Best walking Shoes for Greece

Back when I never took sneakers to Europe, I took them to Greece and was so glad I did. We walked tnrough the antiquities that were strewn with broken marble columns. If not sneakers, take a secure tied walking shoe.
Enjoy beautiful Greece!

Thanks! Can you recommend a good brand of walking shoe?

Shoes are really individual --a brand I swear by might be horrible for you. Do we even know if you are male or female?

You need to go try things on, soon, so you can break them in before your trip.

I totally agree that it is hard to recommend shoes. You need to go to shoe stores and try on lots of different "walking" shoes. I always bring two pairs of shoes with me and usually one pair will be sneakers. Everything hurts my feet! I feel your pain! I will say look into Ecco shoes. I have had several pairs and I like them.

It is so hard for me to find shoes, that when I was in Salzburg two years ago I saw an Ecco store and went in and bought two pairs of shoes. When I was in the Mall of America in the evening during a business trip, I bought two pairs of shoes at the Walking store. So where ever I am I am on the lookout for comfortable walking shoes.

I have to agree with others who say shoes are individual. That said, I was so glad I had my usual walking sneakers in Greece. I took my black Asics and a pair of ECCO Soft 7 Sneakers. It works well for me to change shoes most days.
I swear by smartwool socks that keeps my feet comfortable in warm weather. I have had good luck with Naot sandals for evening.

A few weeks? Honestly, if you have less than a month you have very little time to shop, try a few on, exchange if need be, but most importantly, the break in. Even athletic shoes need some break in particularly on arthritic feet. Greece is hilly, rough terrain. Get yourself to a good shoe store ASAP and start trying them on. As others have mentioned feet are very individual and a brand that works for one person can be a total failure for you. If their is a Walking Company or a store that specializes in footwear for runners start there. My wife and I both wear Hoka One One athletic shoes, different models. They are big, clunky looking and feel like clouds. Even with that I had a custom orthotic insole made, which took a month. They were recommended by our podiatrist. But, they may not be right for you.

A few weeks?! Us, too!!
I agree that shoes are individual and that you need to try to break them in beforehand. That said, I'm taking a pair of Keens (the old kind) for the rough terrain. It's worth every dollar to pay for good shoes!! I like the comment that said that his shoes look clunky and feel like clouds!! Here's to your happy feet!!

I am in the same boat......I was out looking for shoes today and couldn't find anything that I liked. I went to shoe stores and had my feet measured, shoes recommended by employees, suggestions on type of shoes for my foot pattern (they tend to "turn in"). I have read on this forum that Hoka is a recommended shoe for people with problem feet. In fact, I was in a shoe store today that had numerous Hoka shoes and they all had the label "Orthopedic" shoe.

Word of warning, however. No matter what shoe you buy you MUST wear them out and about to break them in, not just around the house. I bought a pair of shoes I planned on taking to Europe in Sept. but I didn't want them to get dirty so I thought I would wear them around the house to break them in...hahahaha...OOOOHHHH NOOOOO. I was going for a 6 mile walk on a paved trail so I figured they would stay clean and I should wear the socks I planned on taking with me (I didn't want the heel of the sock to slide down into the shoe). After 3 miles I had blisters on BOTH pinky toes.....that last 3 miles was NOT pleasant.

I am still on the hunt for good shoes!! Good luck!

I can't tell where you live, so I don't know what shopping availability you have. The method I have used a couple of times is to look online at something like Zappos or Nordstrom that offer free return shipping, order 3-4 pair, wear them around the house or just try them on until I can narrow it down. I now know which brands will work best for my feet. Lots of people love Eccos- they don't work for me at all. I seem to have the best luck with Merrill or Sofft. But, you have to find what works best for you. Once I get a pair, I start out slow, then work up to a couple of miles per day before a trip.

Thanks everyone!

Forgot to say that I'm female and in southern CA, so I have access to a gazillion stores.

I know different shoes work for everyone, so I guess I was just looking for people to throw out names of brands that have worked for you.

I have Asics that I wear for walking long miles here. Problem is, they're ugly. I WILL be wearing them to the acropolis for sure! I was just hoping for another better looking, non-black with ugly white stripes , super comfortable and supportive pair. I tried on shoes for two hours today...found a pair of Skechers that were very nice looking, but probably not having enough support for big walks.

What are the streets like around the main shopping areas in Greece? Cobblestone like and uneven? Just wondering if I'll ever be able to wear sandals for shorter walks.

Looking up the brands you all suggested.

My feet hurt so horribly for our trip to Italy, that they almost kind of ruined the trip. I kept buying one bottle of water to drink and one to pour over my feet.

I have freakishly sensitive feet and have bone spurs, tendinitis and arthritis . Way too young for this! Ugh. I have orthotic inserts that helps slightly. I walked 5miles today , got through the walk just fine, but I'm hobbling about tonight.

Too much to see in greece, so I'll have to figure it out.

Thanks again!

This from a guy: you’ll need to weigh fashion versus function very carefully. Those Asics might be exactly the shoe you’d want to stroll and shop, not just hike the Acropolis. That path, as I remember, is pretty smooth in most spots, the top is rough. But sidewalk, streets in Greece very variable (remember this is a basically bankrupt country). If you can wear Asics that is good as they run narrow. Everyone wears athletic shoes, you won’t stick out. For sandals we like Geox. Not widely available but you can find them in So Cal. They are not as cushy as ECCO’s but they ventilate better and have good support. Another brand you’ll see touted by folks with bad feet are SAS, which do not work for me, but are very popular with walkers of my generation (60’s and up). If you have time you may want to see a podiatrist and get more cushioned custom orthotics (you’ll need the shoes first). Also, I have plantar fasciitis and the podiatrist will give me steroid shots a week or two before a long trip with lots of walking. Not something you’d want to do very often but saved my bacon the two times I had it.

Thanks Alan! I tried Eccos on yesterday and liked them. I’d like to try more from that brand.

I too have had plantar fasciitis and had a Cortisone shot before our trip last year. Helped slightly.

I’ll check out the other brands as well!