Gaspard

Or Sarouchi shoes.
G.

SusanSDG

suze, I feel the same way about Crocs.

Jessup

I wore flip flops everywhere (usually with a skirt or dress), all day in Greece - Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes. Sure, by the end of the day my feet were tired, but it was fine. Wasn't so different than at the end of a day of walking all around Manhattan in flip flops. At night I brought a pair of cute cork wedges that were really light and weren't too high. Saw plenty of people in stilletos but I think it would have been a problem for me on the cobblestones.

toedtoes

Imavolio - I have these Merrill sandals and they are really cute and I can easily wear them with capris, shorts, skirts, and pants. They are very comfortable and the ankle strap is velcro so you can adjust it as needed.

I have the brown pair and they are much cuter in person - the browns are much closer to the same shade than the photo suggests.

http://tinyurl.com/59bxhm

lmavolio

These Merrill's are really cute! I may order a pair, but not sure I can get them in time since I leave next week!! Thanks for all of the advice. Glad I sparked such a lively debate about flip-flops on Fodors

Appreciate everyone's feedback!

britgirl8409

My parents live in Skiathos and I have visited Athens. You are fine to dress casually, if going out to dinner you can go smart casual, no need to get fancy. However if you are going walking on rough ground or hiking I would recommend some good walking sandals such as Ecco's or Keens. If you watch the people getting off the ferry that are island hopping they are all wearing that kind of sandal.

Hope you have a great time.

yestravel

Order them from Zappos.com. they come in 2 days with regular shipping you can pay extra for overnight delvery.

yestravel

oops left out a word --Should be "with regular shipping OR you can pay extra for overnight delvery."

bob_brown

I would be afraid that in a crowd some joker would step on my toes.

No flippers for me. Besides your feet can get filthy from all the dirt.

If you wear socks, they get pretty bad. If you don't, your toenails will seem like they are growing dirt.

I might add that on cobblestones, flippers are trouble. For that surface I want hiking boots!! Besides they offer more foot protection from other people's big feet!

I guess it depends on how you define and measure comfort.

traveljones

You've had a lot of responses, but I really hope you can stand one more. Get some cute sandals with arch support that are washable, such as Chacos. They are sexy and give some space between the broken glass, rocks, spikey weeds, etc that you will encounter. You can wear them out at night with a cute sundress. Don't pack too much, because there are little shops galore with sundresses, sarongs, etc.

Do take a those shorts that look like a skirt for visiting religious sites, or else a sarong to throw over your shorts. Take a pretty scarf for your shoulders, and you should be good to go! Have a blast!

samtraveler

I didn't read every single post to this thread, but as a flip-flop girl myself I'd say I'd have had some trouble in Greece last year had I only brought flip-flops. I decided to get a pair of Naots, which was the best decision. They're now my favorite pair of comfort sandals for all travels. They're cute, but incredibly comfortable. I've never had a pair of shoes feel so good on my feet straight out of the box. It was like wearing little clouds on my feet, and after a day of hard core walking through Athens my feet were thanking me. They served me well up and down the narrow, steep streets of Santorini too. They have many different styles, but these are the ones I have (just found this website, but you can get them many places, google it)
http://www.planetshoes.com/itemmatri...amp;Brand=Naot

toedtoes

Imavolio - the Merrill sandals are part of their "Spire" line. I can't say enough good things about that line. I also have the maryjane style "Emme" (http://tinyurl.com/6zxy7w). They are the only shoe I've found that I can stand in (and walk in) for over 6 hours straight without my heels hurting - their cushioning is intense and it doesn't flatten out over time like other shoes.

SusanSDG

Actually, Zappo's will get them to you super fast.
I once oredered at 4pm Thursday and they were at my door 10am Friday.
They have free shipping both ways, so you can order more than one pair and just send back the ones you don't want with their prepaid label.

SusanSDG

Oh, and my Naots came from Zappo's too, and I've told my daughter I want to be buried in them, I love them so much!

RufusTFirefly

Flip flops are so, so tacky--of course that's just one guy's opinion. Went to the annual closing ceremony for my wife's school yesterday. Some parents were wearing flip flops--it just looked like they had given up and don't care how they look any more. Maybe it's a generational thing, but they just look grundgy to me. I know I wouldn't hire anyone who came to a job interview wearing them (we deal with the public).

lmavolio

Rufus - I don't know that it's generational because I see people of all ages wearing flips...They can be very stylish and cute, although I would agree, I doubt anyone would wear them to an interview. I work in the corporate world and would never wear them in a business setting. Greece is a different story

lvillinois

We are also visiting Greece this year...how do you think these sandals would work?
http://tinyurl.com/43fo5h
Do you think there would be a problem with stones etc. getting caught under the straps?

mamalampros

My family just returned from Greece on 5/28/08. My teenage children all wore flip flops and I asked them if their feet were hurting. All 3 said no.. but I don't think they will admit to anything. When we visited the Acropolis 2 women fell and had to be taken to the hospital. The marble is very slippery. Marble is everywhere. Mykonos is easier for flip flops. Santorini in my opinion should not be done in flip flops. The cobble stones are hard to walk on. If you take the boat trip to the Volcano,(Santorini) definintely wear walking shoes. I wore Lands End water/walking shoes that were all purpose and they worked out great for me. The Black Beach at Santorini is all pebbles. Very hot stones. I would recommend the same type of water/walking shoe for the beach there. Dress is casual. Sundresses, shorts. We only needed sweaters a few nights. We were in Athens,Mykonos,Paros & Santorini

lanejohann

i think flip flops are cute too
look after your feet...make sure theyre well pedicured and away you go

feet always feel fresh - not like your sandshoes!

flip flops or thongs have taken over our land and if open sandals were good enough for the dear sweet Jesus Lord then
theyre just fine for me

isabel

Don't let other people tell you what to wear - especially on your feet. I can't speak specifically to Greece, but I've been to many countries with tons of cobblestone, ruins, dirt paths, etc. and I have found flip flops to be the most comfortable footwear for summer. And I am middle aged. So everyone is different. If you can wear flip flops all the time in Manhattan you will probably be fine. I originally started bringing flip flops with me on trips for the uses many people suggested - at the hotel, beach, etc., but found they were MORE comfortable than my "walking sandals". Since I do see the value in arch support and cushioning I have invested in several pairs of expensive (over $100) walking sandals over the years and I just get blisters. They are fine for me to wear to work, shopping, etc, but when I travel and walk 10 or more miles a day I get blisters. I just last month got a new pair of merrells walking sandles, felt great in the store, wore them a couple of weeks - then I went to a city and walked 10 miles one day and had blisters for the next week. By the way, as I said, I'm middle aged, and for the past 20 years I've been traveling around the US and Europe where I regularly walk 10 or more miles a day for 2-3 weeks at a time.

Bottom line, everyone's feet and legs are different, you need to do what works for you. So I'd bring at least one pair of good (cushioned) flip flops that are comfortable for you, plus a pair of "more sensible" sandals. Just make sure you test drive them at home for a while. It doesn't sound like you have much time.