Comfortable walking shoes for Italy

[Noitacav]

Looking for a comfortable walking shoe with support for women. What are your favorites and which are to be avoided. Walking a lot in Italy and Greece. Thanks.

[ducklite]

I'm a big fan of Clark's. http://www.clarks.com

 

Loads of different styles, they hold up well, and great for walking.

[cruisemom42]

There are lots of different foot shapes out there. What is comfortable for one person may not fit well on another. Many people love Merrell, but having tried 3 different pairs, I've concluded that they aren't comfortable on my feet. Same with Ecco -- love the shoes, just don't work for me.

 

Some other good "comfort" brands to look at:

 

Privo by Clarke -- the regular Clarke's aren't all that comfortable for a full day of sightseeing for me, but Privo's (made by Clarke) seem to have a little extra cushioning for all those cobblestones....

 

Rieker -- some of their styles are kind of clunky, but others are pretty decent, and they seem to be very comfortable for a long day of walking.

 

Skechers -- I don't like the ones that are supposed to "tone" you, but the regular ones (especially the ones in their "Active" line) are good; almost like wearing an athletic shoe.

 

Keen -- Again, these can be a bit clunky looking but they are very comfortable on my feet (good toe room) and some are amphibious, meaning you don't have to worry if they get wet in a sudden downpour.

 

 

There are more expensive brands that are probably worth looking into if you really have foot problems, such as Mephisto and Propet.

 

I'm sure there are others too.

 

The best advice I can offer is to be sure to thoroughly try out/break in any shoes before you go. There's a big difference between feeling comfortable on your feet for an hour or two in your house versus a full day of sightseeing on unforgiving surfaces. Heat can be an issue too -- I know my feet get wider after several days of hard sightseeing when it's hot. Bring bandaids, moleskin, blister block, or whatever else may help you keep going.

[wantocruisemore]

I had several pair for my Med tour this past summer. It ended up that the Merrills were used the most. I had to put a heel backing in one of the shoes but they still worked the best. One thing though, due to the heat and friction from walking if you will need a heel guard/insert, be sure to take enough to change daily. I found that the adhesive melted so that at the end of the day the heel guard came loose and out of place.

 

I also had some leather Clark sandals. They worked well and my MIL and SIL also had the same ones. But it was a mistake wearing them for my long day at the Vatican, I ended up with a blister on the balls of my feet after that day.

 

DD's had Teva sandals, Naturalizer sandals and The Crocs that are similar to flip flops but firmer, supportive and very lightweight.

 

One DD and I both had some Anne Klein Flex loafers. DD wore them her day at Vatican with no problems. I wore them onboard ship at night and going out at night in Rome. They were really comfortable too.

 

The shape of your foot has an impact on the brands that work. But whatever brand you get, be sure to take awhile breaking them in. And this includes using them to try out walking long distances over different surfaces.

[Happy ks]

I'll agree there is no one brand to suit all, our feet are all so different. I have wide feet and nerve damage in my right foot, so I have to be careful. Merrills work fine for me, I had a pair of Clarks clogs that I wore until they fell apart (literally, one day they just disintegrated).

 

When we were in Italy it would depend on where we were going for the day. Say you're in town, you want something a little nicer looking like a loafer, but if you are going to Pompeii, I wore my sneakers and was glad I did, it was dusty and lots of rough terrain.

 

I'll also agree to make sure you are able to walk in the shoes you take. Go out and walk a couple miles in them, wear them all day to make sure you can tolerate the shoes. It's horrid to have sore feet or blisters, especially since you need to walk again the next day, or wear heels to dinner that night.

 

I will say that a finer quality shoe will serve you better than a cheap shoe, more support, more flexibility, more durable. Save the cute cheap shoes for evening (or never) or around the pool.

[Hoyaheel]

Just did a Black Sea cruise and we walked 5-8 miles a day (literally - we tracked it on the GPS ;-) I alternated between my teva toachi sandals (they have toe protection) Dansko leather sandals (lace-up style so they are great for my wide-ish foo) and Asolo goretex hiking shoes. I love the older style Merrells but the new styles use a last that doesn't fit my foot properly. Clarks are too narrow, though some Privos fit me. (I have privo ballet flats and a privo lace-up that I wear for light city touring) For winter, I have great comfy Keen ankle boots (but Keen sandals don't fit me properly, go figure:rolleyes:) For work, I love Softspots and Sofft shoes.

