What STYLE of shoes?

I love my Dansko Lolita sandals. They have been to Europe four times, and work well with skirts, capris and shorts. They are so popular they were resurrected after being discontinued. Last two trips I have also taken a second pair of Danskos, from the Capri series. These have a lighter weight sole and are a bit dressier, but still wonderful for walking. My specific sandal was discontinued, but take a look at the one named Cammie.

I have some strappy (well, relatively strappy) Dansko clogs - kind of a wedge dealie - that go with skirts, capris, pants, walking shorts. The Dankso line offers a lot of options. (I have the Maeve and a style that looks a lot like the Stefanie. The Stafanie is less clumpy. The Reeny and the Bett look cute, too, but I don't own them.) The only other shoe I have taken that goes with EVERYTHING are... Doc Martens! Seriously. The "3 Eye Gibson" (like a low brogue) goes with everything - if you have a rocker chick style. And they are COMFY. If that's a little outre for you, then I am voting for a Dansko. Love my Danskos!

Hi, Cynthia. If you want to take only one pair of shoes, what type of shoe you take may depend on where in Europe you will be, even in the summer. That said, I always take a pair of Birkenstocks with me. I wear them on the plane, with skirts, walking all day, standing all day - they are always comfortable.

Agree with Susan.... I only take one pair of shoes and in summer those are Birkenstocks. I never have sore feet and since it is all I wear at home I do not have to break them in.

Kathleen, I like to pack light but that is a good point... maybe a second pair of sandals is a good idea and do not take up too much room. But my other answer would be that I know they sell shoes in Europe, so I would buy a pair over there and have a lot of fun doing it! lol ;) ...and Kira, I know Birkenstocks are sometimes ugly BUT you should check out Birkenstock's other "lines" Papillos, Birkies, Tatami, and Footprints.. You can't tell many of them are made by Birkenstock but they have the great footbed that keeps many of our feet very happy! ;) My normal daily wear sandals are Birkenstock Mayari. They are more slender and come in great leathers and colors. They are amazing and stay with my feet and don't slide around like my old "cluncky" birkenstock Arizona (which I still also wear when I feel like it.) Look at Birkenstock Grenada and others... just FYI ;) Thanks to all of you for some great idea!! any more?? ;)

My wife's favorite was a pair of sketchers bicycle style shoe: http://www.skechers.com/style/21140/bikers-dream-come-true/ccgy These work with all of the options you listed and were very comfortable right out of the box.

Things you won't hear.... "My wife's favorite shoes are Birkenstocks."

Not to threadjack but but thanks Kira, I was trying to think of what to wear with my dresses (I have two comfy travel dresses) and I like your idea!

@Jennifer - thanks! :D @Richard - my husband would probably divorce me if I bought a pair of Birkenstocks. That being said, I will bet they are comfy.

With those clothes options, you'd probably want to stick with sandals. Just curious, but are you taking only one pair of shoes because of NEED or by choice. What would you do if something accidentally happened to that one pair?

"But my other answer would be that I know they sell shoes in Europe, so I would buy a pair over there and have a lot of fun doing it! lol" How do you think I justify my shopping when we travel? Me: Oops, forgot to pack such and such. Need to do some shopping. Hubby: But you have ten pairs of such and such AT HOME!!!!!!

Hi, Cynthia! I would suggest you think about taking a second pair of shoes, too. I took one pair on a 2-week trip to Italy years ago, and my feet were hating me by the end of the trip (plus, I was so tired of looking at those shoes that I wanted to cry for both comfort and fashion reasons). I think it gives your feet a bit of a break to have a slightly different shoe from time to time -- sort of like avoiding RSI for the tootsies.
Have fun!

Clarks are great . They have different varieties that are fashionable and comfy. I wear them all over Europe.

TOMS
light, comfortable, bajillions of colors, and you're doing a good deed when you by them (for every pair sold they donate a pair to a shoeless child)

Doris and Andrea, OK I learned something new today! I have seen TOMS at concerts and such and wondered about them. Are they available in stores?... or only on line? Do you think I could wear a birk orthodic in them? I can wear it in little white tennies and similar. I like TOMS look and the weight factor. ;) Lisa, I do have terrible flat, low arch feet (plantar fasciitis), to the point I could barely walk and crawling was more comfortable.. not exaggerating. I started wearing Birks ( and their insoles in other shoes) or similar all the time and had my chiropractor work on and keep my feet healthy. Now I hike, bike, run, work out... you name it... everything. But if I get lazy and start wearing flip flops or barefoot... I start over.( Tall high heels can do a lot of damage too! :( ) The Chiropractor helps a lot when pain starts in the arches and foot bones. ;) I have learned to maintain to keep happy tootsies! The Toms look wonderful, but I would need the insoles if they don't have arch support. I did buy some Privos this week and they are comfy! Kind of cute too... Anyone tried Privo ARDEA? They are cute... wondered about the comfort/support?? Thanks so much for all these great ideas. I hope this is helping other travelers as well.

