tthomann

Does anyone know of a company that makes a versatile shoe that would be great for travelling? Does such a product exist? Sometimes I need a dressy shoe and it would be great if I didn't have to pack more than one shoe. Any suggestions? What do you do? What do you recommend?

joannay

I think it's a mistake to travel with just 1 pair of shoes. It could be that because I have hard to fit feet and also need to rotate shoes for comfort's sake that even though I travel pretty light I still have 3 pairs. One walking pair, all purpose plain flats and flip flops for relaxing. I'd be afraid that if one pair were ruined it would be traumatic to not have another pair. That's where "hard to fit" comes in, hard to find another pair on the road. In any case, if your 1 pair simply got soaking wet, what then?

rachie205

Just a thought.. you're going to be wearing one pair anyway, so you'll be able to have more than one pair of shoes.

qwovadis

Rockports my fav very comfy for walking yet dressy
For cities/casual travel I just go with them
Huge Selection of Rockport Shoes.
Free Shipping and Free Returns!
www.zappos.com

onebag.com

If trekking I take my HiTech or LL Bean 1 pound hikers

If jogging do New Balance lots of socks and a bakc up

pair of light shoes a good idea..

november_moon

I have a pair of loafers from Naturalizer that are pretty versitile. They aren't the most fashionable shoe, but they are comfortable and look decent. They have a wedge heel, so I get a little height but they aren't a problem on cobblestones. They can be dressy-ish with slacks.

I still wouldnt only take 1 shoe, but if I did, this would probably be it.

suze

male or female?
what season/weather are you traveling in?
where are you going city, mountains, countryside, beach?

I would *never* travel with only 1 pair of shoes. Too much can go wrong (get wet, wear a blister, etc.)

suze

opps I didn't answer the question "what do you do?"

I travel with 3-4 pair of shoes. For beachy/summer trips that would be sneakers/athletic shoes for walking, flip flops, and two pairs of comfortable but decent looking sandals.

november_moon

I also travel with 3-4 pairs of shoes.

My last trip was to southern Germany and Prague in August. I took a pair of tennis shoes, black Sketchers MJ's, flat sandals, hiking sandals.

harrisonJ

I don't know if there's a store that would personalize shoes. I think it would be a good idea. But I suggest you wear trainers which is comfortable to your feet. Make sure it's not too tight and too heavy to walk around.

CYESQ

A big part of answering your question is where you are going. You're going to want different shoes if you're going to a beach location, hiking in the mountains or sightseeing in a major city. Even in one of these scenarios, there can be variables.

In Lisbon for example, many of the streets are very old cobblestones and on an incline. They can be slippery especially in the rain. I never take any leather soled shoes there or it's disaster.

I generally take 3-4 pair also, generally a sandal (or boot if in winter), a dress shoe and two pair of flats (never wear tennis or athletic shoes). This can vary - it all depends on where I'm going and what I plan to do. In any event, I could never get along with just one or two pair.

Kay2

You'll find many discussions on Fodor's about shoes, especially in the Europe forum.

Male vs. female, season/weather, and activities are essential to know to answer your question. Also, how much do you care about fashion?

You say you need a dress shoe, so I will assume you also want something for more casual sightseeing at least (serious walking or hiking as well?).

My female non-fashion answer to that is I try to manage with 2 pairs of shoes on most trips -
1 pair flat/low heel leather slip on shoes that look decent with dress slacks and with simple skirt that are comfortable and are my backup sightseeing shoes.
1 pair walking shoes, either a leather lace-up or slip-on from such brands as Clarks, a low-rise hiking shoe, or a pair of trainers, depending on my casual activities.
If I must wear heels with a dress, I take high heel sandals if possible to use little space.

My husband's non-fashion answer is
1 pair of Rockport lace-ups for dressier and sightseeing
backup
1 pair low rise hiking shoes.
He doesn't wear sandals or heels.

Iowa_Redhead

It depends on how dressy and where you'll be. Formal vs business casual. Formal... don't even try it with only one pair of shoes. Business casual... it can be done, but I wouldn't suggest it.

I have a pair of wonderfully comfy Eccos that are dressy enough to pair with slacks or a pants suit, but comfy enough to walk around a city all day. I would never take just those though and always take a pair of sandals or Merrell walking shoes. Taking just one pair of shoes leaves you open to issues... what if they get soaked in a storm, what if you manage to cut/scuff/damage them in some fashion, what if they start rubbing, etc?

Foot health/comfort is usually such an important thing when traveling because most of us are on our feet a LOT more than usual and feet need to be pampered a bit more than usual.

A pair of sandals (if location and weather appropriate) add very little weight or bulk. Ballet flats (or similar) can be dressy but still add little weight/bulk. Dressy sandals, ballet flats or a kitten heel dress shoe all can be dressy but add very little weight/bulk.

I'm assuming you're female, ballet flats just aren't quite the thing on men.

spcfa

I take 2 pairs - one pair that I wear which is a low-rise lightweight Merrill hiker, and a pair of comfortable shoe in black with a slight wedge and a shiny black patent leather toe, which makes them appear dressier than they are (these are by Aerosoles). If ANYTHING happens to my Merrills (and I'm not sure what that could be) I could manage the rest of the trip in the other shoes long enough to buy another pair of boots. I do take a pair of very inexpensive flip-flops which I use as slippers and which can cushion something delicate if necessary for the flight home, but I don't count them as shoes. I agree with everyone here, you need to take more than one pair, but I don't think you need to take more than 2 pairs!

toedtoes

For most travel, I wear a pair of dark colored Merrell Jungle Crocs (http://www.shoebuy.com/merrell-jungle-moc/7020/104746). They are comfortable like sneakers, slip on for ease at airports, and don't stick out like a sore thumb with a pair of dark pants.

Then I take one or two additional pairs according to the circumstances:

Another pair of Merrell Jungle Crocs for a casual trip that doesn't require "dressy" or "special purpose" shoes. I get the suede once and I can even throw them in the dryer if they get wet.

A pair of dressy shoes that aren't necessarily "comfort" shoes. These are taken only if there is a specific dress up moment that requires them.

A pair of slightly nicer looking Merrell's shoes like the Spire Emme (http://www.shoes.com/en-US/Product/E...pire+Emme.aspx) or the Agave (http://www.shoes.com/en-US/Product/E...27s+Agave.aspx)

propita

I love my Keen Presidios. Many Keen shoes are comfortable for all day, but a pair of slips ons similar to Presidios (but not) were terrible tramping around watching a golf tournament. That surprised me.