Shoes for London/Paris in June

Get the shoe that is most comfortable for walking 'cause you are going to walk a lot. At one time the idea of a white, tennis shoe was discouraged since it was a tourist thing but times have change and the Europeans, especially young Europeans are as addicted to the athletic shoes in all colors as the Americans are.

I'd bring 2 pairs - one very comfortable walking shoe for all those sights and one comfortable but a little more stylish shoe for going out in the evenings/nicer looks (ankle boot or sandal, not high heels!). This still has to be comfy - you will probably walk a fairly long way before/after dinner - but not nearly as much as on a big touring day.

For the walking shoe - whatever works for your feet! Generally big, bulky neon colored sneakers aren't fashionable, but lower profile or trendy sneakers are fine (converse, stan smith, generally less bulky styles). Leather/leather look walking shoes by brands like Clarks or Merril are also popular. Try on as many pairs as you can and wear them around beforehand to make sure they work for you. It doesn't matter if I find a certain brand extremely comfortable - it is about what feels good on your specific feet.

You will look like a tourist no matter what you do, so forget that advice. After many trips to Europe and seeing how styles change and that nobody really cares what is on your feet my wife and I have settled on this: we wear well broken in athletic shoes, Asics for me, Nike for her. Mine are black, but she favors colors. Often the shoes we wear are at the end of their life cycle so they get discarded before we head home (her more than me, but she does a lot of Zumba). We bring one pair of "nicer" shoes- I favor an Ecco slip on, she likes a variety of similar brands for dinner, concerts, etc. I bring sandals for hot days; my go to brand is Geox as they vent, no smell. Once again, well broken in; don't want to get there and find a tiny area of strap rubs. It will be a blister before long. Whatever you choose, favor function over style. Looking great but your feet are killing you is not where you want to be. Get them soon and wear them. Don't ignore niggling discomfort that persists after break in. That will kill your trip, and you'll be searching shoe stores (and there are plenty, but new shoes are not what you want.)

Never mind your cousin.. Ive been dozens of times over many decades, and have French family and friends that live in Paris and the rest of France. .. and they ALWAYS can tell you are a tourist.. doesn't matter what you wear..

Go comfy.. I mean it, I am a walker .. do 5-10 kms every day or two at home.. but in Europe I can log 20,000 steps a day.. !

Many parks and gardens like Louvre, Tuilleries and Luxembourg have crushed rock/pebble grounds.. painful if one of those slips between your foot and sole of shoe.. and dusty.. so I wear walking sandals that have a bit of a platform heel.. to keep my feet out of the stuff a bit. I buy Naots.. ( their "Paris" model is great.. , the name just a coincidence..lol comfy to walk all day in and dressy enough for dresses, which I wear a lot in summer as they are cooler to me than capris or shorts.. ) but you must find the brand that suits YOUR foot, I have heard that Ecco and Clarks are better for a slightly wider foot.

Runners/sneakers are fine too.. trust me, no one gives a hoot.. and I promise you will see tons of them!

Don't bother with heels.. ( I have only brought them once, when I went to a wedding, and only wore them the one time) . If you must have heels wedges or platforms are easier on cobble and paving stones then spiky get caught in the crack heels..

Comfort is king.. and do make sure they are WELL broken in.. my stubborn hubby didn't listen to me about that.. insisted his new shoes WERE broken in.. he had only gotten them two weeks before trip and worn them maybe 4-5 times.
We had to deal with his blisters and buying bandages for first two week of our trip thanks to his stubbornness.. and his feet only recovered because by then we were in the south having a beach break, and he bought some flips to wear to let his feet heal..

I don't care how comfy your shoes are.. break them in.

I always take a pair of sneakers and a pair of good walking sandals. (And more, like hiking boots, running shoes, and dress-up shoes, but that's because of what we do.)

Two pair is the minimum to avoid foot problems in hot weather. And sneakers are totally fine, especially the "city sneakers" that are cute and stylish, not athletic shoes. Something like this:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/kenneth-cole-new-york-kam-sneaker-women/3899008?origin=category-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=NATURAL%20CORK

The "city sneakers" are popular now and even the high-end shoemakers like Paul Green, Cole Haan, etc. all make them. Look through the "sneakers" category on Nordstrom.com and you will see what I mean. Vans and Converse are quite popular in Europe on women of all ages, but I like something with more support for walking.

These are the sandals I am taking on an upcoming trip to South America:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/sofft-mirabelle-sport-sandal-women/4215296?origin=category-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=DENIM%2F%20DENIM%20LEATHER

I have walked miles in them with no problems.

Lola I love those sandals!!

Last summer in Italy, France and Spain I wore a pair of New Balance 1080 shoes and a pair of Sebago boat shoes. Both worked very well.

Thank you Lola for recommending the Sofft Mirabelle sandal. I bought them today and they are incredibly comfortable! Now I just need some warmer weather so I can break them in.

Walking sandals with thick soles - cobblestones are a killer with thin soles and one pair of closed shoes (even in summer it is possible that there will be chilly and or rainy times). Also keep some moleskin with you and use it as soon as you notice any rubbing.

There's not much point to avoid looking like a tourist. There will be thousands of other tourists and the camera and map will mark you as "tourist" no matter what you're wearing. I went to the opera in Paris - nobody cares what you're wearing in Paris, and you won't believe how badly some locals dress in London.

I agree with everyone about tourists looking like tourists. I can spot them in my hometown a mile away but I happen to love tourists! It means that people are out enjoying and learning about the world. How awesome!

If you watch the people in the background of European travel shows, you'll see that most people wear athletic shoes. Sometimes you see a lady wearing high heels, but I bet she takes them off and puts on her sneakers after an hour or so. I'd also go for a more stable shoe for walking on cobblestones.

I'm always looking for wide, comfy, cushioned, stylish flats or sneakers with arch support. Right now, I wear Altra Superior zero drop sneakers for all day walking like Disneyland, etc. Though they are sporty looking, they are the most comfy shoes I've ever owned. I can go 12+ hours on them, and my feet, knees, hips, and back feel fine. (I'm 51, with knee issues, so this is a big deal to me).

I just tried these on at Nordstrom's today and they were wide enough for my D width feet, very cushioned, had decent arch support, and kinda fun and funky: http://www.samedelman.com/en-US/Product/EC0223118-3016538/Sam+Edelman/Wine+Velvet/Leya+Velvet+Fur+Sneaker.aspx. So, Sam Edelman shoes are now on my radar.

Also, I'm going to try some Wolky Kite sandals. Wolky means cloud in Dutch. The Kites lace up the front and look decent and cushioned with arch support. I hope they work out.

When I went to Europe a while ago, I took an old pair of Saucony runners. They were super comfy. And, a pair of sequined Fit Flops. To my surprise, I wore the Fit Flops for my long days of walking thru Venice. I wore the Saucony's while in transit and in dusty areas. The Fit Flops enabled me to go barefoot when it was appropriate. Unfortunately, Fit Flops have gotten more narrow, so now I can't wear them.

Other shoes I want to try are Finn Comfort (these are pricey tho'), OnCloud runners, KURU Chicane wides, maybe some Mephisto sandals (also pricey). Also, check Barkingdogshoes.com as she blogs about comfy shoes for problem feet.