Sneakers/trainers as comfortable shoes
 

Some advice I repeatedly hear is (1) don't wear sneakers/trainers in Europe because they will quickly tag you as American and (2) wear your most comfortable shoes because you'll do so much walking. Well, my most comfortable shoes by far are my sneakers. One was even modified by an orthopedist to make walking more painfree. What should I do? Am I going to look really stupid traipsing around Europe in them?

I seem to hear that everyone in Europe wears some sort of comfortable trainer also..I would think that you might prefer to worry more about comfort than how some strangers will view your footwear :) Who cares what they think, if you are able to walk?
I have a pair of black Puma sneakers that are so ugly but sooo comfortable, if my feet hurt, I will wear them and pretend I am starting a new trend!
Have a good (and comfortable) trip~

No, Linda, you are not going to look stupid wearing sneakers in Europe. Everybody wears sneakers these days, Europeans and Americans alike. I noticed in Paris that black Nike's were particularly widespread. Wear what's comfortable, and don't give it another thought.

Linda,

I just returned from Scotland. Pre-trip I too worried about the "Am I taking the right shoes" dilemma.

By the fourth day of walking seemingly endless miles of beautiful Edinburgh, I couldn't have cared less if my trainers were vogue or not! lol If anything, I wished that I had invested in a higher quality pair.

I think I killed every sacred cow of the European fashion code. I wore white tennis shoes. I wore blue jeans. One day I even wore a bright coral sweater set.

Did I look like a tourist because of it? Well only if just about everyone else in town were tourists too. *chuckle*

So take your orthopedic sneakers and enjoy your trip in comfort. People care far more about how you act than what you wear on your feet. ;o)

Have a great trip!

~ Sheryl

If you don't want to stand out, then remember that it's not the individual pieces of clothing or shoes that make you stand out - it's how you put them all together.

And forget that everyone wears black. Not True.

"And forget that everyone wears black. Not True."

Unless you're going to a black/death metal festival...

Take your shoes! Plenty of people wear sneakers in Europe. My best advice is take several pair of shoes/sandals (I pack very light except for shoes!). Even with extremely comfortable ones, it's nice to be able to switch back and forth, or have something different to put on for evening than what you've done miles in during the day.

"They" may know you are American (or Canadian) but it probably won't be from looking at your feet!

No, you won't look stupid. And frankly, so what --- comfort is key when walking around Europe. Your feet will thank you for trekking around in your modified orthopod tennis shoes.

Trainers are part of normal footwear/life in Europe. I don't remember a time when they were not in fashion - and I am 38! Stop worrying Linda :)
Can't express enough that you must wear your most comfy shoes, be they trainers, mules or whatever. I wore my most comfortable (they happen to be the ones I wear to work too) and even though they are normally as comforable as slippers, my feet were still throbbing after all the walking I did in Rome!

Isn't it amazing how these fashion myths grow, no sneakers , no black, they are so untrue.If you are stylish at home, you'll be stylish there. If you are casual here, you'll be casual there.
Exactly like your French counterpart.

Thank you all...this is going to make my trip so much more fun!

Just back from Paris. I saw many people wearing this type of shoe. Many were Americans, but also saw Germans, British and even French (though that was at Versailles, and my impression is that Europeans were trainers to exercise in, such as when they are walking or biking, rather than the majority of the time like a lot of people in the US do). Wear what is comfortable. After walking around all day, how your feet feel is what matters.