Sneaker ban?
 

I hate to admit this but I live in sneakers, and yes they're predominately white. Why is this so verboten in Italy / Europe? Will I really be so looked-down upon? They're so comfy and great for walking - what will I wear instead without looking like a 80 year old washer-woman (no offense to 80 year old washer women)? And I guess it goes without saying that my denim shorts and fanny pack are banned too?

<BR>IMHO denim shorts and fanny pack(and your baseball cap) are definetly a no no. But I have worn white sneakers every time I've been to Europe and have NEVER been arrested by the sneaker police. Go in comfort and enjoy.

Now I'm scared - how did you know I wear a baseball cap?

Damn.<BR><BR>I thought this post was going to be about a new sneaker deodoriser.

John,<BR><BR>I don't know if you've been to France lately, but the &quot;man's purse&quot; is quite popular and generally is a fanny pack. The younger generation (such as the college students) generally use fanny packs as well and sometimes something that resembles a purse. <BR><BR>ALSO, baseball caps are popular along with tennis shoes in all colors (bright yellow, neon green, red, etc.) including white.

I have some friends who went to France &amp; Italy last year during the summer, and saw plenty of people, not only tourists wearing sneakers and denim. Also, it seems that whenever I see European tourists in the USA going to sites during the day, they are also wearing denim. <BR><BR>Could we perhaps be looking up at Europeans a little too much?!?! I've seen plenty of Europeans who would be committed to life prison sentence if the fashion police arrested them! :)

Would we be better globally if everyone wore what they felt comfortable in and not give a hoot what anyone else thought.<BR>We certainly have enough in the world today to be concerned with.

<BR>GENESEA<BR>Haven't been to Europe since Oct.2002. Guess I wasn't paying attention to the purse carrying males?

Wear what you want to. If you look around places like Rome and Florence, you see every kind of outfit and costume.<BR><BR>I say no fanny pack for one big reason:<BR>If someone wants it, it will be gone in a flash. There are cut and run operations and skillful empty the contents forays with distractions galore. Jeans are not good because they are neither warm nor cool. In the summer they soak up sweat and get heavy.

how about going the hip-hop fashion angle - take clues from Missy Elliot - she's fierce

I hate to break it to you hightide, but &quot;sneakers&quot; are also verboten anywhere west of the East Coast. &quot;Sneakers&quot; are only worn by small children here. If you asked about wearing sneakers in the Mid West or West you would get a laugh, or get laughed at!

Well actually I live in the midwest and sneakers are everywhere here - have you been to the midwest lately jor?. I appreciate all the input and now don't feel quite so bad about my intented footwear....

Frankly when I see someone in Europe with a fanny pack, my first impression is that it is probably a German tourist, not an American. Far more Germans seem to wear them than Americans. And I have no idea what the idea is about only Americans wearing sneakers or denim -- everybody but me seems to be wearing both in Europe.

I hate getting political, but here goes.<BR><BR>What about the film footage from Paris showing 'Muslim' teans wearing blue jeans (the invention of which is attributed to whom?) beating up 'Jewish' teans wearing the same.

Being from the mid-west, everyone I know has called them tennis shoes. Even if they're running shoes, cross-trainers, etc.<BR><BR>I have no idea why. I know hardly anyone who plays tennis. And I've known quite a few people who were real sneaks. Just never heard anyone in conversation, other than on tv, call them sneakers. Weird.<BR><BR>I say, where what you want. Well, except maybe the fanny pack. Those things look like a growth!

JOR,<BR><BR>What part of the west are you referring to that people don't wear sneakers, tennis shoes, or whatever you want to call them. I live in California, which I think is on the West Coast, and I see them all over the place. Hey, you even see them all over Beverly Hills!

I am Italian,. I live in italy (Milano to be precise) and I am currently working with two female coleages. I am wearing a pair of balck demin trosers and balck sneakers. Donatella, the colleage on my right, is wearing denim trousers and white sneakers. Stefania, the coleage on my left, is wearing demin trousers, and... Well', she's not wearing sneakers, but she was wearing a baseball cap yesterday to fend of the sun.

You can definitely wear sneakers (we call em trainers) here in England. I wear them when I go on holiday - for comfort - I never worry - they seem to be worn everywhere for the same reason.<BR><BR>Please note (this is an 'old chestnut' I know, but just for a reminder!) - 'fanny pack' is known as a 'bum bag' in UK (bum being a word for the buttocks as well as a scrounger). Fanny is a word you DO NOT use in polite company! You would get some funny looks or sniggers :O)

As Alice said, sneakers and jeans are fine in Italy. If you do want to carry a fanny (bum) pack, then do it with Italian style, diagonally across your chest.

Actually only some people waer it that way, while most (at least here in Milano) wear a &quot;marsupio&quot; (that's also the Italian name of the kangaroo's &quot;bag&quot;) regularly around the waist. It was very used a few years ago, I had a multicolor cotton one, and I will probably buy a new one this summer, since the old one has falle apart. The only people I have seen wearing the fanny bag across the chest in Milano are immigrants from South America.