Walking shoes, part 3 - hiking shoes/boots?
 

Just wondering if anyone has used hiking boots or hiking shoes as their walking shoes? This would be for urban walking and not just trails. I am thinking about buying some. They are made for walking long distances - just wondering if they would handle cobblestone streets?<BR>Anyone use them to the great relief of their feet?

I've tried them, and decided they're not the best strategy. Hiking boots are meant for walking on a variety of irregular surfaces, few of them as hard as London pavement, and they focus on upper-foot and ankle suport. For me, it's more important to have plenty of bouncy cushioning underfoot. Also, boots tend to be heavier than shoes that will meet city walking needs.

On my long trip last summer which included a lot of Greece and Turkey, I took Ecco walking shoes (dressy enough for good), Ecco hiking boots, and Ecco sandals. (Sorry, do I sound like a commercial?) I ended up wearing the hiking boots at least half the time. My ankles aren't good and those higher boots did a world of good for my ankles when walking on cobblestones, dirt trails, etc. In fact I often wore them in the cities just because my feet (and ankles) were so much better off at the end of a long day.

I have trekked around Rotterdam, Ghent and Paris in my walking boots and found them ideal. Make sure you buy them well in advance of your trip so that you can wear them in. Happy mooching.

I also have Ecco Shoes and Boots. The soles are the same tread and I use the shoes in the city and the boots hiking. The are great and my feet feel good at the end of the day. With pants I'm not sure you could tell which you would have.

Novice, I used a pair of hiking shoes for my trip last month. I went to Rome, Tuscany, and Florence and walked everywhere. Other than the initial soreness that one usually feels when excercising more than usual, no complaints. As someone else mentioned, if you decide to go with hiking boots or new shoes or any kind, be sure to buy them early and break them in. I use my hiking boots a lot as everyday walking shoes.

I've used my Timberland hikers -- leather with some Gortex, on 2 trips to England and 1 to Ireland. They did well on cobblestones and muddy paths. The downside was that I had to use them for my flights and they are cumbersome to put back on in a cramped plane seat. I take a pair of old, comfortable loafers for short walks or if the weather is quite hot. Two years ago I broke an ankle in Mexico. I was wearing my Teva sandals because it was hot. If I'd had on the hikers, it might not have happened. Tennis shoes would be more comfortable but they slide on rain-slickened cobbles and they scream "tourist".

I have low hiking shoes and over the ankle hiking boots--both with great lugs on the bottom and lightweight uppers rather than the sturdier but heavier leather. They are my most comfortable shoes by far (and I would never have believed it before I started hiking). They are wonderful on cobblestones and hard museum floors as well as the outdoors. As we mostly go casual when travelling, they are my primary shoes with a nicer looking pair of walking shoes as backup.

Thanks for the replies! Please keep them coming!