shoes, and other suggestions

I'd suggest you check out SAS. Their shoes are comfortable, well fitted and look nice too. My dad wore a men's 6 1/2 EEEEEE (not a typo- his foot was almost square). And the only shoes he was really comfortable in was SAS. They also make narrow widths. They make dress shoes, walkers, and sandals. The inner shoes can be taken out and washed, too. Really good quality, too.

My SAS (San Antonio Shoes) saved my feet on my last trip. Unfortunately, they do not sell their products online, and they encourage independent retailers who carry their shoes not to do so either. So you have to locate a store in your area that carries them, and you can try to do so at: http://www.sasshoes.com/main/store_locations.php

Thanks for the suggestions! Unfortunately the closes SAS store is over an hour away, but I may try to check it out anyway. Any other suggestions? My feet aren't wide btw, just big lol. I'm a size 13 with normal width, I just don't have much of an arch.

You might want to review these postings: http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti92.html Unfortunately every major shoe brand is recommended so it may not be that helpful. Problem with shoes is that no one has every wore every brand so once someone finds a shoe they like, they think everyone should like. You need to find a shoe that you are comfortable with and you can only do that by trying a variety of shoes over time. About your size - 6-2, 225, and 13 US or 47 European. I have settled on the ECCO Track II - see - http://us.shop.ecco.com/ECCO-Track-II-Low/001944,default,pd.html?dwvar_001944_color=00741#cgid=men-casual. It is waterproof, important consideration if raining, with a lugged sole which handles the rough streets of Europe. It has a removable inner sole so I bring an extra set of inner soles and change daily to keep the shoe dry and fresh. Solves problem of bring two pairs of shoes. Works very well for me but might not for you. You just have to try it.

Frank, how have your ECCO shoes held up? I've been thinking about a specific pair of lightweight ECCO walking shoes that have very comfortable soft woven uppers but reasonably solid sole, etc. The comfort factor of the uppers is really important for my foot situation; there are very few closed-toe shoes I can wear without pain.

They have held up very well. My first pair may have lasted ten years or more. Marcia actually wears a small man version of the Track II. Now ECCO are the only shoes I own from a black dress shoe (city walker) through sandals. I particularly like the sandals for local wear but do not travel with them.

Thanks! Zappos has a huge selection of ECCO shoes, including many really attractive styles. I'm definitely going back to my local retailer to try that one pair on again.

We have an Italy trip coming up in a few weeks...my husband purchased Keen and Merrill for this trip...

I hate to recommend any specific shoe since what fits one person so well might not fit another person at all. Lots of folks like ECCO shoes but they do not fit my arch at all. I have worn top of the line Clarks (ones made in England before they shipped the manufacturing to the land of "cheap labor") all over Europe the the last 10 years and they fit my foot like a glove. I now have 4 pairs and have put 2 of those away for back-ups when needed. Hope you can get a chance to try on whatever you want to buy and be sure to walk around on a hard surface (tile?) rather than the nice carpet you find in most shoe stores. Good luck and Happy travels.

my husband bought merrills and loved them and was comfortable, I bought a pair of sneakers made by Clarks for walking and they were just ok, I also bought a pair of Fitflop sandals and would switch my shoes every day. I brought a dressy pair of sandals for the evening and only wore those when I knew we were not walking far to a resaturant. nothing was really super comfortable for me sadly. I think you should definitely get your shoes at least a month before you go and wear them everyday for a few hours. I did that and even then I was not that happy. and seriously no matter what kind of of shoe you get understand that afer walking for 6+ hours a day nothing is going to feel comfortable for long
GOod Luck

Yep, Luis - the shoe questions get a LOT of traffic and EVERY brand of shoe you've heard of - and many that you haven't - gets a passionate shout-out. I wouldn't be surprised to search the archives and find that someone has recommended hiking boots made of mastodon hide, hand-sewn by elves. My suggestion is to buy the shoes NOW and do some serious walking them in to break them in. Sounds like you have easy-enough-to-fit feet (size 13 is big, but not outlandish, and you say your dogs aren't especially wide) so if your first choice doesn't work out, you still have time before August (?) to get and try another pair. This will be time and money WELL spent. As for suggestions for places to see - if you give us a hint of what kind of stuff you like to do, we will flood you with great options. But at the moment, we don't know if you're a WWII history buff, an architecture geek, a cathedral lover, a museum-avoider, a sports fan, a beer enthusiast, or what. :-) Finally - and I wade into this with MUCH DELICACY and no wish to offend or assume - but you say you are a big guy. 6', 215 doesn't sound gargantuan - but if it means you're carrying a few extra pounds, and are a tad out-of-shape, I also highly recommend doing some strenuous walking now, not only to break in the shoes, but to get some good cardio workouts in so you're up-to-speed for all the walking you will be doing. I, too, am a 'big guy' (well, gal) and I always make sure that about a month before a trip I rev it up and walk every day, so that I can get the most out of Europe without huffing and puffing and dragging behind my travel companions. I've done it both ways - flabby and fit - and fit is better. If you are already fit, IGNORE me!

No I'm in good shape, I'm just a big guy compared to most people around me lol. I used to fight light heavyweight/cruiserweight professionally up until I went back to school and graduated. I was mostly concerned with the fact that I have bad knees and flat feet, which have caused me trouble in the past. As for what I am into, well its easy to just say everything! One of the people I'm going with was a history major, I love museums (but not to excess), We are all beer enthusiasts, would love to try great food spots, and really want to experience the hidden things most people miss out on. We plan to explore as much as possible in our free time, which we've left at least one full day per city for this without any plans. Thank you for your response though, and I've still been revving it up at the gym in preparation so that's good advice.

Thanks for not taking offense, Luis! Now that folks on this board know what you are into, I guarantee you are going to get awesome tips! I will limit myself to just one: In Paris, I love The Highlander, an ex-pat Scottish pub at 8 Rue de Nevers - right opposite the Pont Neuf. They open at about 4:00pm. It's super cozy and friendly, and the staff are extremely helpful with local recommendations. Ask about the latest cool/new place to eat, and they will point you in the right direction. And they serve a wonderful beer called Caledonian 80/- which I love. It's very refreshing, darkish amber, with a smooth and creamy head, and has top notes of iced tea and chocolate.

Mephisto shoes are also great. My husband wears his year round and on trips. They are expensive, but are worth the extra money. He also wears Ecco's too. Nordstrom and Zapoos offer a large selection of well made shoes, such as these.