in English, hoping that non-English speaking people will understand you, you'll fit right in with the tons of other tourists from around the world who are visiting Italy also! I was just in those three cities over the last 2 weeks and brought two pairs of Keen shoes with me. I was glad that I had brought two different comfy walking shoes as I was able to alternate when my feet got tired of one pair. If you plan to walk alot, definitely bring something comfortable with arch support. There are stylish, yet comfy shoes out there that don't scream tourist. By the way, even though I speak elementary Ita

Whoops, my computer is acting up. I was going to say, that even though I speak some Italian and would always use it as much as I could, a lot of people in stores and restaurants would respond in English. Which made me wonder if it was that obvious that I wasn't a native! That's why I agree that despite your best efforts, people will know you're a tourist. It just depends on what kind of tourist you want to be. And I would worry more about the comfort of your feet than fitting in with the style.

You may not stick out like a sore thumb, maybe a stylish thumb. Wear what you like and if it is stylish all the better.

Carly-that's not necessarily true. I just got back from Venice and the Veneto, and I had people coming up to me asking me directions in Italian. It was funny, I was in front of Miracoli one night (and that is a confusing area, btw, unless you know which calles to take to get to where you're going) and a tourist came up and asked me in Italian how to get to San Zanipolo. (Basilica of San' Giovanni e Paolo) I started to explain in Italian, and then asked in Italian, "do you speak English?" (Lei parla inglese?") to which she smiled, and said yes, so I proceeded to give directions in English at that point.

Since I try only to speak Italian while in Italy, the Italians oblige, unless they really want to practice their English.

I don't dress like a slob, and I wear all black, and people don't think I'm a tourist. The style in Italy right now is boots, boots boots! With the three quarter length pants,(which I don't like) and the black puffy down coats-everyone in Venice wears a puffy down coat. (It started out warm in Venice when I first got there, but last weekend in Venice it was unbelieveably rainy, windy and cold-the weather has turned much warmer now).

All black works in Paris or Rome any time of the year. If you add a pair of nice earrings , a bright scarf, or a an interesting belt , it will be all you need to look less " touristy".

Just take a lint roller. No matter what I do, my long black wool coat has lint..always lint somewhere, even after using the lint roller every day. The Italians have NO lint. How DO they DO that?!!!!!!!! Life is SO unfair!!! LOL