i'm going to europe this summer for three plus months. i'm a runner, and plan on running daily (or whenever i can). these will double as my walking shoes, and yes, they will probably be white sauconies. (i know all the discussion about white sneakers=tourists, but i live in new york city and see tons of tourists--and a lot of them are wearing WHITE SNEAKERS! and even if they weren't, i can still they they're tourists by what they're wearing.)

so should i get another pair of shoes? i want something that doesn't weigh a lot, and that looks okay with skirts and pants. sandals? something comfy?

I've spent hours thinking about which shoes to bring on various trips. You definitely want more than one pair.
I can't imagine going travelling without flip-flops. I wore them daily in South Amer, and they are an essential for showers at hostels. I think Reef makes the most comfortable flip-flops (I would spend a day walking in them and my feet were ok). Reef flip-flops are overpriced but I wore them to death. The ones I love are called: Reef ´Sandy´ Thongs (nordstrom.com has them)

I don't know what your personal style is, but I would imagine you want to look nice at times and Europe isn't like being in central america when you rarely feel the need to dress up.

I'd recommend a comfortable but nice looking pair of walking sandals. Something in brown or black leather (whichever will go with more of your clothes)

Sorry for the long discours on this...I could talk about "which shoes" for hours. I know I think about it for hours.

I'm about to go to Africa for 5 months and I'll be thinking about "which shoes" for the next three months before I leave.

I leave in a week and I'm still stressing out about shoes. I'm trying to decide if I should buy a new pair of birkenstocks or not. I wore my birks to death last summer (well, I've had them for over three years), but they're getting gross and gungy, and the sole is cracking. I don't just want to pay to get them resoled.

If I do that... then I will have a pair of black dress shoes (which I will throw away when I'm done in Korea), a pair of sneakers (I haven't decided if I should bring my current white ones, or buy like, skate shoes), flip flops for the shower, Birks and maybe a pair of heels.

I'm going shopping this weekend, and if I can find a pair of heels with a closed toe that fit well, and can do "fancy dress" and "business suit", I'll get those. I need the closed toe for the DMZ tour.

amyadrift, those reef sandals remind me of my teva flip flops. they look as comfy as them. are they heavy?

so i'm guessing my sneakers, my flipflops for showers and beach, and something else--like good merrill or some sort of walking sandals. but i want something that LOOKS nice since i'll be visiting with some friends of my grandparents, etc--something i can wear out to dinner or just walk around in. any suggestions?

hey cherie -

Those reef flip flops are practically weightless. I also have these teva flip flops but find the reefs more comfy and I think part of the reason is that they have a wider fabric strap so they don't rub. The only downfall about them was that when I wore them in the shower the fabric strap would take some time to dry. If you already have teva flip flops that you find super comfortable than you may want to just stick with those.

As for the sandal situation:
I have always found it really difficult to find sandals that are both comfortable and cute. For my last couple of trips (Central America and South America) I just brought flip flops and chacos so it's been awhile since I've dealt with trying to find nice looking sandals. That said...I've listed some styles and brands below (I must seem like a total shoe freak, but my work involves Shoes/Apparel so I spend most of the day looking at this type of stuff).

The shoes/brands I've listed below are fairly pricey, but it's my opinion that comfortable, quality shoes are very important in general and specifically for travel. I found the below, again, on nordstrom.com. Another good site for shoes is zappos.com. I'd recommend online research and then calling around to your local stores to see if they carry the ones you like. Then wear them around inside for awhile to see if you like them and that way you should still be able to return them if you change your mind. I'm sure you have puh-lenty of shopping options in your neck of the woods.

Here goes...

Birkenstock ´Josephine´ Sandal
Birkenstock ´Sandra´ Sandal
Merrell ´Tetra Spark´ Sandal
Mephisto ‘Tarita’ Sandal
Merrell 'Tetra Diva' Slide
Birkenstock 'Morgan' Sandal


Some brands that are meant to good for lots of walking/time on your feet: Born, Merrell, Birkenstock, Clark, Mephisto, Dansko (though these are usually clogs and too heavy for travel)

Good luck!
Let me know what you end up deciding...

