If sandals would work for you, try the Italian brand Sensi ones. Incredibly comfortable, at least on my feet, inexpensive, and some are engineered so that if you walk through puddles, the water is drained out immediately so your soles never get wet. Kind of ingenious design.

Every brand and every shoe is different. I can't wear Clarks at all - not Privos, not Indigo, not any!

Naots and Eccos fit me well.

I try to pack a pair of sandals or slip-ons to wear to a restaurant. Most of the shoes I wear all day are too clunky.

It doesn't help that I don't like lace-up shoes and I don't like straps....limits my choices considerably.

polly--I bought these in black at The Walking Co. last summer. Wore them all over Paris and Amsterdam last year, and again in Paris this past June. They are super comfy for walking, as well as looking feminine and dressy for an evening out.

Other have recommended ecco--based on my experience with this pair, I have to agree. Since they are "last year's," though, this particular style may not be that easy to find. The following link shows a size 41 (10) available. (Mine are 10's though I typically take 9.5.)

http://www.thewalkingcompany.com/ecc...oon-rock/12057

Good luck in your search !

I love naots, aravons, wolky,el naturalista, and spring step. I order many many pairs from zappos, walk around in them for an hour or so, send back most. I wear a 9 or 9.5 and do well.
If they are not immediately comfortable, they will not be.

I am not a duck, but my feet are wider since pregnancy and believe me, it is not so easy to find wide shoes either.

I love Clarks and some Eccos, but you need to find a manufacturer's last that works for your feet. As others have pointed out, a brand that is comfortable for one person may not feel good to the next.

A last is the blueprint for heel width, instep height, forefoot width and length, and toebox depth. These dimensions can vary hugely between manufacturers.

I, too, am a 9-1/2 with a narrow heel. I have several styles of Ecco which fit me very well. The first pair I bought at Nordstrom; the others I ordered online from (I think) Zappos.
They are European sized and I take 40 or 41. At least one pair goes on every month-long trip and I walk a lot with absolutely no rubbing, pinching, blisters, etc.

I like Boern but no one can tell you what is good for your feet.
We are all different. I tried many suggested over the years
that was a drain of money. Go into a store, try them on , walk around and see if they are comfortable.

After a trip to Greece, where I developed, or noticed for the first time, a neuroma, I had to go to a podiatrist. He was able to tell me after just that one visit the kind of shape and structure of shoes that would work best for me. He told me things to avoid to prevent it from getting to the point of having surgery. I have not had to go back since, and that was 5 years ago. Maybe it would be a good idea to give that a try rather than trying all sorts of different shoes.

I have not read all posts but would recommend checking Rieker shoes.. Zappos has nice variety and you can Google for other sites. I can't say they are beautiful but mine do not look like athletic shoes. I have several pairs but have worn Celia 66 the last two trips to Europe and wearing them for another vacation in September. I often wear them around the house if I plan to be on my feet a lot that day. May not be made for your foot shape but worth a try. They have many Mary Jane types with strap across feet to help with slipping The Celia 66 appears to be in black also. I also have some Keen Mary Jane type that I can wear for walking all day. Hope you find the perfect ones. BTW, Rieker is a German company and I believe started in the Black Forest.

Naot and Paul Green. I have resoled the Paul Green walking shoes twice already. Fabulous.

I wore these Naots to walk 12 miles in Rome one day (and many more walking days)

http://www.zappos.com/naot-footwear-...madras-leather

I bought the same style in a second pair. You can walk in them all day and they are cute enough to wear to most restaurants with the punky little sparkles.

I'm getting ready to head to the UK/Belgium/Northern France and am taking a Naot pair with a slightly higher arch and heel and several straps across the top along with the Paul Green closed toe walking shoes and a pair of blue flats.

Good luck! I've never gone wrong with Naot and Paul Green, though Ecco, Merrel, SAS, etc. have also worked ok.

This is very useful. People are mentioning some shoe brands I have never heard of. (Naot, for instance.) I knew I was in for some searching but at least I can direct the searches. It is possible that I should try some former failures like Clarks again because I have learned that your feet change your whole life. I wore 8 1/2 narrow until I had kids and gradually crept into 9 1/2; and then the ball of my foot widened and sometimes I took a narrow, sometimes a medium. The "baby" is 36 now and the balls of my feet are wider still, so I need a medium width, but my heel is still narrow. Haven't found that a Mary Jane strap helps much with the heel slippage unless it's so tight it cuts into my foot.

I mostly wear slacks now, seldom dresses, so I can get by with somewhat less attractive shoes; long pants hide a multitude of sins or at least make your not-beautiful shoes less obvious. As I get older, comfort is the utmost. Back pain is the first consideration but foot discomfort runs a close second. I will always take a second pair of shoes on a trip and they will be a trusted athletic pair. But also as you get older, it's also harder to manage luggage, so if I can manage with one to wear and one to pack, it's a big help.

