Shoes and Skirts

Check out AEBO or Taos sneakers. I see a lot of young and old wear them with skirts for travel. I personally find my Taos leather sneakers more comfy than the AEBO, but depends on your feet!

Also look at the Walking Co website for other kinds of shoe options; like a walking Mary Jane, etc.

Do you have a SAS shoe store near you? They are also online. Their shoes are the most comfortable I have worn in years and my feet are difficult to fit. Highly recommend SAS shoes!

You need a shoe with a wider toe box, so try on a variety to get the right fit. If Dr. Martens are still fashionable with young women, they should be OK for you - just an example. Flaunt the clunkiness if it's more comfortable.

Consider walking sandals from Aetrex or similar. My copper colored ones have great footbeds for extended walking, adjustable velcro straps, and they dress up or down. I also love white leather tennis shoes with dresses on vacation. My go-to brand is Puma, and I just got a pair of white Puma Carina leather lace-ups for about $35. My bunionettes are happy and I like the look.

I always take a pair of sandals; old discontinued silver FitFlop. I can easily walk 5 miles in them. If I wore dresses, they would look fine. I have problem feet, so rotating my shoes and freeing my toes helps a lot. I also take a pair of walking athletic shoes. This year I will add a third pair, waterproof Keens, for England and Ireland. One extra pair than I want to pack but my feet win the argument.
Let your feet decide what’s comfortable. Sometimes it’s just a matter of buying a half size larger.

If you are travelling in warmer weather, meaning not winter, early spring, late fall, take a look at Bernie Mev. I wear the Comfi style - that is the correct spelling. They look great with a skirt or pants. They are made of fabric with elastic and are machine washable. The sole is very cushy and stands up to lots of walking, at least for me. This particular style has an open toe, but I believe there is a similar style with closed toe. You can purchase on Amazon. While they come in various colors, generally, I purchase a black pair every two years, and they become my summer shoe. I have worn these on trips to London and the EU as my alternative to more robust Keens.

I got my first pair of Sketchers last year and am very happy with Sketchers.

Previously I wore Chacos and still would. Very happy with them also.

I've been very happy with Jambu shoes. I have wide feat and often have foot problems (Capsulitis ). I've been very happy with Jambu.

https://jambu.com/

I like Sorel sandals. They keep the athletic shoe base and just add straps (my interpretation. )
But honestly, I see dozens of the young girls in Europe with athletic shoes paired with skirts/dresses.
Just be comfortable and have a great trip!

I second the SAS recommendation. I’ve worn them for many years. People are always surprised at the range of styles available.

I second Skechers Mary Jane’s. My go to second “dressy” pair (mostly wear trail runners for walking/hiking) when packing light! Can also dress down as casual pair to give your feet a rest after all day in athletic shoes!

In warmer weather, I live in my Keen Rose sandals. I own three different colors! They work fine with pants and skirts.

Check out the Frankie 4 Dimity range (check online) I wear my white ones with skirts as they do not look too heavy. They are perfect for my arthritic toes and the shoes come with removable orthotics. They are lightweight and not leather. I wore my Dimitys every day on my last trip throughout the Middle East and Europe and am able to easily walk 10kms or more in them.

I have worn Bernie Mevs for years and swear by them. I also like Merrill sneakers and have two very comfortable ones that are brightly multi-coloured purple, green and blue, and go with just about everything I wear. And yes I wear them with skirts! If you have happy feet and are smiling no one will be looking at your shoes!

Also meant to add, Vivaia. They have a great range of shoes and you can fit your own orthotics, I bought the Mary Jane version specifically for when I wear skirts.

I agree with Renee’s comment. I live in my Keen Rose sandals during the summer at home, and I have taken a pair of Keen’s to Europe as my main shoe since 2006. I think I switched to their Rose style around 2010.

I recently wore them in Italy last month, and one feature I love is the protective toe cover. It saved me once again from breaking a toe on an uneven stone walkway.

I love my Ecco Soft 7. The look good with both pants and casual skirts and dresses. They were comfortable right out of the box. So far I have worn them on 5 trips and find them so comfortable. Right now they are on sale at Zappos $60 off! I think I might get myself another pair. enter link description here

I second JoAnn. I have many pairs of Ecco's. I also recommend the Propet brand, especially if you need a little more room in the toe box.