Mmm. I bought my new pair of Birkenstocks yesterday. I upgraded and went for the full leather ones, instead of the cheaper synthetic-y ones that I had before.

Now I'm just wearing them all over the house until my feet adjust.

I bought a pair of Born thong-style sandals yesterday and they are without a doubt the most comfortable slippers I have EVER worn. More expensive then I usually pay, but I appreciated the comfort and classic leather design.

If any of you ladies shoe-shop online, I highly recommend Zappos they have good sales and selection, free shipping, comments from other people who bought the same shoe and an EXCELLENT return policy.

hey mina -
did you get these Borns?:


I thought I knew what shoes I was going to bring with me to Africa but now I am totally wavering...

not those Amy, but very very similar (I cant find a picture) The sole looks the same only the details on the strap are different.

They are SO COMFORTABLE! I was going to take them to Europe but then I realized I might be too casual or too cold in the places I am going, plus I'd still want rubber slippers for showers and the like, and two pairs of flip-flops seems excessive.... sooooo... ya, I'm wavering too... lol

Mina, that is exactly what I was thinking with the flip flops...how could I justify two pairs. Even though the ones for the shower weigh all of 4 oz.

I know it's probably best for me to not look too fancy in Africa anyway, but I still don't want to look too scruffy when I'm in Madrid or Cape Town, etc.

What's a girl to do?

wow, sounds like you've got quite an adventure ahead of you! where else are you going??

I was thinking I might have to get more of a slide type of shoe but those can slip off more easily than the thong, and are less comfy over long distances, I find. But the plus side is they are more versatile and show less toe cleavage.... I might have to do more of a traditional sandal, if I find the right style.... your suggestions are good Amy, I'm going to look into those... thanks!


The quest for the perfect all-purpose women's shoe continues....

Hey Mina -
To answer your destination question:
Madrid > Morocco > Turkey> maybe some middle east> Egypt> Nairobi overland to Cape Town > maybe a little more Europe at the end. Roughly 5 months but who knows.

As for shoes I'm beginning to think my list looks something like this:
1. "urban" looking sneakers, i.e. the currently popular "athletic inspired" style (I think xoom mentions this in the "what color are your shoes" thread)
2. comfortable but nice looking sandals
3. the essential flip flop

I could potentially be making a big mistake here -- My original list was much more functional:Chacos, low top hikers, flip flops, and that mysterious 4th pair of all purpose shoes)

I spend so much time thinking about what shoes to bring I'm beginning to feel a little ridiculous.

Not a sandal, but these are cute and could be multifunctional...

I should just go find a Shoe Forum instead of a Travel Forum, huh?

your trip sounds like a BLAST, fun fun fun

I like your shoe list, mine is shaping up similar but I'm looking for more 'sleek' than 'sneaker' I think...

those shoes you posted are cute, but my issue with the mary jane style is... socks. Wear them? Dont wear them? Dont wear them and your feet WILL get stinky (tho Borns are supposedly anti-bacterial?). Wear them and it can look funny, you also have to worry about what color is showing out the top.... I dunno...

yea the shoe talk is a little silly right now

but you know what?

The best part is when you finally get on the road, and you deal with what you got, and all of this silly chit-chat falls off the radar like so much of the other bs that encumbers our lives...

quote:

The best part is when you finally get on the road, and you deal with what you got, and all of this silly chit-chat falls off the radar like so much of the other bs that encumbers our lives...

You are SO RIGHT and it couldn't be MORE TRUE!

And I totally agree with you on the Mary Jane thing. I lost it there temporarily

ROOS! those are all the shoes you need. come on! secret pockets?!! that is amazing, not to mention a travel marvel! hide some travelers cheques in there or actual cash. ROOS ROOS ROOS. and mine are blue.

damn i love blue roos.