Second pair of men's shoes for a 2-week city visit?

Me? I wear one pair and pack sandals. I am not you. Pack as you wish.

My husband brought Merrill hiking shoes and a pair of walking shoes when we were in Greece last year for two weeks. He doesn’t wear loafers or anything like that at home so he would have never brought them to Europe. For you, I think it depends on whether you will be dressed up enough to need a more dressy shoe. Otherwise, I would bring a walking shoe. His were rockports but everyone’s feet are different.

Beth

I only take one of pair of shoes since size 13s take up a lot of room. But I wear a waterproof, leather ECCO shoe with interchangeable innersoles. I have extra set of innersoles so each night I remove the innersole so the shoe and innersole will dry overnight. The next day change innersole so that there is no question that the previous innersole is completely dry from the day before. Done that for years and keeps the shoe dry and odor free. It works for me. Often have worn the same shoe for several weeks at a time.

Not clear on what time of year you are traveling, but we travel in September and my husband has his go to's. Like another contributor noted, ECCO 7's leather is his top pick. He feels they are the most comfortable shoes he has ever worn. We walk 5-15+ miles at times without any issues. He also brings a pair of New Balance with good padding that work just as well. Both shoes are light weight. Nice to trade off shoes. Everyone has specific "foot needs" so trying on what works for you is the key.

DH has 2 pairs of walking shoes - a pair of leather Rockports and a pair of dark coloured fabric Sketchers. He wore those all over Europe for a month last fall, alternating them daily (more or less. We both prefer to have an extra pair of shoes, allowing them to air out between wearing, and as a back up in case one pair gets soaked.

I usually travel with two pairs of shoes: running shoes that are worn only for running and a pair of black leather waterproof Mephisto lace-up shoes. Since we generally travel spring and fall this works for me and I’ve worn them for many many consecutive days.

Thank you Frank for the terrific idea of taking an extra set of innersoles! Perfect solution. My recommendation, if you take a second pair, is a comfortable walking shoe rather than penny loafers. Your feet will thank you.

My thanks to all of you for your helpful insights.

This thread is a few months old, but if you want to bring a second pair that check both the "dressier" and "rugged hiking" boxes, I highly recommend the Ecco Track II Low. I also have Merrell Moabs and like them very much. But they really wouldn't work if you needed a somewhat dressier shoe. The Eccos are very good for any type of hiking short of carrying a heavy backpack and they look reasonably presentable when polished up. They are also waterproof. Mine are black but they're also available in brown. https://us.ecco.com/ecco-track-ii-low-001944.html?dwvar_001944_color=00101

Brian, thank you for suggesting Ecco Track II Low. As of March 2017, this was Rick Steves's preferred shoe.

I'm concerned about several reviews on various Web sites noting a decline, in recent years, in the quality of the Ecco Track II Low.

However, I'll visit an Ecco store and judge the Ecco Track II Low for myself.

My suggestion is always Altra. Huge toe box, supreme cushioning. Altras are a zero drop design and not everyone adapts. My favorite is the y also make some dress ups.

I carry Sealskinz or ShowersPass waterproof sox so don’t really need water tight shoes.

https://www.altrarunning.com/shop/lifestyle

The Merrells should be fine for a city trip especially if it's a waterproof but breathable shoe. If you were rough trekking a pair of light trainers are a nice alternative to wet and muddy boots. Bath slippers are handy if you hotel has a pool or sauna.

Just a note that the Merrell Moab 2 shoes are available in a few different versions. Non-waterproof in both low and mid, Merrell's own waterproof membrane in both low and mid, and Gore-Tex(tm) waterproof membrane. Mine are the non-waterproof low version but I have other waterproof hiking boots. If you want the best waterproofing go for the Gore-Tex version for a few extra $. The Ecco Track II Low shoes I mentioned use Gore-Tex. I have read the reports about them not holding up well but I haven't had any problems with mine. I've owned many pairs of Ecco shoes and all have held up extremely well.