Happy cheese head- Did you wear yours barefoot? If so... did your Merells stink? I have a slip on pair and b/c its not a natural footbed they got really stinky no matter how many times I washed or sprayed them with oder stuff. I love these shoes but they smell so bad!

I just ordered the new Teva sandals from Zappos so will report back on how they work out.

Okay, I have looked at all the shoes reccomended, the mesphitos are cute but I worry they could look kind of grandmotherly? I love the Joseph Siebel but Sierra trading post is out of my size ..... I will keep looking for a pair but they are much more exxpensive on other sites.... There is a pair of Teva leather sandals I may order and try them out... If none of this works I am going to resort to my flip flops and ignore my instructor.... I am still interested in the Chacos since I have heard good things baout them.... There are some styles that arent so adventure sandal styled...but I do like their slip ons... would that be an appropiate shoe???

http://www.chacousa.com/products/Pro...D=4&pID=27

Any opinons?

The important thing to remember is that in Germany you are in the clutzy footwear capital of the world.

Men wear socks with sandals!!!

And they all have foot problems. If you want to feel like a real German, go to a clinic and ask what they can do about your feet.

They'll probably prescribe a tea.

I can't recommend a particular brand, but the shoes must be well broken into, and preferrable have a thick sole. They should be a little lose on the foot, so a t-strap will hold best.

Also, soft cotton socks should be warn all the time. I also apply dry skin lotion twice a day.

I second the Merrells. They are perfect for my extremely picky feet.

I also bought Taryn Rose and regretted it. A very expensive lesson. The idea behind them sounded great...designed by a female orthopedist, the sole flexes below the ball of the foot, BUT why the thin sole? I found they have no support, you can feel the cobblestones through the thin sole. And don't even think about mail ordering unless they have a postage free policy because you have to go waaaay up in size as they are sized very small. I tried 3 times before I got the size right.

I've had good luck with Donald Pliner but I just got back from the store that sells them here and all they had were the dressy ones. I don't know if they still make the microfiber ones but I've worn out 2 pairs of those over the years.

Thanks for the opinons on Taryn Rose I was about to order some... I liked the idea behind them also... Glad I was saved by this forum from that expensive mistake!

I live in SAS so I'll have to ditto the poster above who recommended them. I have many of the loafer styles in all colors & they don't need to be broken in. I've heard lots of nurses wear them. They have all kinds of styles, too.

Also, I need a sandal or a mule like slip on b/c I cannot stand to have sweaty feet...or feel like I am lugging around bricks on my feet.... I hate that not only my feet but also my head and eyes are so picky.... But this forum has been great! I have gotten lots of ideas. Also does anyone have a site for these SAS shoes? They are nto coming up on a google search.

Both SAS and Dr. Scholls shoes are great, as are brands that you will find in Germany, such as Berkman--incredibly comfortable. My favorite style, which hasn't been available in the U.S. in recent years, is a sandal/clog with a heel strap but not a closed heel. My pair finally fell apart, and I still miss those shoes!

Some Clarks styles are also good, as are SoftSpots.

ddumaine - I don't know what size you wear, but I will tell you that Josef Seibel runs small. For instance, in most all European sizes I wear a 38, but in Seibel a 39. Maybe this will help!

I bought some SAS shoes at the outlet in Pigeon Forge TN and absolutely love them. They are very light. Here's the company number that was on my invoice: 210-921-7415. Couldn't find a website. Hope this helps.

I usually wear ballet type shoes and mules for dressy, but for walking with my bad feet Misphisto and Born works for me. No matter what we all say, only your feet will tell you what is right for you, buy, walk around the house (after taping the soles as not to get dirty) and see how they feel. Shoes are the worst to shop for unless you have perfect small feet. Not me No wonder I love handbags,

Oh, one more thing: when you buy shoes, see if you can bend them in half.

Look at the shoes on this website called Comfort Corner. I am thinking of ordering a couple of the styles here.

http://comfortcorner.com

Hi ddumaine:

Well, I only bought them yesterday, and they don't stink yet, LOL

I wore them to work today with hose, as I wanted to make sure they felt good all day before I take them to Paris next week. They did.

In all this talk about shoes for travel(I love my Eccos and will take a maryjane with me on my trip later this month) but no one has mentioned what I consider to be THE BEST travel shoe.
Crocs. http://www.crocs.com/home.jsp $30. with sox or not. I wear strap forward.. black to go with my black travel clothes. I first bought a pair for gardening 3 yrs ago but immediately started wearing them all the time..wonderful for the plane and frankly, hard to get me out of them. The blk ones look ok, the rounded european broad toe look but when you love them you will hate to give them up.

Since it is your heels that give you problems, you can wear a variety of shoes that just slide on or are like espadrilles that tie on.
I wear Munroe sandals all summer and they cover a lot of your foot..nothing on the heel though.
You need a good sole and covering, your feet will be filthy and sore and your ankles can get twisted easily on stone streets/sidewalks.
Munroe is good, Merrell, I hate Taryn Rose shoes lol..they kill my feet!, Paul Green , Cole Hahn and Nike got together and came up with Cole Hahn Air shoes...look like sneakers but slides..like walking on air!
Take one pair of closed shoes for a rainy day, or cold day or a day that you might be hiking and will fall out of a slide.
Hope this helps.
Oh and it is still no to the flip flop..

Scarlett- I appreciate it. I will def try to find a pair from the brands you reccomend! I am kind of insulted from the language used in the other post....It was just a simple question raised by these boards themselves..... Guess I need thicker skin to be on here with all the wise experienced know it alls who can't just say I still fin the flip flop esp the cheap generic kind to be inapporpiate


Sorry- Thank you so much though!

I had a pair of clog type shoes from Clarks that were great. Also, a pair by Anne Klein. Bought both at Marshalls!

I also posted on the other thread - I say bring your flip flops anyway! ;-)