BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi guys. I have a questions about shoes. Do you concentrate mainly on how comfy a pair of shoes are, or how they look with your outfits? I am having a difficult time settling on a good pair of walking shoes and the ones that are super comfy are athletics i.e. walking, running, cross training. These are almost always white background with colorful stripes and lots of decos

I am in my late 30s and don't want to look like a stupid tourist. If these are the only comfy ones for major walking, do you think I can get away with wearing my capris, they are khaki and navy and denim.

I think you can find a good compromise/combo shoe with Ecco of Denmark, my current favorite 'city travel' shoe. They've got a bunch of dark leather models that are super comfortable like sneakers, are stylish enough to be considered 'normal' (for Europe), durable, and walk well.

To have a look-see now, click the link above, click "men's", and then check the 'casual' and 'shoe' boxes.

Hi Paris.
The Gear Forum has several discussion on shoes. You may want to check it out for brand/style recommendations.

I personally like cute, comfortable shoes that go with any outfit. I have a pair of borns that I wore all over Italy last year. They are leather (I think) sandals that go with my capris and skirts. I also brought a pair of Keen mary janes that I rotated (and those were close toed).

On my upcoming trip, I am bringing the borns and one other pair, and no athletic shoes. If I had a pair of those awesome Mephistos, I may (they are mary-jane style athletic shoes); but my running shoes just aren't cute.

With all the walking you do, you want to make sure that your shoes are comfortable. Make sure to test them out at home, walk in them several days in a row, and break them in.

I have tried every cute shoe in every brand and nothing is comfortable for long days of touring and sightseeing. The only shoes so far that could stand up for that are athletics and I know they are not the in thing for Europe. I actually was told that maybe orthopedic shoes would be best but there isn't enough time for that seeing that I leave this Friday.

Ecco shoes are fine for every day in America - work, going out, in and out of a car, but not for a long day of sightseeing. I don't know what it is about their shoes but they are not comfortable to me.

Well, if that's all that's comfortable, wear them. I walked for almost 12 hours straight in my borns, and in my Keens, and was fine. To each feet their own.

Or, if you are concerned about not standing out (which you will anyway, and, who cares, you are a tourist), try the Mephisto or other such styled shoes that are more European looking. http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/37366287/c/72533.html

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I am in my late 30s and don't want to look like a stupid tourist

Just bring any shoes that are comfortable.

If you're a guy, well, try rocsports. They are very comfortable, and they have a line of good looking walking shoes, not meant for the mountains, but they work well in any city.

Now, I've given up on them, and have two pairs of walking shoes in the athletic line, one a water shoe', which means it can go in the water and not get damaged. It also means its useless on cold days and rainy days.

Get yourself to a good shoe store, and try out every pair you see, if one is comfortable and looks good, go for it!!!

Ok. Forgot to give the brand. Merrel. My feet are very sensitive, and I've walked 400 kms straight on them with no pain problems aside from the long distance aspect.

I use silicone heel elements to reduce the strains on the ball of my feet, but I have flat feet, and Ihave to do something...

I am currently wearing a pair of Merrell Moab Ventilators. They are extremely comfortable and they are available in "wide". I got them to replace my last pair of Merrells, which have been to Colombia a couple of times. No complaints from me: a chronic complainer.

Keens are another brand you might want to consider. There super comfortable and pretty reasonably priced. I'm a guy so I can't really comment on the cuteness factor but they have loads of styles at Zappos and they should have a fair few at REI if there's a store near you.

If you're leaving on Friday, I think I'd agree that it's too late to get anything new - and risky, in case you need a few days to get used to the new shoes before spending 12+ hours a day in them. So bring your comfy shoes. Will you look like a tourist? Yes. But here's a little-known secret - even with the "right" shoes, you'd probably look like a tourist anyway. We all do. Locals can spot tourists from a mile away, almost no matter what we're wearing or how hard we're trying to fit in.

And so long as you're not being an obnoxious tourist, being a tourist is nothing to be ashamed of.

Heres another secret...

Unless you have absolutely fluent spanish and the right attitude of living, people will STILL mark you as a tourist, though one that has tried to learn the language and fit in.

Camoflage is good for one thing....

Not talking, dressing as they dress, and walking in areas tourists shouldn't be in, I had very nice shoes I wore in cities in venezuela just to avoid attracting sandal attention.

But,, heres a hint. They wear sneakers in these countries too!!!

Shorts? not really, especially not men. Unless they're stick out of a crowd aussies.

I have the opposite problem, people constantly think I live here and always try to ask ME for directions... I´m like ¨hey man you have probably been in this country longer than I have!!!¨

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I WOULD RECOMMEND JAPANESE RIDING BOOTS. THEY ARE CHEAP WATERPROOF ( CAN BE WORN IN SHOWER) DISPOSABLE AND VIRTUALLY THIEF PROOF.THEY CAN BE WORN ANY WHERE AT ANY TIME

CROCKS ALSO ARE THE WAY TO GO BUT GET THEM IN BLACK OR BROWN NOT FLEURO GREEN OR YELLOW THEY ARE FASHIONABLE AND A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO JAPANESE RIDING BOOTS =(THONGS)

walking shoes and flip-flops! i always wear capris (have 3 pairs in 3 different colors) and always have a pair of walking shoes and a pair of flip-flops wt me. i try to buy my walking shoes either in white or black. that's how i avoid those weird color combinations lol

and yes, comfy all around

oh well we look like tourists anyway. come on, i have the map wt me all the time, that sure gives me away lol

Personally, I wear Merrels. I like to get a sporty commuter shoe look. It doesn't scream tourist. My boyfriend and best friend (both native Parisians) wear them ever day. They stand up to wear and can go most places.
And, I agree, definitely take a pair of flip flops.

Crocs make me cringe. Unless you're gardening or plan on falling in the Seine I don't see what their benefits are.


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I'm with anniebanannie, I have the Keen maryjanes and I walked all over italy in them without a single blister and I have really blisterprone feet. They look fine with just about anything, not too dorkie.

The key for fit, which is the major criteria for comfort is the brand. Brands develop their own last, a planform of how a foot is shaped and cut their patterns from that. So regardless of style, if you find a shoe that really fits your foot and is comfortable, search for styles in that brand because it is likely if one works for you, their design form will result in all of their shoes will work for you.

Everyone here swears on ECCO but to me they do not work, any of them. I found a leather highly flexible dress shoe from Florsheim that fit perfectly to my foot and it became my everyday walking shoe, besides looking good with anything from jeans to dress slacks. If they made an athletic shoe I would be fairly certain that it would fit me also. I have dozens of pairs of shoes here, a style oriented city but still wear 90% of the time the ones that are most comfortable.
This above advice only applies to shoe companies that actually make their own shoes instead of buying from Asia whatever is lowest cost that week.
Shoes are taken seriously in much of Europe and here in Russia, cities are made for walking and people actually do it.

Not looking like a tourist is an often claimed desire. Forget it, any local can spot a tourist from 100 meters away. So What? Be a good representative of your country and no one will care from where you come.

Rainbows are incredibly comfortable and I wore them all around Europe last summer. Whatever you get wear it in before your trip!