About '04 I was in London and somewhere around day 4 one of my second toes turned into a blister - literally the whole toe except the nail. (I was so impressed I took a picture of it.) Hurt the rest of the trip. But that wasn't a shoe problem since I'd been wearing athletic walkers up to that point. Saw a podiatrist when I got back and he said your toes don't flex as much as you get older, told me to use gel sleeves on the problem toes. So now I always carry them (along with moleskin, blister bandaids, and other foot first aid) and apparently just having the stuff in my purse helps. ;) I have only once since then had the inside of my toe start to blister. (If only carrying an umbrella were as effective as keeping away the rain!) Never thought to ask the guy what kind/shape shoes I should wear. Actually, I have okay-looking shoes that are comfortable to walk in as far as my feet go, but they don't provide sufficient cushioning to stave off the back pain.

We walk a lot in cities, especially European ones, and some days love wandering 3 or 4 or 5 miles at a stretch through London, Paris, Amsterdam, etc., just looking at nothing - and everything. I hope not to have to resort to taxis, buses, etc., any time soon. So tomorrow I'll start scouring online and maybe head down to the SAS, Nordstrom part of town.

I had a pair of Memphistos but I thought they ran wide. I replaced them with Keen's. The Keen's are not as dressy but just as comfy for half the price. I especially like Keen sandals because I can adjust them to fit my feet. When the weather gets colder I will try Keen Mary Janes.

I have two pairs of Dansko Mary Janes that I love. Merrell works well for laced walking shoes worn with socks.

Most of my live I have had to "doctor" my shoes to make them fit. I have a drawer full of ankle and ball of foot inserts. Sometimes I need to add them on one foot. Sometimes both feet need help other times I go without.

palmetto, I tried the Dankko clogs and while my feet were fine my knees were not. Not something I noticed in the store at all, but the first time I wore them for any length of time my knees ached and my legs felt tired. Just another concern when buying shoes.

I canNOT wear clogs of any sort either, Challiman.

Polly, thanks for the thread!! I also spotted a couple new brands or ones that I'd wondered about. Naot sandals are the only thing besides sneakers that I can truly "walk all day" in.

Do you have a independent shoe store near you? One that has salespeople who know how to properly fit your foot? IMO - a knowledgable salesperson makes all the difference. One style from a manufacturer might be better for you than another and they should be able to guide you to styles that work with your foot.

I wear 9.5, have really high arches, narrow above the heels (can't wear slingbacks) and long long toes, I understand difficult to fit :P

There is really no 'right" answer...some of the sandals posted here would kill my feet.

I try on different makes, find the one that fits( and looks nice enough so I can wear more often than just on the trip ), and pay whatever the price!

Go into an Aerosoles store and try on what you like. I travel all over with the brand. Comfortable short boots under pants look great and so comfy. Also some dressier flats for night time are great too for cobblestones. I can't believe Americans wearing big white athletic all over. Don't need to look ugly to be comfortable!
Have a great trip

I love threads like this because you always learn something new!

I am with nytraveler, my Mary Jane Sketchers are THE most comfortable shoes I have ever walked in for extended periods of time. I walked all over Italy in them and every trip since. I would spend just about anything for comfortable walking shoes, but at $49, I still shake my head and am so happy about this price point. (Allows me to splurge on other things!!!)

I love them so much I even have new "back up pairs" in the box ready to wear in case they stop making them. I have them in both black and brown.

Reading the 356 positive reviews should make your feet smile, Polly229. :) Click here:
http://www.skechers.com/style/21571/bikers-step-up/bbk

p.s. I will also add that the adjustable criss cross Mary Jane strap makes it so nice if your feet are swollen a bit from travel.

I am beyond help and have a nasty habit mutiple posts, sorry! Wish all my thoughts just came to me during my original post. Risking public humiliation, I will add:

These shoes are VERY lightweight. I have a tough time with heavy shoes due to a bad left knee. These shoes do not weigh you down or pull in any way, just super light weight.

Ok, sorry for the multiple posts, I am done now (I *think* LOL)
:">

The best and most comfortable shoes I have ever owned are made by the German firm Berkemann. They are expensive, but boy, do they last! The footbeds are better than any others I've come across; some sandals have a removable cork bed. When I wear the sandals during the summer I'm never troubled with ankle-swelling, which happens even with my SAS and Clark brands.

Tiff, I've never tried Sketchers but your post makes me think I'll give them a try. Thanks. For that price, it is well worth a try.

Skechers. Yes.

I could never wear Skecher's like Tiff linked. Any shoes with a rubber or leather strip around the toes like those Skecher's make my toes hurt.

What is comfortable on one person isn't always comfortable for someone else. It just depends on what foot issues you have.

