Barb

The women have listed their favorite, most comfortable shoes; now I need help shopping for my husband. What are the choices for a shoe that is comfortable, but definitely not an athletic type shoe? Thanks, guys, even though fashion and attire may not be many of your favorite subjects, I appreciate your input.

bettyk

Barb, my husband swears by his Rockports with the Vibram soles. He walked all over Europe in those things and his feet never hurt. They are very lightweight. Not the most fashionable, but not bad looking either. He also loves his Street Cars but not as much as his Rockports!

patty

My husband wears his Merrills which have even replaced his beloved Nikes as everyday shoes.

Capo

Hi Barb. A few years ago, when I was back visiting my parents in the Twin Cities, I picked up a pair of dark brown moosehide Minnetonka moccasins (see photo at website below), have worn them while walking all over Barcelona & Rome, and find them incredibly comfortable. They're so supple they require no breaking in.<BR><BR>http://www.minnetonkamocc.com/viewProduct.php3?show=1 <BR><BR>There's also a black one in a slightly different style.<BR><BR>http://www.minnetonkamocc.com/viewProduct.php3?show=24<BR><BR>I like the dark brown color because, if you happen to drip any of that delicious European dark chocolate on them, you can't tell. :~)

Bob Brown

My Merril hiking boots and my Rockport dress wing tips are my shoes for Europe. I bought a pair of SAS's but the Rockports are better. I also have a pair of New Balance walking shoes, but they never proved to be comfortable for all day wear; one problem is that they do not breathe.

c

Mephistos are supposed to be very comfortable, although pretty expensive.My husband wears Eccos and Merrells..on all trips and while working, he is on his feet a lot.Loves them, if fact, bought another pair today at Nordstroms.

jo

Josef Seibels hands down...best shoes I have ever owned, comfortable and stylish and great for European walking...not cheap but worth every cent they cost.

c

I saw Seibels at Nordstroms, in great black woven leather ..very smart looking

Manny

There was an earlier post on this subject for both men and women to comment. As I replied to that post, Shoe selection is a personal thing. What one person likes another dislikes. That said, my personal choice for a walking shoe depends on what I am doing. For a strenuous daily walk (3/4miles) I prefer a New Balance athletic shoe but for a lot of walking on vacation my choice is SAS (San Antonio Shoes). They may not be stylish but they sure feel good on your feet and that is what matters most to me. I might add that they do not need any breaking in but if I have a new pair I usually try and wear them a couple of times before I take them on a trip. I am doing that right now as I leave for Munich in two weeks. My suggestion is that your husband try different shoe makes, take them home and wear them around the house to see which make he prefers. You can always return the ones he doesn't like for a refund as long as he doesn't wear them outside.

BTilke

My husband has had good luck with shoes from Clarks and also with some really attractive shoes made by Caterpillar (as in heavy equipment). The Clarks were black and brown; the Caterpillars are olive. All are lace-up but not athletic shoes. Both brands are popular in Europe, so your husband would fit right in with those.<BR>Another vote for Nordstroms shoe department. Good selection and helpful staff.

John

Rockport "Dressports" have the advantage of being comfortable and adequately dressy that you can use them in the evening, too. My Merrels (suede and now black leather) are rapidly replacing all other shoes, except my Clarks, which, although lots heavier than the Rockports, are less pointy-toed, which is a blessing on long walks.

Carol

My husband has two pair of black New Balance shoes with leather uppers and comfortable, walking-shoe soles. At first glance, they are indistinguishable from regular black shoes; in fact, one pair is a wing tip. Unlike Bob Brown's experience above, he found them comfortable for all-day walking on European cobblestones. Perhaps they were a different style/construction. And our shoe store told us that we could return the shoes within a few weeks (two? more? I don't recall) if they were not comfortable, even though they had been worn. This gave us a chance to put them through a thorough trial. (Too many "t---ough words there, I think.) That may be New Balance policy; it doesn't hurt to ask.<BR>Regards,<BR>Carol

dan woodlief

I love SAS Time Outs. They are not the most stylish but not horrible either. They take little if any "breaking in" and are so comfortable. Merrills are ok too, but they didn't quite fit me right, and some of the materials made my feet too hot. I returned the Merrills after wearing around the house for a couple of hours and went with the SAS shoes. They were much better than any athletic shoes I have worn. My feet get very sore very easily, but the SAS shoes really helped.

r

My husband wears ECCo walking shoes, religiously. At work or while traveling. He says they are comfortable and look good,too. He places a Dr. Scholls cushion insert in and this gives even more support and comfort.

Jean

Another vote for ECCOs. He prefers their "City Walkers" -- a plain, lace-up in brown or black fake suede. <BR><BR>I think you have to find the shoe last that works for your particular feet. My husband has wide-ish, flat feet with a tendancy to blister. He takes two pair on every trip so that the inside of the shoes can completely dry before being worn again.

Ann

My husband also swears by Ecco, although he also likes Timberland shoes.

tony

I wear a pair of black Merrills for comfort during the day and a pair of sturdy black Havana Joe low cuts for rainy days and evening. The Havana Joes have worked for casual with jeans and formal, including the Paris Opera.

Patrick

I have some orthopedic problems with my feet from time to time. When I visited my foot doctor he took one look at my Ecco's and said, "well, you couldn't be wearing any better shoes for your feet." For a five month trip to Europe I took three pairs of shoes, Ecco walking shoes (black and dressy enough I figured even for the opera or theatre), Ecco hiking boots, and Ecco sandals (for the Greece and Turkey segment). PS. I do not work for Ecco.

CJL

no doubt ABOUT IT MERRILLS ARE THE MOST COMFORTABLE SHOES I OWN -BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE I'VE TRIED

unhappy

I hope you all have better luck with your Eccos than I have had. Both pair of ankle boots I have (one bought on sale, one bought at full price (ouch!) at the best department store in town) fell apart. After literally 10-15 wearings (but admittedly spending a year or so in the closet between winters) the soles disintegrated. I was informed that this was an indication of how wondefully constructed they are--that the soles don't ever WEAR down, they just start separating (or in my case, develop a huge crack on each boot sole). Ecco kindly offered to resole them at the bargain rate of $65 US...