ttt: I'm curious too!

SAS Time Outs for me. The look nice and are very comfortable. I walk 20-30 miles per week in mine. They are US made - in fact if you can get to the factory in San Antonio, you can get great deals - my sister picked up 6 pr last week for a friend and me.

Barb<BR><BR>My husband recently bought a pair of Stemar shoes, an Italian company, that he says are extremely comfortable (they better be for $200...coulda strangled him!) They will serve well for either city walking or light hiking. Slip-on with an elastic gore across the top. Very european looking.

I have been wearing various Eccos for about six or seven years now. It takes a lot to wear them out. However, once in Europe I did have a pair of hiking boots that the soles started disintegrating at the end of the trip. I had worn them a lot during two years of 5 month trips, but I still thought it was odd. I took pictures of the soles before I threw them into the trash before returning home. When I returned I sent the pictures by email to the Ecco website and explained that I thought something had to be wrong with these soles as I had never had the problem before. They asked me the size, where I had purchased them and when. I told them, but of course, I had no receipts or anything like that. They sent me a brand new pair of $250 hiking boots, better than the originals. I think I'll stick with Eccos.

I too love SAS and Rockport's for walking--however--they have metal inserts, a problem in airports today. So I just bought a pair of very formal-looking ECCO's for our upcoming trip to Paris. So far they feel great! I will report if they fail along the way. For the past 30 years I have managed to travel on only one pair of shoes--maybe I will have break down and follow my wife's example--hope not however!