Good Walking Shoes that can double for occasional run

I am taking a pair of Merrill barefoot shoes for my "running" Now there is NO way I can run a long distance in these but I can do a few miles and they take up practically no space and way next to nothing. They are black and could be worn with other clothing if I needed to which was another consideration.

Sure - bring the Under Armour! I have a lot of it in the grays/black colors, though. Maybe buy a couple of those? Navy, gray, white, even red...but maybe not hot pink + lime green. Unless they match the shoes... ;-)

Keith - as a runner and a mother who has traveled with older/adult children my advice is 1) Absolutely he should bring running shoes - real ones, not walking shoes that double as runners. 2) Everyone (not just your son) should bring 2 pairs of shoes - wear one, pack one. Assuming you are doing a lot of walking, your feet will thank you for alternating shoes. We travel carryon only and always have room for a second pair of shoes - even my husband who travels with much fewer clothes than I do will bring a second pair of shoes. 3)For any families traveling with their older teen children - our philosophy was they could bring whatever they wanted to as long as they could pack and caryyon without help and clothing had to include items that were necessary for the trip we were taking. For example - long pants/skirts in order to visit churches in Italy, or a nicer-than-jeans outfit for theatre, nicer dinners, etc. I offered advice on weather & suitability that they ignored - my son took only jeans to Sicily (in August) and my daughter did 3 1/2 weeks with only sturdy flip flops (2 pairs). Neither complained.

I will "second" what Karen said, especially the advice to bring 2 pr. of shoes. Your feet will thank you. My husband and I are runners too. He brings a pair of black cross-trainers that have a minimum of gaudy markings, and wears them for walking, light hiking, and running. The second pair is his Rockport dress shoes which are also good for walking, and can go out to dinner. He wears the bulkier shoes on the plane.

OK. And it sounds like no fluorescent colored shoes?

I brought my bright pink runners and wore them while running in France, including Paris - but I only wear my running shoes for actual running. If he has a choice of running shoes, darker ones would be more versatile, but kids (under 30) can pretty much wear anything without looking silly.

"And it sounds like no fluorescent colored shoes?" Hey, I've seen plenty of 'natives' wearing some really loud shoes (and sometimes clothing), so if he wants to...go for it. IF it's his only pair, and he might not want to be so 'loud' all of the time, then he'll need to find something, ummm, quieter :-D

Brings up another subject. We have lots of Under Armour/dry-fit material athletic clothing. The moisture wicking stuff. We love them because they dry fast and real easy to wash in sinks. Thing is they tend to be in brighter colors. Should we really avoid bringing clothes like that?

If Europeans can wear neon green jeans, why can't we americans wear neon running shoes?
Yes, neon green jeans. A man was wearing them in Prague 5 years ago. Fancy.

I agree with Karen about giving your son leeway to pack as he chooses. He will be happier. I am so different from my soneven when I was his age. I spend all sorts of time planning my clothes to take the least with most use, etc. He throws in some stuff the night before. I remember once going out to eat with our then 19 year old son somewhere in Italy. My wife and I were dressed nicely. Our son had on his oldest tennis/running shirt. He was perfectly happy to be with us, so I was happy too.
I would take the Under Armor, whatever the color. I somehow get a lot of e-mail adds from European companies. Their stuff is pretty much like ours. You can't hide being a tourist anyway, so I say dress as you wish.