Thank you for the tips!

I ordered the Jack Purcells in black - will be interested to see how different they look from the Chucks, in person - and how they feel. My Chucks are black low tops.

I also ordered the Superga classic in dusty rose.

I may go try on the neons, too.

I love my Supergas, can even fit my orthotics in them.

I have always liked the look of Supergas...one day! My sneaker collection is embarrassingly large as it is.

Wearing trainers or white trainers had never been an issue in Europe, with one exception:
What struck me as a kid (growing up in a touristy region) was that also Americans which I then considered to be very, very old (i.e. 60+, but, hey, I was in my teens!) would wear them.
And it still is a bit that way... not that ANYone would spare ONE thought about it..

A fashionable English-speaking tourist in Italy does not wear socks with white sneakers.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_a27rmaE-kS...edmrripley.jpg

Just go naked, no one will notice. OK just barefoot.

I have seen naked people on the street in Paris and even in the metro. And yes, everybody did act as though they were invisible.

and indeed socks with sandals is thought to be very non-U, though as DH says, it does stop the tops of your feet getting sunburnt.

but really, NO-ONE CARES.

Socks with sandals is the new In thing in the fashion world--no, really, lol, it is! Has been for 6 months or so--which probably means its on its way Out. Of course, this may fall under the category of things leggy young models can wear that would look schlumpy on the rest of us.

But it does prove that fashion rules are made to be broken, so wear what you want.

Basically, when we see socks in sandals in Paris, there are 3 possible guesses about the origin of the visitor: 1. Germany 2. German Switzerland 3. Poland

We used to share a floor with the Slavic Studies graduate students and they would wear sandals and Socks in a snowstorm.

You are raised a certain way, and I would rather put mayo on pastrami than wear sandals and socks.

And yet, behold, gentlemen:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/fashi...yle-trend.html

If you ladies feel emboldened, here is a slideshow of acceptable sock-with-sandal combos:
http://www.refinery29.com/socks-with...dication#slide

This is why I enjoy reading and talking about fashion: its ways are mysterious.

As are the people silly enough to follow each and every trend they see in the paper.

< "Fanny" means something different in British English > LOL

Why so judgmental? Dedicated followers of fashion are enjoying themselves and providing entertainment for the people watchers of the world.

It seems to me that if the capris-and-a-sturdy-pair-of-walking-shoes crowd here were really confident in themselves, they wouldn't spend so much time denigrating those who are interested in fashion trends.

My Italian husband occasionally wears socks with sandals, but then he's an engineer, so fashion is beneath his dignity.

And, believe it or not, in my youth (mid 1980s) I worked with a young English guy, in the Netherlands, who wore socks with sandals all year long. Wool socks in the winter, cotton in the summer.

My daughters are interested in fashion trends, but they have their own way of dressing, and don't try to ape the fashions in other countries when they visit them. I've never had much interest in fashion trends, which is perhaps why I married an engineer. I have certain things I like and can't find anywhere, which probably means they're out of fashion. So I have a dressmaker make them for me.

I just noticed that the ad at the top of this page, and the ad at the right, are for sneakers (Italian companies). Clever, aren't they?

Among the things I could care less about:

Fashion
NASCAR; and
People describing their illnesses

And my black Jack Purcells/dusty rose Supergas came in today. I will probably put gel inserts into them anyway, but yes, they are more supportive than the Chucks.

Oh, good, flygirl, I'm glad they worked for you.
What do you think of the Supergas? How would you compare them to Chucks, or Jacks?

IMD, clearly you COULD care less about fashion, since you are reading this thread :-D