Best men's travel shoes

I would recommend that you go to a shoe store like one that has plenty of outdoor/travel choices and try some on since shoes are really a personal decision. What I like you might hate and visa versa. If you are trying on shoes at a store, be sure to take a short (long?) walk on a hard surface rather than just trying them on a soft rug that you will find in almost every shoe store. I have gone to Europe 12 of the last 13 summers and have always taken Clark's Air (no longer made at all or at least not in England) along with a pair of good sandals. They are too soft for some folks but end up fitting my feet like a glove. I also have a pair of Mafesto's (sp?) that I take for wet climates. I tried on Ecco shoes but found the last (sp?) too high for my arches. Good luck in you search.

I'm curious as to what is a "travel shoe" and how is it different from shoes you walk around town and use in your daily life.

I was visualizing white shoes with tassels. Something to let those Euros know that the wearer is an American.

Now men, we have to start exploring the question of men's travel shoes.
The two reigning studs (of the male gender) on this Forum are, some would say, Ed and Roberto - and I never see them talk about their shoes.
(Edit: Ed is off the hook, he has now pronounced on the subject of men's shoes, clarifying that guys do not distinguish between shoes and travel shoes.

What's on my feets when I walk out the door -- probably either boots or sneakers.

Ed, thank you.
The Guru has now spoken on this subject (see post immediately above).
The good news: Men, it's okay to wear the shoes in Europe that you wear here!
The bad news: No trips to the shoe store before the Big Trip (dang).

Yes, I plan to wear the shoes & sandals I would wear here,
but consider: while traveling I walk much more than I
do at home, three or four or five times as much as I would
in a day at home. A shoe or sandal which gets me through
the day at home (and where I also have the option of switching
out various shoes as needed through the day) is far different than
having to walk many times as far in a single pair of
shoes/sandals, because that's all you have available.
I will try various models and sizes in the stores, but
there are many manufacturers and many models. If others
have had good/bad experiences with manufacturers/models,
that is good to know, and it can help narrow down the options.
So, can we get away from the frivolity.
Foot (dis)comfort is serious and can make or break the
travel experience, especially as one gets older.

...while traveling I walk much more than I do at home...

With the above clarification, in looking for "travel shoes" you are really looking for walking shoes/boots. As some others have noted, fit is more important than the brand.

The starting point would be a shoe intended for walking such as a fitness walking shoe or cross trainer, then getting a pair that will match your feet with the sock you intend to use. The ending point of the process would be to "break in" the shoes by walking to allow the shoe to conform to your feet and to give your feet both an opportunity to test the shoe and to harden your feet to walking.

The same process would apply to hiking boots. Use the same sock and insoles that you intend to use during your tour. Ramp up your mileage in advance of your holiday. A good rule of thumb is to increase distance and effort by 10 percent per seek. I.e. if you walk 10 miles during week one, up your mileage to 11 miles during week two, 12 miles during week three etc and you will be up to 26 miles by week 10. A good idea to do hard/long days alternated by rest or easy days as you ramp up your walking.

As said, don't change anything unless you are having a problem, but fix the problem if one does occur during your training program. I made the mistake of switching to a heavy cushioned "Superfeet" insole a few weeks before a trip. The extra volume caused the boot "upward wrinkle" over my toes to invert downward. I had to pull the "Superfeet" and put back the factory insole. One of the Brits doing the same walk added a thin liner sock without testing the combination. A week into the walk, he developed (US) silver dollar sized blisters on the back of each heel. He somehow toughed out the pain to finish the walk. Lesson learned is test the boot/sock combination then don't change anything.

I generally bring two sets of shoes with me. One a pair of lace up Eccos (sorry no idea which style) and a pair of OBOZ low cut goretex hiking boots. I much prefer to walk, over public transport, simply because I love to wander the back streets and alleyways and explore. I am rarely, if ever, in a rush. I do not find the Eccos to be all that comfortable on days i know i will be walking for miles so I wear the boots. At night, for dinner, and a stroll I wear the Eccos. Also, when traveling on flights or by train, I pack the Eccos and wear the boots.

If while travelling you do much more walking than you do at home then your first "step" might be to start doing more walking at home to prepare yourself for it. In the process you will find out whether or not your current shoes work for it. Only if you discover problems will there be any need for "travel" shoes.

Funny, Edgar. I would lose the tassels fo' sho'... :)

I needed an all-purpose shoe--light, comfortable, relatively waterproof--for our trip end of this month to Paris, Switzerland & Italy. I'm not planning on constantly walking in snow, trusting that they know how to plow sidewalks in Lucerne. And I've been known to step in a puddle or two. But in the spirit of packing light, these shoes on my feet will be it for 17 days.

So I tried on a bunch--Merrell, Ecco, more than I can remember. And I came up with this, which I have been wearing to break them in for the last few days, the Rockport WT Classic:

http://www.zappos.com/rockport-world-tour-classic~1

Got 'em in black (only 'cause they didn't have white! :) ) They certainly feel good, and I've been wearing them 8-10 hours a day. Reviews laud the fact that workers who are on their feet all day love them. I probably won't get a chance to see if they make my feet sweat in that we'll be in cold climes most of the time. But so far, so good.

