Traveling shoes in Italy

Any European will know you are tourists no matter what you ware. Don't worry about it. While trying to blend in, dress comfortably, especially your shoes.

Your size, shape, style, accent and mannerisms will all tell people you are American. I prefer a neutral color trail runner or light hiker because it's more flexible than a white tennis shoe.

Brad - Just curious how size and shape would identify one as an American. I'm anxiously awaiting our first trip to Europe,and wonder what differences we will notice.

Americans are commonly heavier than our European counterparts. We're generally tall but aren't the tallest - I believe the Dutch have that honor. Americans are usually the ones who look like we could afford to lose 20 lbs. I read that 60 percent of Americans say they are on a diet.

For mannerisms, we're often louder than Europeans. Yelling to your travel partners across a train station, market, church or museum is pretty much a give-away. Even though I stay in shape, I catch myself being excessively loud at times.

Even if we know the language, we give ourselves away by using American vowel sounds. My oldest daughter studied Spanish and tried to order meals in Spanish - to blank stares from the server. I knew what she said and simply repeated it using correct pronunciation and the waiter immediately understood. In Germany, I guaged my success with the accent based on whether the person I talked to responded in English or German.

"Americans are usually the ones who look like we could afford to lose 20 lbs. I read that 60 percent of Americans say they are on a diet."

I read the US has more diet books, and more over-weight people, than anywhere else. I guess it's good to be #1. And I'll admit it: I'm one of the guilty ones (but I'm on a diet).

He he he, my grandmothers (neither American) have always talked about how Americans have fat children. But if you ask my Portuguese grandmother, none of us women in the family are ever a normal weight. We're all either grown too fat or clearly starving ourselves and need to eat more.

Maybe Americans just pick one and stick with it longer than Europeans!

At least now I know my height will prevent being mistaken for an American :) It might be nice to be on the tall side of average while visiting!

You know, my European family members are noticeably shorter than my North American (of British descent) family members, with my Central American family members being somewhere in the middle. But the Portuguese and Italians aren't known for great height (well, the models maybe).

I find European dress beautifully, and more sophisticated than we do. I love looking at all the cool looking shoes, very different than I've seen hear in the states.