andrea

Any suggestions? No Cinque Terre hiking this time. Would love to get a pair of super comfy, yet stylish looking pair of shoes for walking am to pm on the lovely streets of Venice, Lucca, etc etc. Is it too much to ask that I might be able to wear them with a skirt? Oh, and if it's not too much to ask, please be affordable! Thank you!

chauncie

try dansko professional clogs.... amazingly comf.

Jessica

I second Chauncie's post. We went to Italy (Rome and Positano) for two weeks and the only shoes I brought were my dansko prof. clogs. They do not smell good after two weeks, but look great with long skirts, short skirts, and all types of pants. I was very impressed with myself for not overdoing the shoe packing and it really makes a difference on the amount of goodies you can bring back! Get a pair for just about 100.00 usd and start walking to break em in!!!<BR><BR>Jessica<BR><BR>PS-if you get the clogs buy one of those travel sponge polishers for oil-tanned leather. It really jazzes up the shoes after a days walk.

jhm

If you are just talking about walking through cities, I generally wear Steve Maddens. They cost about $35-$40 a pair, and are EXTREMELY comfortable for general shoes, pretty stylish and (at least some styles) can be worn with skirts or pants.

elaine

andrea<BR>You can also check out Easy Spirit shoes which are not expensive and are available in dept. stores.<BR>I personally don't find them at all comfortable, but many people do--it depends on your foot I guess.

MaryC

Andrea<BR><BR>Here's a great website for you: www.nordstrom.com<BR>This should enable you to get an idea of styles and pricing. Prices seem to range from $60 - $200.<BR><BR>They have the following stylish walking shoes that seem to make the tops of the lists on this forum:<BR>Aerosoles<BR>Birkenstocks<BR>Clarks England<BR>Easy Spirit<BR>Ecco (especially the boots)<BR>Merrell<BR>Naturalizer<BR>New Balance<BR>Rockport<BR>Steve Madden<BR><BR>Also mentioned, although not on the Nordstrom website:<BR>Arche<BR>Mephisto<BR>SAS Free Time<BR><BR>I put my vote in for BIRKENSTOCKS' Paris in black (t-strappy, mary-jane-ish, fully enclosed, toe-gripping, well-made, comfy, great arch support, "European"-looking shoes) and CLARKS ENGLAND in teal-blue suede (very comfy but very casual - looks great with long skirts, around $60).<BR><BR>Hope you have a great vacation! : )

MaryC

MEPHISTO www.mephistoseattle.com <BR>ARCHE www.ellisonshoes.com<BR><BR>Can't locate a website for SAS Free Time. Maybe I'm spelling it wrong. Hmmm?

michele

Andrea,<BR>I bought a pair of Anne Klein's , style "Mile". Very stylish nappa leather tie shoe. Looks sort of like a shoe Emma Peel of "The Avengers" ( if you're old enough to remember that) might wear. Extremely comfortable and you won't feel like you're wearing your grandma's shoes. I also have a pair of Ecco shoes. Comfortable, but too reminiscent of orthopedic shoes for me. I wear them when I'm in dusty ruins.<BR><BR>The Kleins run about $150. Maybe you can catch a sale, if that's more than you want to spend.

Maribel

Hi Andrea,<BR>I just bought a pair of black suede Arche walking shoes (made in France) on sale at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver for $80 U.S., less than the price at my Nordstroms. I actually bought them for a visit to Paris-they look quite stylish, fashionable and proved to be comfy, because I put them on immediately and did lots and lots of walking (an entire day's worth in Stanley Park) to break them in. This particular model is really for pants, but I saw other Arche styles with a rubber heel that would look fine with dresses, and they don't look the least bit orthopedic. Are they as totally comfortable as my Mephistos with heel? No, but a ton less expensive! I'll just switch back and forth between the two pairs.

Nan

Dansko is the way to go (clogs)for most walking. Try Easy Spirit shoes for a sturdier fit for walking on rough terrain.

MaryC

Topping for feetdont.<BR><BR>Info in this thread should apply to men as well.

andrea

Just wanted to say hi & thanks for all your suggestions as to which brands of shoes you find most comfy. Some names came up that I hadn't originally thought of. Guess that was the idea! Thanks & happy walking, wherever your feet may take you!

mimi taylor

My friend swears by Arche but they hurt me. I love Mephisto so you see everyone's foot is different, so please don't buy by mail unless you know that brand is comfortable on you.

Topper

Topping

Sandy

After two years of searching for the perfect travel shoe I finally found Sesto Meucci. They are very stylish, from Italy, and come in a variety of widths. I've tried all the brands mentioned by posters here but I have a narrow foot so none of them were very comfortable for me. The Sesto Meucci that I bought today is a brand new style; I believe it's called "Cleary." I found it at a store called "Marmi" which has a website and a number of locations in the U.S, but I couldn't find this particular shoe on any of the shoe websites. It looks a little like a bike shoe--narrow profile (easy to pack and also easy to carry in a daypack or large handbag), good arch support, black microfiber with rubber/(urethane??) sole and toe. Reinforced heelback in brown, with a brown stripe running down the side. It is so comfy I could die happy right now. It also comes in plain black, red microfiber/black, yellow microfiber/black and maybe another combination as well. It can easily be worn with slacks or shorts and I'm pretty sure it will go with certain styles of skirts or dresses. I think Sesto Meucci is out of Florence, so you might be able to find great deals and styles in Italy!

Wendy

As I stated in an earlier post whoever was kind enough to recommend ECCO boots to me is my hero. I have two pair from the City collection. The are so perfect! My black ones are demi height- mid calf and are perfect with skirts or pants and the brown ones are ankle height for all my pants. I wore them everyday and all I did was put in a dr. Scholl's cushion liner and they were perfect!! Nordstrom carries them or you can look at www.ecco.com

Geri

I hiked Cinque Terre in Teva sandals and wore them in the villages and cities. I got the ones with the leather straps so they look a little "dressier". These were the only shoes I hade for that 17 day September biking trip in Tuscany and Umbria (except for my cycling shoes). Two years later I wore them again for another Italy biking trip, this time in early May. These Teva sandals are now 10 years old and they won't die! I wear a size 10 shoe, have a wide toe box and I am very rough on my shoes.

Christine

In 1997 I bought a pair of Zeeta 'Tia' shoes to wear on a trip to London and Paris. They are the most comfortable shoes I have found. I have bought at least one new pair each year and have worn them all over Europe. Cost is about $100 but well worth it!!

Lesli

I've got two pair that work well with most outfits: a loafer from Franco Sarto ("Bocca" - $70; also have a slide from the same brand) and an ankle boot from Sudini ("Baltic" - normally $150, but on sale for about $90.) Both are available at Nordstrom. Both brands come in other styles, and most have rubber soles, but look somewhat dressy. The Sudinis are made in Italy, and have a removable arch-support insert, which is great!

Kay

I wear Donald J. Pliner for traveling and the rest of the time as well. They have a woman's shoe out now that looks great with pants, its sort of a stretchy fabric with a rubber sole. That is what I wore today and am taking for a 4 week trip to Europe. My last trip I took 2 pair of his sandals and that was all I needed. I also like Ecco, but not very stylish!