I love the comment

<i>hetismij2 on Jun 26, 14 at 5:08pm
The only people criticising Americans for their clothing and footwear are other Americans. Europeans couldn't care less what you wear when in Europe.</i>

Here are some links to sports shoe shops in Spain.
http://www.zalando.es/zapatillas-sneakers-hombre/
http://www.decathlon.es/C-1018191-za...deporte-hombre
Just to prove the point ;-)

I'm currently in Poland and have even seen some of those bright colored sneakers. Personally, I don't care what anyone wears in Europe.

These periodic "what to wear" threads are always hilarious and full of Americans who regard themselves as fashionistas.

Your shoes/clothes are your own business and there are no Fashion Police in Europe to summarily eject you from places for improper clothing. Everyone knows you bring a limited wardrobe when you travel unless you want to break your back as part of the trip.

PS I am going to Istanbul on this trip and I never thought to worry about what shoes to wear there.

Don't wear heels when walking Hadrian's wall seems the most critical thing in the last few weeks

<I>What a silly rude person!</i>

Yes, you are NewbE. I criticized the fashion writers for the NYT and you turned it into a tirade against all Americans.

<i>So when will assuming that all Americans are stupid and inferior to Europeans go out of style? Ironically, this is exactly the attitude that provokes anxiety in insecure Americans traveling abroad.</i>

I even wrote that normal Americans know perfectly well how to dress, but this seems to have gone over your head.

<i>What puzzles me is how they keep them white. </i>

Daily light cleaning after wearing.

Great. So fannypacks are fine. I was starting to feel a bit anal wearing mine.

<i>So fannypacks are fine.</i>

You wear whatever you want. I'll still chuckle when I see you.

I think that the point of the article a few fashion houses are showing them in their spring collections. There was a mini-crisis a few months ago when the newly-in-style Adidas Rod Laver's were sold out everywhere. (I just wore a pair to dinner at a new NYC restaurant and they looked kind of cute)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/10/fa...ker-Niche.html

Another stellar thread on fodors really designed to help travelers.

THIS IS SARCASTIC!

"Fanny" means something different in British English. I PMPL when I read that.

There a lot of these types of threads on Trip Advisor too. When will vacationers relax and go with the flow.? I have just read that shorts are only for children not for adults.

Since most American tourists are Caucasian many foreigners confuse sandals with white sneakers.

Since I live in downtown NYC, I wear black sneakers to funerals and Europe.

I prefer a two-tone--black AND white--sneaker. Covers all the bases. And at least half of the sneaker will look clean after I get doused with that sooty puddle water from the taxi hurtling past. But I am never sure about sock color (?????)

Wear yellow socks for that bumble-bee look.

Ok, I'll bite. Not necessarily white, but where to find/ which sneakers are both comfortable and don't scream "runner"? I've seen the bright blue or orange or whatever sneakers but didn't pay close enough attention to who made them.

P&S are the Superga and the Rod Lavers comfortable / pads or are they flat flat flat like Chuck Taylors? I had to get gel inserts for my Chucks.

Fly girl, I find my supergas a zillion times more comfortable than my chucks. They have a lot more support and a thicker sole so you don't feel every pebble.

Just an aside here. When I first went to Europe in 1965, I found it easy to tell Americans from Europeans, but I can't do that any more. Clothing styles seem to have become more global.

flygirl, I agree with you about Chucks. For more support and a slightly wider toebox, try Converse Jack Purcells. They look similar to Chucks, and do come in white, as well as other colors and patterns.

FWIW, neon bright running shoes are in this summer, so if those work for your feet, I'd say go for it.

As for socks, I see young persons wearing those super low profile socks, the ones that barely come up to the ankle, in either black or white depending on the shoe, even with Chucks.

Peg, that's a really interesting observation!