Doris is right on about Toms. They are so comfortable and don't weigh a thing. I leave Saturday for my trip and my Toms are going with me as a back up to a pair of Merrill Mary Jane style shoes.

Not everyone can wear Birkenstocks. I have a low arch. People with a very low arch or flat feet are very uncomfortable in them. I wore Birkenstocks on a trip once and my feet hurt badly in them! But if you have a higher arch then Birkenstocks are perfect! My Mom has a high arch and lives in her Birkenstocks!

Hi Cynthia, I love my Chaco sandals! They were the only pair of shoes I wore while in Italy a few summers ago. They are casual but dressy - I wore them with capris, dresses, and skirts; have a good arch support; and my feet were still happy after the end of a week and a half long vacation. :) I know everyones style is different, but here is the sandal so you can see if it would work for you: http://www.zappos.com/chaco-zx-2-vibram-yampa-black
Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

Cynthia, you can get Tom's at various places. I got mine at Nordstom's. I have a hard time finding shoes that are comfortable, so I like to buy shoes there because they have such a liberal return policy. You can wear the shoes and still return them if they don't work out. Every other store I know of will not let you return anything after wearing it outside. One tip I heard about Tom's...don't buy them loose because they stretch out. I have had mine for about 3 weeks and wear them about every day. I heard they shouldn't get wet, so keep that in mind.

I took a pair of Clark's leather slide sandals (Rejoice Arial). The footbed and sole are very cushiony and were comfortable even after hours of walking. They looked okay with everything from capris to skirts to bermuda shorts but wouldn't go with dress slacks. Maryjanes do not go well with shorts or capris IMO so are not versatile enough to be the only pair of shoes. A word of caution about Tom's: they're cute, light, and fun but they are not very supportive nor do they protect the foot very well. Fine if you're mostly walking on smooth even surfaces with no chance of tripping or getting stepped on. On cobblestones or in crowds it could be a problem. I know someone who banged her foot wearing them, in sneakers nothing would have happened but in Tom's she broke her toe. As my daughter put it "they're like diapers for the feet" lol.

Why would anyone buy shoes that shouldn't get wet? Why would a company even make a shoes that can't get wet? Wierd. Considering how much it rains in many of the countries of Europe in the summer, you do want shoes that you can wear in the rain. If you are going to Greece, then maybe not so much.

@ Jo, I only overheard a comment about not getting Tom's wet. It has something to do with them being made out of recycled materials that could pucker after getting wet. Since rain isn't much of an issue here I didn't pay much attention. I would not consider traveling to Europe with a pair of Tom's as your ONLY pair of shoes, but they are lightweight and comfortable as a back up or secondary pair.

You could also go with a pair of keds. They're very popular in the summertime in Europe, as well as any shoe of that style. You can fit an orthotic in and they provide protection for your feet. Several of the styles will look nice even dressed up a bit if you get a navy or black. TOMS would be a really bad idea, your feet would be killing you after less than an hour of cobble stones and rocks. You could bring them for your dresses and slacks though. If you really only want to bring one pair, I agree with som of the other ladies. Shoe shopping! I'm not very "girly" but I really enjoy seeing the syles there, the shoes, while a bit more expensive last a lot longer (I'm currently mourning my favoritesnow boots that died after 5 years of 5 months of wear/year, they would have lasted longer if the ice hadn't cut a hole in them when I fell). They're a nice conversation piece, as well as a great way to bring home a souvenier that's not a nicknack. I also buy scarves, hats, gloves, socks, sweaters, etc as my souveniers, and that way I pack less on the way there.

My wife mostly wore her Toms and it wasn't a problem. She wears them all day at work so she knew they would be OK.

Two pair for sure, shoes and sandals. I can wear Keens with their protective toes and good arch support right out of the box. For sandal days, some strappy Chacos have a good look and arch support, but Merrells or eccos also have cute sandals. After all, you'll be wearing one pair- and my feet like change.