humanone

I know I'm being obsessive, but if I have to spend money for a new pair of walking shoes, I at least want them to be as fashionable as possible. Those of you who live in France, or who have just been there, please let me know what is the most up to date style for flat comfortable walking shoes: squared off toe, or rounded toe. Thank you.

mitchdesj

If you are going in warm weather, and intend to wear skirts and pants, I would buy a good pair of sandals that have some kind of coverage and support; I have problem/aching feet and find that I need a few pairs to get me through all the walking.

There are a lot of flat athletic looking lace-ups in different colors that are comfy yet not bulky. I would advise you to test drive the shoes you are bringing to Europe before you leave; also bring a favorite old pair that you know you can rely on no matter what....

djkbooks

Here's another recommendation for sandals. The thicker and more cushiony the sole the better.

I would also agree that it is essential to test your shoes out at home - at a huge mall with hard floors, walking at least a mile, in a nearby museum...

Shoes that seem comfortable at home for walking a few minutes here and there may not go the distance when you're walking nearly constantly all day, day after day.

You'll want to obsess over comfort, rather than style or price.

Excellent online resources for shoes are Nordstrom, Zappos, and my newest favorite Shoes.com (free shipping, free returns).

m_kingdom2

Invest in some Pradasport or Jil Sander trainers, these are fashionable as well as comfortable. However, if you mean ultra functional walking shoes, forget anything remotely fashionable.

smdussing

I have very unforgiving feet but love shoes with style - bad combination. However, Easy Spirit shoes keep me travelling in comfort and semi-style. Special insoles help a great deal, even with sneakers. While sneakers are not the shoe of choice I always take a pair, preferrably colored ones or black leather ones to wear with nice slacks.

My travel shoes (and clothes) are different from those I wear at home. We do enough travelling to warrant these extra purchases.
Definitely test drive them! Good advice. Also, I switch shoes every other day.

I take 3 pairs of shoes - two strictly functional walking shoes and one ballet flat with a rubber sole. Haven't found a sandal that I could walk five miles in yet.

Final word: if you find a pair that are really, really comfortable and offer good suport don't be afraid to spend some bucks. I was miserable in the Uffizzi (sp?) and don't remember anything I saw. Waste of time and MONEY.

Marianna

I recently bought a pair of Clarks - a slip-on sandal style, backless, but with good support, a slightly thicker sole and heel than a totally flat sandal but I would still call it flat. It seems to be very comfortable for walking (and I have bunions!) and yet has a little style to it. The thing I liked best was that they have enough leather over the top of the foot to prevent that annoying flip-flop you usually get when walking when wearing sandals without a back strap. If you want, I could give you the style number so you can check it out.

bettyo70

Hi!

I'm from New York City and love to walk. The only shoes that I have found to be as comfortable (if not MORE comfortable) than sneakers are from the French company ARCHE. They are coming up with more and more trendy-looking sandals that your feet will LOVE! (The shoes used to all be kind of frumpy, but now they have a few styles that are quite nice -- you can wear out to dinner,etc.) They are more expensive and totally worth the cost!! Try online if there's no ARCHE store near you. I trekked all over Spain with my ARCHE sandals and had NO PROBLEMS! Bon voyage!

happytourist

You might also look at some of the new style Mary Janes--closed shoes with a strap. Dillard's has two styles in their house brands that are really cute, in soft coral and blue. The soles are thicker than ordinary and I find them more comfortable than sandals for a lot of walking. But remember: you're just another tourist among millions and nobody looks at what you've got on your feet. You're the only one who cares--and comfort is what you should care about. Don't ruin an expensive trip with foolish style obsessions. My choice is SAS for a wide toe box, thick soles and heels and good arch support.

Marilayne

I just returned from Paris and in order to truly fit in you have to be willing to be uncomfortable in pointy toe shoes from flats to spiked heels. The other option is colored converse type sneakers or colored addidas/puma type shoes that are seen on teens to maybe upper-twenties age range.

I wore a comfortable Cole Hann loafers that didn't make the grade for all day but were great at home for mall shopping and a pair of nubuck soft Mephistos' that were great.