I will report back upon my return.

RE: I'm not planning on constantly walking in snow, trusting that they know how to plow sidewalks in Lucerne.

If Lucerne doesn't keep their pavement ice free or if you visit smaller European villages during snow season, lugged soles and shoe traction devices are useful to minimize slip falls. I use Icetrekkers. Yaktracks are also popular. Just take them off entering buildings.

Whomever suggested those cmuk travel shoes is a good idea, I'm grabbing a pair of the cmuk and north face hiking boots.

Grazie!

Edgar et al--

My Rockport WT Classics worked great on our trip to Paris, Lucerne & Italy. Stepped in a couple puddles, no ice or snow to contend with. Was careful on slippery surfaces but these shoes worked like a champ. Just wish these shoes would've been equipped with an anti-dogpoop sensor for my travels in Paris & Florence. I think they have more canines there than people...

My husband generally wears Clarks or Dunham. Dunham (owned by New Balance) do some of their basics (8000BK and 8000BP are the basic 'Rockport looking' shoe, and waterproof which is a bonus, slip resistant soles and deep toe box as well...those were the numbers they used when I sold shoes) up to size 18 and up to 6E width.

Even Rockport would sell the World tours in XW...you just have to find a store that carries them or will order them in for you. But I don't know if I would categorize the soles as stiff. If you have a lot of money to drop and don't care about looks (tho maybe they have improved since I got out of the shoe business), Birkenstocks actually make shoes!

On past trips I've worn Keens. Super comfortable, not what I'd consider stylish. I have a pair of Rockport World Tour Classic that I've broken in and will wear on Village Italy tour this fall with a pair of Keen sandals as backups.

Here ya go...best men's travel shoe. Super comfortable, waterproof, grippy sole, black....perfect. And they look good. If you haven't worn Merrell, your feet will love you.

http://www.merrell.com/US/en/jungle-moc-pro-grip/17252M.html?ref=Jungle%20moc%20pro%20grip&dwvar_17252M_color=J61127#q=Jungle+moc+pro+grip&start=1

Two weeks in France;followed RS advice to pack light ie one pair of shoes for everything (walking, museums, trail hiking, restaurants some fairly fancy). Read the past forums and decided on trying Mephisto. Went to their website and selected black Agazio and ordered thru Amazon (ordered normal size and 1/2 size smaller and kept the 1/2 smallers and returned larger) have not stopped wearing them since. Most comfortable shoes I have ever owned (and 2nd most expensive) and was appropriate for all functions. Thanks to all who posted in past otherwise I would have never heard or tried Mephisto's.

I'm reading this thread with interest, since my current pair of shoes bit the dust one last time on the recent Paris trip: 65 miles of walking on that trip and 50 miles of walking last year in London. That wasn't what did them in, it was the ten years before that on various trips.

So post on, gentlemen.

I'm a big fan of Ecco and have been using them both as my regular day-to-day shoe and travel shoes. They are well made, light weight, and are subtle on the style end. For stiff soles you might try Clarks (I had a pair that were so stiff I ended up never wearing them) or Born. Clarks has a bit more of an "older" styling while Born has a more Euro style to them. My two cents on sandals, I never wear anything with an exposed toe area or unsecured heel. It's just an accident/injury waiting to happen, whether at home or traveling.

Shoes need to be worn before the trip, of course. My favourites are leather Mephisto shoes, preferably the classic Trampolin model in whatever colour they come in now. Great in wet and wintry weather, rubber soles don't slip - a key point in Europe on stone steps - and they clean up well. My Merrells lasted well as multipurpose shoes, and fit my high arches, but the fake leather version I loved has been replaced by various mesh+GTX options. They also do not go slip-sliding away on cobblestones. My Keen hiking boots look like a clown shoe, but handle jagged rocks and sudden stumbles very well. Mephisto shoes, made in France, used to be much cheaper in Europe, but are now 'designer brand' and more expensive. But I still bought my last pair in Germany at Christmas time, my present to myself. Good shoes make all the difference in the world. Some excellent shoes turn out to be very slippery on wet stones - beware!

I wear the Mephisto "Sam" fisherman sandals.
They allow me to walk for all day and night.
If you have a high arch, then they may not be for you.
I have worn a pair for 10 years.
-- If you are a woman, I have found the corresponding woman's
model to be much narrower and constricting.
Therefor I prefer to wear the Men's model.

Jay from Chicago mentioned the Rockport WT classic shoes which are great, but the soles are a bit firm. They come in widths which is a big plus. Rockport has a model similar, just a step above and thats called the Encounter, or sometimes called the WT encounter elite. Much more comfy for those long on your feet days, put on some nikwax and they are pretty water resistant as well.

I also have Keen Koven hiking shoes, super comfy for long days but not as versitile as the Rockports which you can wear with slacks and jeans.