 

Trial and error - I've tried a LOT of shoe brands (my mom and I are both fans of "comfort" shoes and share recommendations - and sometimes shoes - with each other.) I'm very willing to spend more for good quality comfort that I will wear until they fall apart. Then I'll get them fixed and wear them a little longer:D

[SadieN]

Ecco. European so you'll blend in.

 

Took Ecco laceups and sandals for our 2 week trip to Rome. Absolutely no problems. Feet didn't hurt and no hot spots. The lace-ups I have look narrow but are comfortable on my almost-wide feet. Don't remember if I bought them at Macy's, The Walking Company or the Ecco store.

 

Try on many pair and break them in before you leave. I looked for 2 months before I found my shoes.

 

Other brands to try is Birkenstock and Birkis.

[kbmeow]

What brand of sneaker do you wear? Do they offer shoes? When I did 10 days in Italy I went to the sketchers store and bought shoes to wear. They worked great!!!..

[Keith1010]

As someone said not all brands fit everyone the same way.

 

My wife has done very well with Ecco for walking shows and Asics for walking sports shoes.

 

Keith

[smitty34877]

Shoes are so important...I am on my feet for work and presently wear Dansko clogs almost all the time. I wore them last spring during our Med cruise and managed the cobblestones, hills etc without foot pain. I think it works best if one tries them before to see if they are for you. I have less back and foot pain when I wear them. Sneakers are less "heavy" but by the end of the day less comfortable. Smitty34877

[Guest maddycat]

I find SAS, Merrill, Clarks and Easy Spirit shoes to be very comfortable.

San Antonio Shoes

Merrell

[AnnieB925]

I'm a huge fan of Merrils. Last June I walked miles in Europe wearing Merril Agave sandals. On previous land trips I also had good luck with Merril loafer style shoes. One tip I will share is this: buy your shoes ahead and break them in. Bring some mole skin (found at drug stores) in case you get any king of foot irritation. I buy from Zappos.com and have had excellent results.

[Noitacav]

Thanks for all these wonderful suggestions and tips. I will be busy trying to find one that is comfortable!

[Langley Cruisers]

Ecco. European so you'll blend in.

 

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree. A tourist always looks like a tourist. One never blends in. :o

 

OP, honestly, I wear my trusted Nikes. They were fantastic for our recent Med trip. Walked for hours and hours in each port, no problems whatsoever. Just FYI.

 

Have fun on your trip. :)

[Hoyaheel]

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree. A tourist always looks like a tourist. One never blends in. :o

 

 

Also - on our recent cruise - we saw lots of tourists who weren't American AND we saw lots of locals (Europeans) who were wearing Nikes or flip flops. Go figure:rolleyes: I want to be stylish - but my style is going to be different from yours. And my comfort is my highest priority....

 

I will say I have never seen so many women wearing high heels (SKY HIGH) as in Odessa Ukraine. How those women walked on the cobbles in those shoes- made me hurt looking at them.

[Langley Cruisers]

... AND we saw lots of locals (Europeans) who were wearing Nikes or flip flops.... How those women walked on the cobbles in those shoes- made me hurt looking at them.

 

Yes, we also saw women wearing beautiful (I must say) sandals and bejewelled flip flops in all our European ports. How they managed the cobblestone streets and walking tours without supportive shoes is beyond me too, but like you said, style is unique to each woman. :D

[critterchick]

I'm another wide-footed beauty (duck feet, actually) who likes Merrell shoes. I bought a pair of Plie, a Mary-Jane style. I think that style has been discontinued (I bought 2 more pair on deep discount about a year ago) but this is a similar shoe:

 

It's not cheap at $110 on their website (you may find it for less by shopping around), but as Happyks said, it's worth shelling out the money for something that will support your foot and be comfortable on long days of walking.

