Shoes for touring Europe (merged discussion)

[TERRIER1]

I went to a store called the "The Walking Company" which specializes in great and comfortable shoes. They were having their half annual sale in January. I beleive the Ecco shoe is called the Shade.

 

The Naturalizer was found at an outlet and I do not think they make them anymore. Good luck.

[Sea Island Lady]

The Beach and Caymen styles of Crocs are good for walking. They were originally used for boat shoes, so they would be excellant for wet surfaces. They are also considered orthopedic and are recommended for people with foot problems. The exception to that is people with Plantar Fasciatis.

Birkenstocks are also very good. They have a shock absorbing footbed and have both arch and metatarsal support built in. The Birkenstocks have a deep tread o the sole which makes them good for slippery or uneven surfaces.

New Balance shoes are also very good. Make sure you go to a New Balance store and they will fit your daughter for both the activity and the shape, size, and pronation of her foot.

HTH.

The CROC's actually caused my Plantar Fasciitis. :( They feel great when you are walking around in them all day, however when you take them off, it's a different story. You will notice your feet start to gradually hurt. After wearing my CROC's for an entire summer, I noticed foot pain getting worse and worse when I didn't have them on. Ortho diagnosed Plantar's caused from not having much arch support with the CROC's.

 

This past summer, I mostly wore a fairly new shoe called Chaco and switched them out with New Balance. If I slip-up and wear my CROC's, I get foot pain again.

 

I love my Chaco sandals and they are very youthful looking. I occasionally wear them around the house, with socks this winter.:D

Be sure to get the type that have both the heel strap and the toe strap for best overall support when walking.

http://chacousa.com/

http://www.zappos.com/n/br/b/522.html?

[MERLOTCHAMPAGNE]

Terrier1

 

Thanks for the info

[romagnome]

Lots of good advice so far--I vote for the Eccos. I bought the Ecco Shaker a few years back but unfortunately they're not available any more. I've worn them to Italy several times and also wear them to work often. They are still very comfortable. I also have a slip-on (also Ecco) with a square toe (sorry I don't remember the name) which is also super comfy. Those shoes went all over Rome and Pompeii with comfort. For my upcoming cruise (Med) I bought a pair of El Naturalista Pamplona closed-back clogs. They are cute and kind of funky and very comfy. They are on sale at Herringtoncatalog.com right now. Your daughter may like those (or then again, she may think they're dorky). I thought they would be good for airport security--easy off and on. Good luck!

[JSR]

Thank you for the help. This is great she will have more shoes to chose from then she can imagine.

[knitter]

It might help to find out why she has the problem in the first place- then you can make a good choice.

[JSR]

I think you most have missed where I posted that we do know what the problem is. I chose not to go into it on this board but it is being dealt with. The shoes are what we need help with here. Thank you for your concern.

[feistytigger]

i'm very grateful for this post; thanks jsr! i don't have any foot problems, but i've been thinking about getting some good walking shoes that aren't white trainers. i tried on a pair of born flip flops the other day and walked out of the store, glad to have paid $60 for flip flops. they are unlike any other flip flops i own/have tried on. great advice!

[JSR]

Feisty I am glad you have found this thread helpful. I have too. I am going to encourage my husband to buy good walking shoes too. I use a wheelchair so I just need good tires and pretty shoes. LOL By the way I like your blog. I am going to read more when I have some time.

[readboat]

After reading all the suggestions for shoes on this thread I went out and bought a pair of Privos. They are very comfortable. I will be wearing them all over Europe this summer.

[Longin2cruise]

Last year I bought some Cole-Haan lace ups with Nike air. They are absolutely the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn. Not sure what part of the country you're in but around here, Dillards & Nordstrom's sell them. Also Cole Haan has a web site you can browse.

[Guest Spo]

JSR -- I hope your daughter's problems get resolved. I started having various foot problems at age 15 when "earth shoes" were all the rage. At 19 was told by a podiatrist that I had fallen metatarcels (sp?) and required surgery that sounded absolutely horrific!! I finally started buying better quality shoes and at 40+ (no foot surgery) I am in much better shape footwise than I was in my teens and early 20's. I, too, recommend the Ecco brand shoe!! Clarks are very comfortable, too, but a "tween" will probably consider them "old-ladyish". I have some cute little Sketchers that are very comfortable when I first put them on, but after a few hours of walking, my feet kill me -- absolutely no support! Best of luck to you. I just wanted to let you know that there is hope after early onset foot problems.