There were as many unstylish Parisians as there unstylish citizens in the U.S. I wore my backless clog type Merrill's in NYC (not fashionable) but saw no one wearing clogs in Paris. I get that you want to look stylish when shopping in the nicer stores, maybe a pair of Todd's I saw one woman in although I don't own a pair.

I must say that only on two occasions did I opt for squeezing into a pair of heels I brought because my feet got swollen after a whole day of walking. Go back to your hotel room before dinner and do what the athletes do, soak your feet in very cold water.

BTilke

A completely flat shoe is a bad idea for heavy duty walking...even sneakers have some rise in the heel. If you are planning to do a lot of walking without proper heel support, you are just setting yourself up for a problem like plantar fascitis.
I wear mostly ARA brand shoes, which is a German brand, I believe, and they have a line, Rene by ARA that is quite stylish and still comfortable. Since I work with Italians, I do have to wear pretty fashionable shoes on business functions, although I still put comfort first.
If you're going in the summer weather, Clarks makes some really nice "slides" that hold up to a lot of walking. I bought two pair a couple of years ago in Switzerland and wore them around Paris and felt like I fit in well enough.
On the other hand, if you hit a real heat wave like last summer's, honestly, no one will care at all what you're wearing on your feet. A lot of fashion "rules" were broken in Europe last summer in efforts to avoid wilting away, even by chic Parisiennes!

grandmere

I have a Mephisto sandal that is fairly stylish and very comfortable; wore them all over Italy for two weeks and no problems.

OaktownTraveler

Try Tods, Bally or Mui Mui.

Go to the www.NeimanMarcus.com web site and see what fits your specifications.

Square toe is a fad...decide what your priorites are...is it cost, value, fashion, fad, style, color, comfort?

In the end...your money, your shoe, your trip.

Enjoy,
Oaktown Traveler

OliveOyl

It's Miu Miu.

My icons are the most comfortable shoe I own. Fad? Yes...so what--had them 3 years and still get compliments every time I wear them. Look at Taryn Rose too.

cigalechanta

tayn rose are very comfortable and fashionable. All feet are not created equal. My friends swear by Arche and I cannpot wear them. I have bad feet and will spend more money on them than other things to get comfort and looks.

capo

This season, fashionable women in France who are also concerned about self-defense are choosing Christian Lacroix's sexy (and deadly) missile toe.

SUNSHINE1223

Hard to look fashionable and have good walking shoes. I bought a pair of Born lace up shoes which were greaton shoeline.com... Hard to slide your foot into a shoe if your feet are swollen. I also bought a pair of Joseph Seibel. When you are doing a European vacation with lots of walking it is sometimes hard to be fashionable. Loose the fashion and go with a good shoe. Your feet will love you for it...............

humanone

Thanks everyone, but...It will be too cold for sandals when I go, and of course I will put comfort above fashion. However, if I am to travel light I can only take one pair of daytime walking shoes and have to choose between two: squared off toe Skechers and rounded toe Merrell Topo Curve. I just want to know which would be most fashionable in France now. So, those who have been in France or Italy very very recently, which is the more fashionable choice?

Lady

Humanone,
When I go to Europe, I wear one pair of comfortable shoes and pack one pair for evening. For day I have a great pair of Eccos that I wear here (for walking) and there and I just ordered a pair of Clarks (English) for evening that I can't wait to try out. They really impressed me in the store, late afternoon, with swollen feet and look terrific.

suze

Fashion aside, it sounds like you have narrowed it down to two choices. Buy both shoes and wear them for 5 days in a row at home, see which one works for you. Having said that... I travel light but would take 2 pair of daytime shoes & alternate them. I'd rather skimp on clothing (who cares if you wear the same tshirt over and over) and give the suitcase room to an extra pair of shoes! Much more important for traveling happiness.

Carmen

They're a little funky (in a fun way!), but my absolute most comfortable shoes right now are a pair of Diesel sneakers that I got at Nordstrom. I haven't seen them in the store on recent visits, but they're still available online. Go to Nordstrom.com, then click on shoes, then diesel, then women. Several fun styles, but I can personally vouch for the ballet-slipper-soft "Cracker Oxford," which comes in a variety of cool colors. (Item # 35051) The upper is as soft as a cream puff, and the outsole is enveloped by a sort of rubber mesh "cage" that rides like a dream. Now I'm getting tempted to get some more...yummy!