How to pack light but also bring respectable men's shoes?

I suggest black walking shoes that will pass.

I agree with Adam. I wear Black Rockport Dress Shoes. As comfortable as sneakers but can pass almost any occasion except perhaps black-tie.

To keep my shoes fresh, I put in disposable insoles that I change about once a week while traveling.

I've attended 30+ operas and at least a dozen concerts in Vienna and have never worn 'dress shoes'. I do choose a walking shoe that easily does double duty. For example, I've done a trip in classic brown boat shoes, 3-eye oxfords, like these from Timberland.

I've also traveld in a pair of these from Ecco.

Halfway decent dark colored shoes paired with semi-wrinkle-free kakhi pants blend fairly well. I've even traveled in well-worn nubuck work boots -- they're just light brown shoes when paired with kakhis and a blue oxford shirt -- besides... his feet will be under the table at the nice restaurant...

How about buying him a pair of dress shoes in Europe? Since 'breaking them in' won't be an issue, it might be worth thinking about.
Shoes are fairly expensive over here, compared to the States, but of decent quality, and there are many, many choices and also options of lower priced shoe stores.
I just did this with two adult sons not long ago. At first they bristled at the idea, of buying/wearing wimpy Euro dress shoes, but they didn't have much of a choice: we had tickets to Rigoletto at the Staatsoper in Vienna. . .

Now they love their dress shoes, and setting a trend in their circle of friends in the US and Central America.
Just a thought . .

Even when I attend the opera at home (point being no packing concerns here) I wear shoes that I can walk in for miles. I agree with the above posters but will add that not only is it possible not only for your husband to wear one pair that will serve both purposes quite well, but it's possible for you also. Bonus, not only can you pack light, your feet will look good AND be happy at the same time.

I use a pair of ECCO, black, walking shoe that is vastly superior to a walking sneaker. I would never take sneakers. First, they are not waterproof and that is a very important consideration.

(PS to my original posting) Second, I always take an extra pair of intersoles and change daily. The helps keep the shoe fresh. ECCOs are designed just for this purpose. Their intersoles are removable and they sell extra intersoles.

Frank is right for couple reasons.

My husband wears a pair of Merrells only which are smooth leather and terriffic walking shoes, similar to these: http://www.merrell.com/US/en-us/Product.mvc.aspx/M-F-F/18180M/0/Gender-Gallery-Root/Men/Footwear/Filters/Mens/World-Forum

They aren't waterproof but are marvelously supportive.Eccos are also great shoes; I have a pair
from Salzburg.

Here's the pair of Ecco's that I like to pack and a visual packing list (I got tired of writing it down):

http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/profile?id=203861#foo

The Ecco's work great, they're durable but amazingly lightweight for packing.

I used to pack a pair of stain proof Docker's with lug soles but decided the Ecco's gave me the ability to dress up when I needed to.

My husband also wears black Rockports and that's all he takes. Haven't figured out what our son will wear--he's 25 and wears a size 16 so there aren't many choices!

I agree that a comfortable pair of Rockports tend to do all-purpose duty for me when I travel to Europe. But this past year I tried something new. My feet get tired in the same shoes every day for three weeks, so I brought two pairs. The second pair was an old, beat-up pair I've owned for a few years, still comfortable, but starting to wear down and needing replacement soon. I used them on light walking days and days of train/bus travel just to give my feet a change. And before I left Europe I simply asked my hotel either to dispose of them or give them to a charity. I was glad to have two options in Europe and by throwing the old ones out, I made room for a few souvenirs when I flew home.

Thanks for all of the replies everyone. I will definitely have my hubby look into those.

To the person that said I could do the same thing as a woman, I'll bite - I know that fashion is not a priority on this trip, but do you seriously see women wearing walking shoes (most of which look like sneakers) with a skirt?! I mean...?!

Who wears a skirt?

Oh, Corey, there's lots of variety in women's walking shoes ( walking, not hiking). I hardly wear anything else at home. Look at Nordstrom's, Dillards, or any large department store, as well as REI. For example,see http://www.eccousa.com/shoes/womens/casual/flair-mary-jane/2234/detail.aspx or http://www.zappos.com/keen-madrid-mary-jane-beet-red
( sorry, I don't know how to underline the link) Several previous discussions on shoes can be found here on the RS site.

I had to laugh Corey. Of course you do not wear shoes that look like sneakers to the opera! How funny! Yuk.

That's my point.

I used to have "comfortable" shoes (read sneakers) and "dress" shoes that I couldn't wait to take off, but abandoned that tyranny long ago. I forget people still believe this is how it is supposed to work.

I'll be repetitive here: there are shoes that you can walk miles in all day that look like classy shoes. (Okay, sure they are not stilettos- there are limits here,...) That's the only thing I wear to the grocery store, for business travel, public speaking, and on vacation. I don't run around town -- my home town or any other town--in sneakers anymore unless I just came from the gym. That means I can't buy anything for under $100 a pair but it's well worth it. I have fewer shoes but they're all versatile, comfortable and last forever and look good anywhere.

Okay, that's my piece. Sorry to go on and on and not say much but I didn't put enough detail in my post and didn't expect you would come away with the impression that fashion was not a concern and you should wear clunky shoes with your dress.

My current shoes are Eccos. You can walk in them all day long, and wear them to the opera or make a keynote presentation. There are limits: 1.They are urban shoes you would not wear them to hike in the Alps. 2.The style of my particular shoe doesn't look right with a dress but you will need to pick your own style. (The shoes I do wear with a dress are comfortable enough to stand/walk for days, yet would not be my top selection to walk around Europe for three weeks, but you will choose your own shoes. )

Just an idea that works well for me since I also need to travel light and think about fashion as well. Perhaps it won't work for you. Corinna's idea sounds appealing. I hope you have a good trip and your feet remain happy.