[Soccerfan]

I prefer a shoe that looks good as well as offers comfort.

 

I can always find comfortable stylish shoes in Rockports and Clarks. I think you would be surprised at the styles that Clarks has out now, definately not what I remember when I was younger. You may be able to

 

Make sure she is happy with what she gets because the Med itinerary is very much a walking tour and uncomfortable feet can ruin that very quickly. :(

 

Try clarksshoes dot us to see a selection as well as the Ecco brand.

 

Have a great trip. :)

[FinelyRetired]

In my experience, the best shoes on the planet are Rieker's. They are a German brand and their complete line is sold in the US by Zappo's (www.zappos.com). Their shock-absorption is unbelievable, and they are built to LAST. I have a bad back, and I am very hard on my shoes, yet I can wear these babies for years before they wear out! And the styles are really cool--your daughter might really like some of the ones that are a tad too young for me--and many of them are actually quite dressy. I wear them to work every day with skirts; by now I probably have nearly a dozen different pairs of them. They certainly don't look like your stereotypic walking shoes!

 

Another vote for Rieker's here. Great shoes. Comfy, stylish, and are darn hard to wear out.

 

A friend of mine got into some really painful foot trouble touring Wash DC a couple of years ago and got a pair mid-tour. They saved her trip and she shared the brand .

[Gram Cape Cod]

I have had Plantar Fascia in the past I swear by New Balance and Merrell's as recommended by my MD. I wore a pair of New Balance sandals (like Teva style) for 8 days climbing around the Grand Canyon and national parks last year without any problems.

[JSR]

I can't wait to have her try these shoes. Her quarter is ending at school so she has lots of work. As soon as spring break rolls around in a couple of weeks we will start ordering shoes to try and heading into town to see what is available there.

 

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions.

[worldsbestcandles]

geox are also very comfortable, but they are more common in Europe than the US. GL!

[2theship]

Do you have a Good Feet Store anywhere near you? Their arch supports have made an incredible difference for me. I used to have tremendous problems with ankle an knee pain and all that's gone now. They're not cheap but they're great.

[electro]

Something else you can try is "super feet" insoles.

They have great arch support and are great when you don't have a choice of the shoes you wear. Before I got custom orthotics, I used them in my combat boots and they made a huge difference. :D

I also used them in my running shoe.

 

electro

[browneyes7]

SAS shoes are wonderful. My husband and I have been wearing them for years and our foot problems have been alleviated. They make everything from runners to walking shoes and in hard to find sizes as well Anyone we have recommended them to have been thrilled with the results. Can't say enough about them. Please, please give them a try!!!

 

I agree. SAS shoes are extremely comfortable. I have worn them for years. Reef flip flops are also very comfortable, expecially the $36.00 ones with the ribbon strip that goes between the toes.

 

Good luck finding comfortable shoes for your daughter!!

 

browneyes7:)

[kimanjo]

My DD who is 18 has ankle problems. She has had one surgery, and then after that is an ankle fusion (we dont want that), so we have been through all sorts of shoes. Her most comfortable shoes are her New Balance sneakers, but they are not "stylish". Next, she likes Clarks. Ecco is up there too...

 

She and I are doing a 14 day Med May 24th, so I know EXACLTY what you are dealing with.

 

Hope this helps...

[Liz]

Thanks to this thread, I found Privo's - and they are so comfortable! I g**gled the name and found them at a terrific site, www dot 6pm dot com, for almost half the retail cost. I bought 2 pair of the "Joyner" style and wear them whenever I can. I'll definitely take them on my cruise next month! So - thanks for the great information. Don't you just love Cruise Critic??!!

 

Liz

[Sea Island Lady]

Just bought my second pair of NB specifically designed for PF at the Foot RX place.

 

Although my new pair are great for comfort during the day, once I take them off, my feet are now hurting more than they were before.:( Also, my knees and lower back are starting to hurt. Could the new shoes be something that needs getting use to? Will the pain go away after my feet (and knees) have adjusted?

 

For the shoe insoles like "super feet", do you take out the regular padding and replace with the new insoles, or combine them? I am wearing the heal cups for PF, that the ortho gave me. They do help the heel pain.

[dancing]

I picked Merriell's last week based on some of the posts and they really are comforatble and will be good for walking around.

[canuck88]

Keen make great, well-engineered, stylish shoes for those under 30.