Ecco!

Well, gee, it's going to be really hard for you to find places to hike. . . Lassen will test them. Half Dome? Pinnacles?

Wear them around the house for a couple of days to make sure you want to keep them. If they don't suit you, return them. I love Ecco shoes, but when I get a new pair, I don't wear them outside the house until I know they are not going to be returned. If I must return them, I want them to be in like new condition. I had to return the first pair I bought for one size larger. Once I got the right size, they were the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned.

And I thought this was going to be about Italy. . . .

https://blogs.transparent.com/italian/colloquial-italian-1-ecco/

Me too :-). But I also thought a post entitled "Tom Binh, Osprey, and Tortuga" was going to be about a private guide for birdwatchers in the Caribbean.

I thought it was about Denmark where ECCO are headquartered.

Hi Larry,

Funny. I too thought it was something about Italy!

Hope you're new shoes are comfy enough for walking, miles & miles, on your next trip ;-)

Well, nothing wrong with a double entendre once in a while. This forum is "Best Walking Shoes" after all. Rebecca, thanks for the suggestion to wear the shoes inside the house for a while, to make sure they fit well and are comfy. I don't usually wear shoes around the house, and might need to get a bigger house to walk around enough to do the job. If I get a bigger house, I might not be able to afford any trip, so wouldn't need the shoes anyway. A conundrum.

Too bad this great model shoe and my feet can't form a union.

I've used Ecco Trak IIs for more than 10 years now, both for travel and at home. For me, it's Teva Toachi 2 sandals (warm weather) or the Eccos. Make sure the size works for you. Before travel, make sure they are well broken in. (I made the mistake of traveling to Japan ten years ago with incompletely broken in Eccos - big mistake, and never again.)

Terry

I also just purchased a pair of Trac II Low shoes for my upcoming trip to Israel and Jordan. My thought is that I can wear them the whole time, and don't need to take one pair of shoes for walking (there will be a lot of walking - we'll be on a tour), and another for times when we are going to a restaurant or other times when I don't want to be wearing hiking shoes. I'll take a pair of Tevas with me for times when we are lounging or at the beach. The one conundrum is what I'll do on days when we may be doing a lot of walking but I want to wear shorts. I may still bring a light pair of sneakers or lighter walking shoes that won't look weird with shorts for those days.

Jay - you will see Israelis in hiking shoes and shorts in warm weather anywhere that hiking shoes are better than sandals. . Be sure to bring a hat and sunscreen and something to carry your water bottle in and you'll blend right in. Just don't wear socks with sandals

Jayfram, in Jordan if you are going to Petra, I just wanted to warn you that the ground can vary from hardpacked dirt/sand to very loose sand like walking on a beach. In some areas you can walk towards the edges and avoid the worst of the loose sand but in other areas that is difficult to do. The sand is also very red so when I got back to the hotel my socks and shoes were VERY dirty. Much, Much More dirty than any other stop on our trip to Israel/Jordan. I would not suggest light colored shoes or socks or be prepared for some cleaning! A wonderful experience though and such great places to visit!