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Women's rain shoes w/good arch support for hot summer trip?

Trying to pack light for summer RS tour to Switzerland. I need suggestions for a summer rain shoe that provides good arch support for lots of walking on rainy days.

Posted by
740 posts

I bought a pair of good gore tex athletic shoes (cross trainers) from REI that worked out well for me.

Posted by
8260 posts

I would consider a good waterproof hiking shoe for this trip. You will get better support and a hiking shoe (instead of boot, ) will look good on city streets as well as mountain paths. I love my Ahnu brand hiking shoes, but there are several brands out there.

Posted by
5835 posts

Low cut hiking shoe/boot with waterproof-brethable membrane (e.g. Gore-tex) liner would be a good start. Fit and comfort are more important than brand. (You appear to be touring, not doing any technical hiking).

Supplememnt the boot insole with either a premium insole (e.g. Superfeet) or if you have specific foot issues, a custom orthodic insole. Note that the premium insole can affect boot fit if you pick a thicker insole for greater cushioning than the factory installed insole. Bottom line is to do some walking with your boot/insole combination at home before traveling. Proper boot fit is more important than waterproof shoes. https://www.rei.com/help/footwear-fitting-tips.html

High insteps, longer second toes, bunions, heel spurs—all these common
foot conditions can cause annoying and painful fit problems. Most of
these fit issues can be addressed fairly easily.

Insoles not only help to cushion and support feet, but also take up
volume in a boot or shoe that's slightly large for the foot. Try using
an insole if your heel is moving a bit or your toes are sliding
forward slightly. Of course, supportive insoles also control side
motion such as pronation and supination and can help reduce or
eliminate fatigue, blistering and other motion-related fit issues.
Don't forget socks. They also help to take up extra volume in large
shoes. Make sure you try on footwear with the socks that you intend to
wear with them.

Posted by
731 posts

Merrell makes great hiking shoes. Mine are called Moab or something like that. They are waterproof and very comfortable.

Posted by
279 posts

My husband and I were looking for the same sort of thing for our trips to Europe. We find Gore-tex linings to be too hot for warm summer climates, so we decided to get shoes that are designed to get wet and then dry quickly. We wear them with some no-show socks and if it starts to rain, we just take the socks off. We don't mind wet feet when it's warm. In colder weather, though, we use gore-tex shoes. On our first trip to Europe we wore shoes such as those that others have recommended to you, but we felt really silly wearing our big-soled, clunky "American" type shoes. We have since purchased shoes which "fit in" better across the pond. I ordered these OluKai in a men's 7 (because they don't make this style in women's), and I normally wear a women's 8.5. They fit nicely with my orthotics inside. My husband ordered these Sperry shoes, and he puts an orthotic in them as well. I hope that helps! Enjoy Switzerland!

Posted by
59 posts

So many great suggestions!! Am ordering many of these tonight so I can try them out. Thanks so much!!

Posted by
5835 posts

RE: "hot summer".

Switzerland summers are not typically hot (by Medford summer standards) even with global warming.

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/climate.html

The climate is moderate with no excessive heat, cold or humidity.

From July to August the daytime temperature range is 18 to 28 °C (65°
- 82° F)

Depending on the altitude the temperature range may vary. It is highly
recommended to visitors to pack a sweater, good walking shoes,
sunscreen, sunglasses, a compact umbrella and/or a light rain coat.

Posted by
330 posts

It's smart you are thinking about waterproof shoes. There is nothing like wet feet, and when I've changed into dry socks, if the shoes are still wet, it's just as bad (IMHO). I've worn waterproof Merrill hiking shoes, which were great. But, they looked like a hiking shoe and not a tennis shoe. I just got these Keen Terradora shoes this past winter and they've been great. I took them to Alaska the end of April and will be wearing them in Ireland in a few weeks. They look more like a tennis shoe than any other brand I've seen.

https://www.keenfootwear.com/p/W-TERRADORA-WP.html?dwvar_W-TERRADORA-WP_color=1018531&cgid=