shoes with a twist...

Hi Bonnie, Smartwool socks are the greatest. 2 pairs are all you should need if you wash them occasionally and wring them in a towel before hanging to dry. New Balance has a lot of narrow fitting shoes and a good ion of running shoe styles. They also have a dressier line called Aravon which have great footbeds in them (some removeable) I took them on our 31 day tour of Italy and they absorbed the shock from the cobblestones really well. Not sure if the narrow sizes are available but woth a try, Best of luck, Sherry

You might want to check the Graffiti Wall here under walking shoes.

Bonnie: Ecco brand shoes tend to on the narrow side. They're top quality and usually get great reviews for traveling shoes. Keen's are good and many are waterproofed or easily waterprofable (Toyah, Briggs, Presidio) - but usually run wide in the toebox. Merrell tends to fall someplace between Ecco and Keen for width. For waterproof on the athletic side I'd look at Merrell Moab Goretex or Siren Sport Goretex. Clark Wave.Wheel come highly recommended by friends, who sprayed them for water-resistance, but I can't personally vouch for them. For warmth and waterproof I'd go with a goretex athletic shoe - comfort over stlye. But that's just me :) My recommendation would be to order several styles from Zappos and try them all on. They have free VERY quick shipping each way.

So are you saying that older people who wear practical shoes while traveling are "dawdy"?

Bonnie - I have Raynaud's also, and I was in Germany/Hungary over Christmas and my toes were numb and dead a lot of the time - so don't travel there in the winter!! I wore Sheepskin lined/waterproof boots and smartwool socks. Even with the silk sockliners it wasn't enough, but you should be fine in April. I would highly recommend you get a pair of silk sockliners. I bought the glove liners too, and I know I would have been in a lot worse shape without the silks. Good luck - hope you gave a good trip.

Just to add to the discussion. I have been wearing Shape-ups exclusively the last 2 years, through spring, fall, summer and winter, with rain, snow and freezing temps. In the winter, I wear regular ski socks with a pair of tights and not once have I had cold or wet feet. I spend considerable time outside, as I have no car. These shoes are great no matter what the ground surface is, from cobblestones, hiking through the woods up to Marksburg castle, spiral stairs in church steeples, or just regular sidewalks. The soles are very thick, but very cushy, so my feet never get tired. Not once through 4 pairs of these shoes have I gotten a blister, even when wearing them brand new and walking 4 days in a row for over 8 hours a day. As to the Graffiti Wall, I have asked numerous times to open those ancient archives up, so that new, fresh and relevent information can be posted there.

Hi Bonnie, How about Pumas? They're pretty narrow. Also moderately fashionable :)

Another vote for Ecco's. I've gotten several pairs for trips. I'm not THAT much older than you, so they're not dowdy, either. If you've got a Walking Store or Dick's Sporting Goods near you, they're good places to go try a bunch.

kdf- no, i'm not... i'm just saying that it seems like all the practical shoes out there are ugly. :)
thank you guys for all the advice!

I would suggest you look at "Shoes for Walking around Europe" from January 4, 2011. There were 31 posts to a question about shoes. In addition, as suggested by another poster, we need to start putting some of this same information on the "Graffiti Wall". There is a strand there about shoes plus an Archived section about shoes. I know shoes change but we need to also be able to check the Graffiti Wall for updated information.

I have a pair of Siren Sport Merrell shoes that are brown with pink accents. I'm old (40ish), but the store clerk (early 20's) had them on and said she wears them all the time. I've worn these all around Europe for everyday and extensive travel/walking and love them. The other option is really comfortable boots, like b.o.c. (got them at DSW online) or Clarks. Boots are VERY popular here.

Thank you again for all your help! I think i have found a new balance shoe that is not cute, but waterproof and narrow! i'm hoping it will work out. I'm sorry to those who suggested checking out the graffiti wall- i did, but because of the narrow foot and waterproof/warm issue, i could not find what i wanted there. Thank you again!

I love my Pumas and have walked all over Europe in them.