DW swears by Wolky's and never takes anything else for travel.

Here's a company a friend told me about. The shoes are made in the U.K.

http://www.hotterusa.com/

Hi kybourbon :) say just in case you check back in on this thread, they do have shoes with a mesh toe front, I wonder if that would work for you?

I have the Hot Ticket shoe, in a pretty light green and grey color and also in black. I did not mention them above because they are more my Pup walking shoes (and would not transition into dinner shoes unless it was a casual place and that is what Polly229 reqested) however I have worn them all day, they are incredibly comfortable, as comfy as my Mary Jane's and I would travel with them. Hope that helps a little! <<hugs>>

http://www.skechers.com/style/21159/...ot-ticket/ccgy

Also, for a first time buyer I would try them out in store first before ordering online because sizes really vary. I tend to 1/2 size up on Sketchers. They have a store locator tab on their website.
((l))

Stopped by DSW, nearest big shoe store, last night and didn't have a great deal of luck. Nothing I wanted or they didn't fit, but this seems to be a good time of year to shop because they had 9 1/2s in 90% of the shoes. Did find some Clarks that seemed to fit better than the last ones I tried some years ago, but the heels were still a tad looser than I might like and wasn't crazy about the styles DSW had. But I won't dismiss them without trying on anymore.

Anyone know anything about Cliffs by White Mountain (Baylee Mary Janes)? Seemed more comfortable than a lot of the others but largest size was a 9. Tried that on and it seems like a 9 1/2 would fit. Biggest problem with it is that it's synthetic, not leather, although the one I tried had a lot of fabric in the upper. But it's a cheap enough shoe ($39.95 at DSW, list about $59 I think) that I suppose I might try it if I can find a 9 1/2 and it fits, and nothing better comes along.

I have several pairs of synthetic leather shoes because I no longer buy real leather anything. My experience has been that the cheaper synthetics don't wear very well, and they don't "break in" and soften and stretch the way leather ones do--they sort of bend, if that makes sense. And they don't breathe well. The pricier synthetics are much better, but I'm talking $100 for a pair of boots. Not the most expensive shoes out there, but not cheap.

(Synthetic sneakers, running shoes, etc. are a different story. Those are great, IME.)

So while I don't know anything about White Mountain, I guess even I would hesitate to recommend synthetic leather shoes for walking long distances.

I feel your pain. My favorite travel shoes are by Propet available at footsmart.com. I like them because you can insert an orthotic, which I have to have when I'm on my feet all day. I have their Wash 'n Wear leather walker in denim, black and white and Mary Janes in black and and gray/lilac. The soles are much thicker than Easy Spirit, Naturalizer, etc. so they're more comfortable for extended walking, especially on uneven streets.

>>>Hi kybourbon :) say just in case you check back in on this thread, they do have shoes with a mesh toe front, I wonder if that would work for you?<<<

If they were mesh to the sole they would work, but with the suede strip sewn on around the toes they won't. Causes blood blisters for some reason. After breaking my foot and tearing a bunch of tendons, I've learned to live in Teva flip flops (a style that doesn't have a piece between the toe and no longer made).
http://www.notmartha.org/archives/20...va-kena-shoes/

If you find something that works, order as many as you can before they discontinue them.

http://www.whitemt.com/info/clretaillocations

Thanks for the Propet reminder. I only learned the other day that they make anything other than athletic shoes. My first pair of athletic shoes were Propet and I now have 3 others - the best-fitting ones I own. Had no idea they made other shoes - have never seen anything but athletic in stores - and after seeing a pair on a website, I forgot to do a search.

Shoes are 75% of the solution but good socks can account for the balance. If you are buying one-size-fits all socks in plastic sacks six pairs at a time, you are missing out. Good socks (SmartWool, the REI store brand, etc) can help prevent blisters and keep your feet dry and cushioned.

I just hate all the ads on Fodor's these days. I can't even open this thread without a virtual parade of shoes marching across the top of my screen (sorry off topic but it's driving me NUTS!)

My socks are good - no cotton, only good wool, double-layer walking socks, etc. But most of those are not appropriate except with athletic shoes.

Suze, have you noticed the shoes marching across are just the kind of shoes we're talking about - great for walking around Rome or London all day, huh?

If you are seeing shoe ads on Fodors, I imagine it isn't Fodors but your own browsing history doing it. Some websites have cookies that track what you were looking at and then show ads from those websites incorporated into a lot of other sites you look at. If you look at certain hotel websites, for example, you will then see ads for those same hotels when you are looking at unrelated things. There is some option in your browser that allows or doesn't allow that, I believe, but I'm not sure if you have to not allow all cookies or what.

This is one article on the subject http://www.pcworld.com/article/25337..._showdown.html

Nope, this is a Fodor's ad, not an ad personally directed at individual users.