Italy trip men's shoes...Florsheim?

I have relied on Rockport World Traveler for years. I keep a pair just for trips. They have a lot of support and cushion for the the person might be packing.a bit of fanny. The last pair I bought cost about eighty dollars and I found them by doing a Google search.

I thought Florsheim had died. My current shoe of preference for past ten, fifteen years is Ecco in size 47 which is roughly 13, 131/2 Nice wide toe box. They have a variety of walking styles. I doubt if a slip on style shoe would be suitable for a lot of walking on cobblestone sidewalks and rough concrete.

You want a good walking shoe, with arch support. A slip on style doesn't sound like a good pick, for most people's feet.

Dunham (when I worked at a store that sold them) sold shoes up to 15 (and higher) in some styles and up to 6E width. The 8000BK (black) or 8000BP (brown) was a nice looking shoe - waterproof and slip resistant as well. Similar to the Rockport World tours. I'm fairly sure Dunham is owned by New Balance. Whatever you get, do it soon so they can be broken in. My husband had a pair of Dunhams he absolutely loved, but they've long since worn out and they don't make the style he had anymore.

PS - we did sell Florsheim shoes, but only the super dressy leather soled ones (for those men who wanted to dance...lol)...don't know much about their other styles, tho I know they had a lot of them, and they were well made shoes.

My husband loves the large wide walking shoes at Foot Smart. I also get walking shoes there too. www.footsmart.com/Mens-Shoe-Store is the link to the men's shoes they sell. They also sell women's shoes in all sizes including wide sizes. My husband and I travel constantly and good walking shoes are essential. He just got some New Balance walking shoes there and say they are the most comfortable he has ever had. Foot Smart sells men's shoes up to a 16 WWWWWW (6 wide) so they have big wide feet covered in everything from walking shoes, work shoes, and training shoes to casual, elegant, and sandal styles. Walking shoes would be best on vacation.

Have you tried SAS? Expensive but excellent walking shoe.

Scott wore slip-on Ecco shoes on our last 3 trips (Italy, Spain, and Scotland), but other good brands for traveling in Europe include Clarks, Rockport, and Born. Dressy Florsheims may not provide the necessary support if you're going to be doing lots of standing and walking, and their soles may not offer adequate traction and cushioning, especially where cobblestones are involved. If the Florsheims have very substantial (and not smooth leather) soles and some degree of breathability, they might work, but depending on the design they'd be better for wearing to nice dinners in Italy than day-to-day touring. Any shoes should be well broken in before taking on a trip to Italy. You'll also see shops in Italy selling very fashionable, well-made men's and women's shoes, but some of those are not ideal for walking great distances on uneven terrain.

As an aside, I bought a Brannock Device the other day so I can measure my feet more accurately for online purchases. Its been fun to fiddle around with and I expect it to be useful.

I know! Holy cow!

As someone who sold shoes for (way too many) years - there is no standard. I have worn everything from a 6 to an 8 (generally I wear a 7). Even within brands (because I had a 6 winter boot in Hush Puppies and an 8 winter boot - from Hush Puppies, same company, wayyyy different fits). We didn't even measure feet. Really, if you are an adult, you should have a pretty good idea what your shoe size is. We would have people ask why we didn't measure feet, and the response was...if every shoe company made a sizer, then maybe we would do it. I even got my hubby slippers from the same company (and no, his feet didn't change)...first few pairs I got were 9, the last pair I got him were 10.5. Everyone who was coming and buying them for other people we'd have to warn them that the fit was off.

I envy people who can buy shoes online. Unless I was buying something that I've already owned (liked Blundstones or Naots)...I have to try them on in the store and make sure they fit and feel good.

As Nicole and Ray note, proper boot fit is more than length and width. Feet are three dimensional, not two. And left and right feet may not be mirror image identical.

The right forefoot width may not have the girth or circumstance matching that of your foot. Or given the right length and width, you may have a heel width/girth too big or too narrow for optimal fit.

Length and width are OK for flip-flops and sandals with Velcro adjustments, but not boots. Try before you buy.