I third the SAS recommendation.

I got a pair of Keen sandals quite a few years ago. Don't love the clunky style and didn't find them comfortable for extended wear, and I have used them mostly as a water shoe. So every time I have read about Keen on the forum I just ignored it since they weren't my fave. Well, this morning, I google Keen Rose. Low and behold, they are totally different AND cute! I will say they are a lot like the Jambu shoes I have been favoring. Kind of wished I didn't look the Keen Rose up, I may need to get some. It does look like the Keen insole/footbed is plastic or some synthetic material, which sometimes causes blisters on the bottom of my feet. Jambu has leather insoles.

I also looked up the Ecco on Zappo. They only come in medium width and most sizes seem to be sold out. They are a nice looking shoe, however.

I just received my first pair of Vessi. I bought them for our fall trip to England because they are waterproof yet still look like a cute sneaker (like Keds, Ecco, etc.) I have wide feet and they only come in medium, but the style I choose run wide and slightly big. I really do like them and I'm going to start wearing them out and about to determine how comfortable they will be for an entire day of walking. They are a Canadian company, and I was impressed with their customer service. When I received them, I didn't like the color choice, I picked. They allowed me to exchange and paid shipping both directions.

”Kind of wished I didn't look the Keen Rose up, I may need to get some.”

@Jules M, oh, you’re getting the hook on the line - LOL! They’re the one thing that’s a no-brainer when I’m getting ready for my next trips. ; )

I also have arthritis in my foot. I need a wide toe box but have a narrow heel. I wear both Taos leather sneakers and Aetrex Jillian sandals with dresses/skirts. Both have great support. The sandals have Velcro (but don’t look like it) which means they adjust and I have the Taos in wide.

I always bring three pairs of shoes to Europe. It is important to switch shoes around. The sandals take up little room and I take them even in cool weather to wear in evenings in hotel as I can’t go barefoot.

I love my several pairs Ecco Soft 7’s, but at some point after I purchased them they changed them a bit. I bought a new pair of white to replace my 2 year old pair and they killed my feet. I’ve been searching mostly unsuccessfully to find another brand and have bought and returned many shoes. I think I have succeeded with a pair of Abeo. I’ve worn them around the house and now I’m wearing them while out and about. I’m on a trip now and will see how I like them after some serious walking. I get shoes from Nordstrom for their generous return policy.

I highly recommend Naot or Arcopedico. They are extremely well made and comfy.
I can walk in them for hours and they are much cuter than sneakers.
Also, it sounds like you need orthotics, no matter which shoe brand you choose.

Another vote for Naot. Also Romika. Both of these are supportive, I can wear them all day long, and they are cute;)

recently purchased my 2nd pair of Vionic Winny sneakers, and have found them to be great for walking and they're also attractive with nicer outfits. got them in both black with white soles and white with gum soles. the silver ones are super cute, but then I would look like all of the other older women with silver sneaks :~).
it took a few tries to get the correct size, but the wide width is very comfy for my toes and accommodates my bunions. I use insoles in all of my shoes -- except sandals and ballet flats -- the extra arch and heel support really helps my posture and helps reduce fatigue after long days of sightseeing.

I have been using Altra shoes. They work like a dream for walking for me as a man. The short summary from the internet is "Altra shoes for women are designed with female-specific features, including a narrower heel, longer arch, and unique metatarsal spacing to better accommodate women's feet." ... Altra shoes are supposed to have a wider than normal toe area and most are zero-drop (when you stand still, the bottom of your ankle is at the same height as the bottom of your toes). But they still have a good amount of cushioning. So called barefoot shoes are supposed to have these first two features too but I haven't tried any of them because I don't trust that the soles will be thick enough. I tried on a pair of Xero shoes at a store and I didn't like that I could feel the floor too much in them. My current shoes are Altra Torin 7's. The stack height is about 1.18 inches. The cushioning on the Torins feels thicker than the Altra Ecalante 4's I tried on at a store. The internet suggests that the Altra Torin 8 was just released and that there is also a woman's version of it.

Edit: Lem's shoes also have the foot-shape and zero drop like Altras. Some models of Lem's look like they could pass for dress shoes. I haven't tried on any of the Lem's yet.