 

I used to have a pair of heavier duty walking mocs (Lands End All-weather mocs) so as to avoid wearing athletic shoes in port. But I hate carrying lots of luggage, and want to have the athletic shoes for the gym, so I wear them in port when I know I'm going to be walking a lot.

[usermom]

Just back from a Mediterranean cruise with a 4 night precruise stay in Venice and a 3 night post stay cruise in Barcelona. I'd like to thank everyone that recommended Merrells's. After ordering numerous shoes from the free shipping online sites and returning them, I finally found a pair of Merrell's at Marshall's I thought they were comfortable. I brought them to Europe with me without breaking them in. They were EXTREMELY comfortable throughout my 17 day stay in Europe. I highly recommend Merrell's. Another great find are the Blister bandaids. Although they are expensive, they came in very handy for my husband during our trip. He found them extremely comfortable. I would recommend bringing tape too, in case the adhesive loosen, you will not have to waste a bandaid, just reinforce it.

[SadieN]

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree. A tourist always looks like a tourist. One never blends in. :o

 

Have fun on your trip. :)

 

Sometimes you can depending on your coloring and clothing selection.

Last October I went to Rome (to pick up DD you was suffering with Mono and had to withdraw for the semester) I was mistaken several times as a Roman. At the markets, on the streets and at the bus stops.

 

One busstop incident was great. Know-it-all college kid expounding on ????? and the Roman gal looking at me and telling me her dislike of college students? jerks? young American males? I nodded in agreement. No, I don't understand Italian. I was wearing dark slacks, black sweater, scarf and my Eccos. The main clue I'm not Roman should have been my hair is not treated in any way. I'm short, olive skinned and have short salt & pepper hair. No Mediterrean blood in me.

 

Now in Holland I'd stick out as a foreigner/tourist.:D

[SuzK]

I wear brown Merrells or black Privos, sometimes Born or Ecco.

 

BTW, I've spent extra time in several Italian towns and there are plenty of locals who wear white trainers.

 

Check out 6pm.com (Zappos Sale site) if you want a great price on Merrells, Privos, Born etc. They do better on prices than my local Merrell Company store.

[Lvteks]

Several years ago I shopped with DD in San Antonio. We both tried on Merrells. Mine were so comfortable in the store, I wore them immediately and forever and ever after that. In fact I have that old pair on now, but did get new ones last year.They are a VIA I think.

 

QUESTION PLEASE If you have worn the Merrell sandal,did you find a shoe that felt as good or close? Unless I become a Franciscan, socks with sandals are still a no-no. Right?

 

Blessings,

Gail

[Hoyaheel]

I love the old Merrell privo II moc - sleek enough to wear with trousers & socks for work. But I can't find that style any more and the new last (well, it's probably 4-5 years old at this point) that Merrell uses for their women's shoes now is not comfortable to me at all. And sadly - my two pairs of Privo II mocs are slowly dying :cool: I keep bringing them to the cobbler but I doubt I'll get more than another year or two out of them....

[kbmeow]

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree. A tourist always looks like a tourist. One never blends in. :o

 

:)

 

Not true. I look very Irish, I am very American. Before I spoke people would say something to my husband hear his accent and ask how he met his irish guide. Then I would speak. I have been mistaken many times. People in the Us used to ask where in Ireland I was from and then I spoke... ( I used to work in a area where a lot of Irish came for the summer to work)

[househunter]

I just bought a pair of Born loafers that are so comfortable. I bought them for both our upcoming Vegas trip to wear during the day with jeans and to wear when I volunteer at our local hospital as I am running around on hard floors all day.

 

I wore them for the first time yesterday thinking they would need to be broken in and they were super comfy from the moment I put them on. I am always in heels or heeled boots in the winter so I wasn't sure about these but they are very stylish, have a buckle on the side and I think they will be fine even with black slacks if I am going to be walking alot. I love them!:)

[royalcruz]

I have a pair of Privo's that I can wear for about 6 blocks. I had to have them stretched and had to put heal lifts in and walk with them a lot to get to this point. I use them for evenings when we are traveling...they are black leather with cross elastic straps (think ballet slipper). For lots of walking, the only good shoe for me is a good running shoe with arch support. I have Brooks and Asics.