Walking shoes and comfort

You might look at San Antonio Shoes, sometimes called SAS shoes. They are made in U.S. Several companies sell them and they are available online.

What do you care if the locals scoff. They only scoff at themselves.

2 odd comments in one short post. How do you know a shoe manufacturer's intent? I would suggest it's to make as much money as possible and please customers, doesn't that sound right? If you want shoes that aren't made in China, the list will be so short as to be practically nonexistent. And most of the shoes people talk about are made there, if not Brazil.

Second, do you really care what people you'll never see again care about your shoes? Within reason of course. They're your feet and your shoes and your vacation, get comfortable sensible shoes that don't look like you found them in the dumpster behind the circus. You'll be fine.

Just a sample of what I've been reading on reviews of shoes on Amazon: " be careful, this line of (brand name) is made in China, not in "France as the other shoes are. There are problems with quality that you can see and feel. They just do NOT feel like a (brand name) shoe. Careful!"

Monte, I will look into SAS, thank you.

"...are made in China which compromises the manufacturers intent."

Somewhat famous business case study of the 1980s discussed Nike's shoe outsourcing practices. Nike first outsourced to S. Korea. As Korea became more industrialized and second world, labor cost rose.

Nike moved production to China to reduce labor cost. Although Chinese contractors manufactured the Nike shoes, Nike did the design and defined quality specifications. The business case study discussed initial Nike problems with the Chinese not understanding or accepting Nike quality values. The Chinese initially did not consider cosmetic defects such as glue smears to be cause for rejection.

As the Chinese got better at manufacturing everything including higher tech products, labor cost rose as it did in Korea. This pushed Nike, other American and other businesses to find cheapest labor sources such as Vietnam.

Does Nike and other American footwear companies control quality? You bet they do. If you want a USA produced some, try New Balance. New Balance still produced some of their shoes in the US.

We've traveled to Europe annually for over 10 years. We have always worn black NB running shoes, well broken in. We have never had any foot issues and we have worn them to high tea at the Ritz in London, the opera in Florence, the theatre in London, Christmas and Easter services at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's in London, Notre Dame in Paris and every day in London, Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris and Budapest. Nothing, NOTHING is more important than being able to walk long distances, climb stairs, or stand in lines for hours. Get black or dark running shoes and forget about doing anything other than walking a few miles every day prior to your departure.

Edgar and George, I will look into NB shoes. I understand the importance of breaking in a pair of shoes. Thank you for your posts.

I can't speak for all their models, but I have more than once put on a new pair of SAS shoes and gone for a 10 km walk. I have never had to break in a pair.

For SAS shoes: I brought 2 pair to Italy last fall. The Freestyle and Roamer and they were great. The freestyle are laceups and the Roamer were T strap flats. I sprayed them with water repellant which is available at the SAS store and that worked well. Very comfortable and I have plantar fasciitis.

I will be trying on shoes next week. Thank you for all the suggestions.

One of the most comfortable 'travel shoes' I own (and I own three pairs of the same shoe), is the Acropedico brand, Rose model in black. Arcopedico's web site says their shoes are hand-made in Portugal.

Comfortable shoe, decent arch support, good rounded toe. While they are not the most stylish shoes on the market.....LOL...when worn with black tights, the shoe sort of 'disappears' anyway.

Don't know where you live, but a few shoe stores here in Nashville sell them, so maybe some stores do in your locale. It might be best to go try the sizes on, but you most likely know a few on-line retailers offer free shipping/returns. Some of the other Arcapedico more updated styles may be more appealing to you.

My other go-to travel shoe is the Merrill velcro Mary-Jane- type strapped really light-weight shoe (good for packing) with a good sole, but I don't see it in their current model listing. Maybe you could luck out with an Ebay or Amazon search for old inventory. It's more the type you might wear hiking, walking on a beach or riding a camel, etc.

Naot makes amazing shoes and sandals...last time I looked, they were still made in Israel...

I am a die-hard John Fluevog fan, they're all I wear for every day and I have some favourite boots and oxfords from him that are perfect for epic walking trips. None of his shoes are made in China, mainly Portugal and Mexico.

I have flat feet and totally poor arch support. All my shoe insoles must be replaced with my orthitics. Like George, we have been wearing NB for years. We have them in black and wear them everywhere. SAS has been a life saver for my feet in warmer weather. They have many sandal styles. I can walk everywhere in them for extended periods of time with no problems. Before I found SAS I wore Tevas. But Tevas has downgraded the quality of their sandals. They don't provide the same amount of cushioning as before, they're just too skimpy for my funky feet. I wear SAS and NB all year round.

You should wear what is most comfortable. If you want new shoes if you can, find a shoe store that specializes in walking shoes and just go try on a bunch of different kinds.

I'm getting ready for the 21 day Best of Europe tour this fall and went on a quest for good walking shoes. My feet are terrible to fit - long, narrow, flat, with the 2nd toe longer than the big toe. I tried SAS but those won't work for me. Just not comfortable after even moderate walking. So I went to the Walk Shop in Berkeley, and tried on as many shoes as the salesman brought out and got the ones that were most comfortable - a German shoe called Waldlauffer dynamic. After wandering all around San Francisco for 8 hours, including hills, my feet still felt like they were in heaven. They may not be for everyone but prior to this I didn't even know they existed.

So many wonderful suggestions. Happy feet makes for a happy trip. I'll let you know what I end up with however I do have a pair of Clark's coming in for me to try on. I bought two pairs of FIT socks that are made in Tennessee and a pair of Dang Tough socks that are made in Vermont. They feel wonderful but as you all say, try walking in your shoes and see what happens.

After years of traveling and making big mistakes, I would not go looking for "walking shoes", bring the type and brand of shoes that you wear on a regular basis. We all think we need all these "travel clothes" and you end up spending a lot of money on shoes and clothes you don't really like and may never wear again. Go shopping in your own closet. You see every style in Europe these days. They know you are an American, you can't hide that fact. Just be appropriate, neat and clean and make sure your shoes are well broken in.

I wear what I wear here...I have never felt out of place. I feel comfortable and it is who I am.

I don't get where people say Europeans don't wear athletic shoes. My husband's nieces & nephews (all from Ireland) can't wait to hit the Levi & Nike stores when they arrive.