Imavolio,

Pay no heed to the rude poster who lurks at Fodors. You've gotten great advice from some very well-traveled people who absolutely know what they're talking about. The flip-flop decision is yours, and I hope that you have a great time!

I knew flip flops were an indication of the decline of civilization, but flip flops at the opera is a sure sign of armageddon.

One of the Fox contributing doctors was talking about this very subject this weekend, interviewed some foot specialist, they are comfortable and fun but with that are many problems with fallen arches, the support is not there for long walks on uneven ground. I would maybe consider them for evening after the day of sightseeing is over. Have a wonderful holiday

Well, if they are a sure sign of civilization ending, Apre, you better tell the haute couturiers in Paris, Milan, London and New York, because they always feature flip-flops in their collections. There's a couture shop along the Canal St. Martin in Paris who will make you a hand-tooled pair of flip-flops to your specifications in leather, for a quite expensive price. So don't knock 'em until you've tried 'em. I know my feet felt fine at the end of a long day of tramping up and down the hills of Rome in my two inch cushy flip-flops-I couldn't have done it without them.

GST wrote: "Well, if they are a sure sign of civilization ending, Apre, you better tell the haute couturiers in Paris, Milan, London and New York, because they always feature flip-flops in their collections."

Are we take our idea of civilisation from the perpetrators of that greatest of crimes against style, haute couture? The end of civilisation is nigher than we think.

Imavolio, I don't know how fashionable you will think they are but Teva and Keen make nice supportive sandles. I agree with Grasshopper. Plantar fascitis is painful. I will be in some of those areas next month too. I will look for the New Yorker with flip flops on. Have a gr8 time.

Here lies a tale. I have just been diagnosed with plantar fascitis after wearing flip flops (or thongs in my country) practically every day for two months this summer. I now cant even wear sandals with pain. I wish Grasshopper had mentioned it earlier! Having said that, most of the islands are pretty casual and I wore them most days even to pebbly beaches, but not in the night time.

Having recently returned from Greece
and several days in Athens I'd suggest shoes a little more sturdy.

Athens has varying types of paving on sidewalks... lots of uneven stone everywhere. Up the steep slippery steps of the Acropolis and to walk around it's rough stony plateau I'd want something more substantial on my feet than flip flops. The same is true for many archaeological sites... this isn't a manicured Disneyland... there are sharp stones, uneven footing and lots of gravel.

So I'd add a pair of walking shoes to my bag if I were you.

Rob

Thanks for the feedback everyone! Sounds like I have some shopping to do for some supportive (and hopefully cute!) sandals before I leave next week...The problem is finding a pair that will match with all the little summer dresses and capri pants I have for Greece! All in the name of fashion :-)

I do love my flip flops and I personally find them very comfortable...I'll still bring a pair or 2 with me for the beach and walking around the hotel area, for dinner, etc.

Thanks all!!

I just got back from Greece and I can assure that people were wearing flip flops everywhere -- we even saw some girls wearing them while trekking up the volcano in Santorini!! Hugely impractical, but there you go. (We also saw two girls wearing high heels on Delos!)

I would agree with the other comments above that you would be better off with at least one pair of good walking shoes for serious hiking and trekking around the Acropolis and other ruins (definitely for Delos and the volcano). But you will see plenty of people wearing flip flops around town in Fira/Oia and Mykonos.

why on earth would you listen to americans trying to teach you how to dress in europe. likely your answers are as silly as if you asked a chinese person how people in the US dress.

dress for comfort. if you can walk all day in flip flops or 'thongs' (i love that) then go for it. there is no reason to dress differently from how you would at home.

"no reason to dress differently from how you would at home" - depends entirely on whether you're going to do the same things in the same environment you do at home. Visiting the ruins in Greece requires different footware to nice flat pavement.

Flip flops recall always hyperhydrosis and bromohydrosis.
G.

&quot;<i>if you can walk all day in flip flops or 'thongs' (i love that) then go for it. there is no reason to dress differently from how you would at home.</i>&quot;

That would be true -- IF at home, one climbs volcanoes, walks through ruined temples/villas, has cobbled streets, etc.

Most likely that is not the case.

When we first started traveling to Europe over 30 years ago, I had no idea how to pack or what to wear.

The other day, we were looking at some old photos of our first trip to London. There I am, in a pair of cheap, crummy sandals, standing next to a post rubbing my foot!

That photo says it all! Buy something with good support -- your feet will thank you.

I recently was in Belize and Guatemala walking, hiking and climbing ruins. I wore hiking shoes some of the time, but I absolutely loved my (closed toe) Keens. They were cool like a sandal, casual, but have great support and protect your toes from the stones, etc. I always thought they were sort of a religion:)-I've seen whole families that wear nothing else all year-but I'm now a believer.

I'm also a believer in my closed-toe Keens.

I wore the Keen Venice sandal when trekking all over the ruins of Greece and they were perfect. I saw many others wearing them also (or the similar Newport model). It was very helpful that they were washable. They got covered in dust after hiking up the volcano and I just hosed them down afterwards and they were dry the next day.

I'd wear flip flops before I'd be caught dead in Keens.
;-)

Seems Keens makes a flip flop, lol: http://www.keenfootwear.com/product_....aspx?sku=5255

I suggest everyone wear SAS shoes in Greece and Italy. Then you could look like a nun.