Julie

Hi,<BR>This is probably a bad question, but I wanted to know if wearing sneakers in Scandinavia (we're going to the capitals) is a purely "American tourist" thing, or if the locals wear them when walking around town as well. I know in some European capitals, it makes Americans stick out. <BR>Thanks for any help in advance!<BR>Julie

thor

Bring them. They'll help you outrun those raping and pillaging hordes of vikings.

elina

Up here people on their free time dress casually. I don´t mean sweats and training clothes, but city casual. And nobody cares what kind of shoes you have. Most important is that you can walk comfortably.

wench

Nevermind Thor, the raping can be enjoyable after a while. You can't do anything about it so take in the ride.

Sneakers?

Sneakers!!!<BR>forget about standing out as an American. You stand out as upper east coast. Probably New York.<BR>Didn't anybody tell you that in the rest of America "sneakers" are only worn by small children? FYI

say

Sneakers, What are you saying? Do you think Sneakers are a regional NE term? I don't think so. I live in the Pacific Northwest and we wear sneakers here, and we drink pop, not soda.

Julie

What does everyone else call them?

candy bar lover

Sneakers are okay, but I like Three Mouseketeers and Milky Whey more.

say

candy bar lover: Do you like your sneakers frozen? We do that here, but I think frozen snickers are a nationwide phenomenon.

sneakers

ttt

faile626

silly trollish thread, but here goes: <BR><BR>i like the british term "trainers" to refer to shoes one would wear while training for a sport.<BR><BR>and these 'sneaker' threads always crack me up, and i finally realized why: <BR><BR>i feel silly when i wear "trainers" when i'm not "training", whether in europe or in seattle.<BR><BR>i'm wearing well-worn jeans and a thrift-store t-shirt right now (with a monkey on it), and i'm the first to admit i'm a rather casual and unsophisticated dresser. but i drew the line at the daily wear of trainers after i graduated from high school...<BR><BR>and i'll dress more boldly on my trip to france this summer than i would at home because i'll feel more confident to do so in such a fashionable place -- it all adds to the joy of travelling. i probably won't bring my monkey t-shirt, sadly (sorry, monkey!).<BR><BR>anyway - sorry to put this to the top. i just couldn't resist.<BR><BR>

tim

I'm going to the Baltic this summer and wearing the most comfortable shoes I have....my white Saucony running shoes. Don't like it...too bad. Got a problem with it....too bad. <BR><BR>Let style overrule comfort and you're less than adequately gifted in the supratentorial region.

say

I must admit, I've stopped wearing my sneakers for daily wear also. This is because my sneakers (aka trainers) cost more than my casual leather shoes! So, I save them for the gym. These sneakers some people on this board scoff at are hardly the scruffy, slobby, casual shoes some people seem to think they are. They are lean, mean fighting machine shoes.

shirl

Having lived in Europe since 1992 I do not wear sneakers when traveling. Yes, they make you stand out as an American. That is how I spot Americans so I can talk to them. Also the Europeans except for the Brits don't wear shorts (except in their their neighborhoods) no matter how hot it is.

Hiho

It obviously doesn't take my input to make for a terrible thread. UGH

xxx

It depends on where you are going and what you are going to do in Scandinavia. Many Scandies wear tennies or sneakers or whatever you want to call them. My husband and I even noticed that above Bergen (Floyen) you would even see couples in matching track suits with matching sneakers. If you are going for a more formal dinner, probably not. If you are going to be walking around sightseeing, wear the most comfortable shoes you've got, and to heck with what other people think. They'll pick you out as a non-native from other things as well as shoes.

xx

Are the streets fairly level? Or am I going to be walking up and down hilly roads? Cobblestone streets? In other words, is walking around towns in Scandinavia difficult?

anna

Cobblestones YES EVERYWHERE. Whether the streets are level or not depends on the surrounding terrain. Denmark is very flat, Whereas Norway is not. Depends on where you are.

John DK

You can wear your sneakers in the street and in average lunch places. In better restaurants you may be rejected especially for dinner. Forget about looking "American Tourist", most of these do it no matter what footwear they use.<BR>Anything wrong in being an "American Tourist"?

alina

Hi, Just got back two days ago. I wouldn't care so much about looking like a tourist. I'd care that I could walk around. Lots of cobblestones everywhere, sometimes flat and easy to walk on, sometimes like a pile of stones set in cement and hard to walk on. Also slate or some other kind of stone surface that can be uneven. So take shoes that you are comfortable walking in.<BR><BR>Enjoy Scandinavia. The people are nice and helpful, and it is easy to get around.