What is the best walking shoe for touring Europe. My wife wants a fashioned boot to wear during the day (sightseeing) and still nice enough to wear out to dinner. We will be traveling March 1 & April 10 (london, paris, venice, rome, greece).
The right shoe can make or break a long vacation.
I believe there is a very long thread here about people's favorite walking shoes. As you can imagine it's different for everyone though there are certain brands that come up again and again (ie Clark and Naot). I love my Clarks and I find Naots very comfortable though too hippie looking for my taste. I've worn boots quite a lot in Paris and both my Naturalizers and my (current) La Canadiennes have not let me down. I can walk around all day on them and they are nice enough to wear with a dress or skirt for dinner. Putting a pair of Superfeet insoles in any pair of shoes can do wonders for your comfort levels as well.
If you have a Walking Company store nearby, I'd suggest starting there. They carry many of the brands that people like as travel shoes. Zappos.com is also great because they offer free shipping and free return shipping, so you can order and try on as many pairs as you like.
Shoes and atms must be tied for most posts! Go back to the helpline and use the webmaster's tip for searching the archives. You'll find way more than you ever wanted to know about shoes. You're absolutely right about shoes making or breaking a vacation. On my first trip to Italy,I was determined to buy Italian shoes. I soon realized the Italian foot is substantially smaller than mine. In the meantime, both pairs of shoes I had were killing my feet. Finally, in Venice I spotted a shoe store, went in and I got my Italian shoes - a pair of Reeboks that I strongly suspect were men's shoes. My feet felt like heaven for the rest of the trip. In the search for a good walking shoe, I've spent hundreds of dollars and finally found a pair that were great for me at $30. I've given up on Merrells, Keens, Eccos and every other kind of shoe most people swear by and just search until I can find a pair that are comfortable on me. Tell you wife to go for comfort during the day and take a pair of ballet flats for evening. They'll be small enough not to add too much weight and should take care of any need to be dressy.
I would recommend bringing 2 pairs of shoes - one supercomfy for days when you will really pile on the miles, and a second pair, maybe a bit dressier but still comfortable, for wearing to dinner or for days when you won't be walking as much. For example, we did an RS Germany-Austria-Switz tour a few years ago, and I took a pair of SAS oxfords [very comfortable but even my 80-year-old mother thinks they look too orthopedic] and Ecco sandals. It's good to switch your footwear from time to time so it can dry out and your feet can get a rest. In cooler weather, I've taken Merrell Mary Janes for my "dressy" shoes; I can wear them with socks during the day or with tights at night to look a bit nicer.
Probably the most important is to be SURE they are comfortable before you leave; she should wear them around home, to work, for several days in a row to approximate the kind of demand you will face on the trip.
Six weeks - what a great trip! Have a wonderful time!
