For the above tour, I know it’s one of their most strenuous and there will be a lot of stair climbing and uneven terrain etc. With that said, is a good sneaker sufficient; such as an allrounder sneaker or should I bring my hiking boots?
Posted by
Tucson
4183 posts
I'd recommend the boots especially if they have ankle support and substantial non-slip soles. When it says uneven, believe it. I haven't been on the tour, but I have been to Greece twice for a total of about 6 weeks, including Athens, Delphi, Mycenae, Nafplio, Hydra, Santorini and Crete.
One thing that may surprise you is how slippery the marble can be on the Acropolis. Wet is obvious but dry it can have powdery dirt on it that's almost as slippery. There and most other locations do not have many hand rails to help with walking around. Even with my good boots, I slipped on dry, gravelly fine dirt slanted down just before a couple of steps at Delphi. Those boots helped me to keep my footing and avoid injury.
Last trip (2014) I saw several women with fresh arm slings or crutches or actually in wheelchairs with casts. I could only assume that their footwear betrayed them.
Edited to add: My hiking boots are big (size 10) but very light in weight. They are my primary shoes for any trip anywhere. They are always on my feet and never packed. My occasional end-of-day shoes are an even lighter weight pair of flats. The last time I wore sneakers (my Saucony ones) was in Italy. They were marginal in the cities, and so awful on some parts of the RS Village Italy tour that I simply couldn't go. I swore I'd never depend on similar shoes in the future. YMMV
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11872 posts
Depending on the day's activity my wife wore something very similar to these:
https://www.costco.com/skechers-ladies'-summit-sneaker.product.100856757.html
or
https://www.skechers.com/skechers-go-walk-arch-fit---cruise-around/140251_BBK.html
I assume you are referring to the RS 14 day Athens and Heart of Greece tour...?
Posted by
412 posts
Keep in mind that you would need packing space for the boots when you are not wearing them and could be quite heavy.
IMHO a sneaker with good tread works fine. I like the Vans Ultrarange Exo series because they are lightweight and can blend into an urban environment without screaming "i am a hiking shoe"
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1700 posts
We visited Greece in May 2022 independently. Our itinerary included Santorini, Naxos, Nafplio including Epidaurus, Mycenae, and Mystras, and Athens (including a guided tour of the Acropolis). I wore Brooks Adrenaline sneakers or very sturdy SAS walking sandals. These were fine for the amount of and type of walking we did: through ruins, uphill/downhill, cobblestones, such as stair climbing and uneven terrain that you mention.
https://www.sasshoes.com/womens-embark-sport-sandal/3740.html?dwvar_3740_color=028&cgid=womens-sandals#start=37&sz=12
These are the sandals I wore.
I agree with the poster that hiking boots will take up a lot of space. I personally did not find it necessary to bring my hiking boots.
For context, if this helps, I am 73; I have arthritis; and I have had hip replacement surgery. So I am not a youngster!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15777 posts
I had low-cut hiking shoes. I think sneakers with good traction would work as well. A folding trekking pole would have helped a lot in a few places. You'll also want sandals with thick soles to walk on cobblestones. The beaches are all pebbly. It's easier to walk on them with closed shoes than sandals. If you want to go in the water - and you probably will unless your tour is in in March-April - you'll need water shoes too.
Posted by
Vermont, USA
729 posts
I didn't do this tour, but I was in Greece for 2 weeks last month and loved my Keen Newport H2 sandals. They have great traction, even on the slippery Acropolis marble, and a very comfortable footbed. I was able to do trail hiking with them as well as in-town walking. They can also go in and out of the water.
Posted by
Tennessee
441 posts
I did the fabulous RS Greece tour in May 2022. Did fine wearing Hoka trail running shoes with good traction. Yes, be careful in slippery surfaces.
Posted by
Rockville, MD, USA
653 posts
I wore my LLBean hiking boots, similar to these: https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/91621?page=womens-trail-model-hiker-4-ventilated-low-womens&bc=474-630-506708-507000&feat=507000-GN3&csp=f&pos=2
I wore them through security and had a pair of foldable slippers in my personal item to change into for sleeping. And I packed a pair of cross-training sneakers in black for a change of pace (and for the final dinner). Yes, the hiking boots are heavier but I found the weight worth it for the added comfort and stability.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Great advice everyone. Thank you all very much. I’m leaning towards the hiking boots and will just wear then on the plane going and returning.
Posted by
Alpharetta, Ga, USA
277 posts
Shoes, one pair only, New Balance 990 V-4. Wear them everywhere. Light, comfortable. I do own three colors.
Posted by
11569 posts
I wore my sturdy sneakers walking and climbing through the ancient ruins in Greece. Good footware is required.
Posted by
Southport, NC
378 posts
We've been to Greece twice; once on the RS tour and once on our own. We've done all the sites and found sturdy tennies with good soles/traction plus a good walking sandal to be sufficient. My husband wore Tevas most of the time and I wore Chacos. No need to bring heavy hiking boots. Just make sure whatever you bring has good traction.
This year we're going to Eastern Europe and Northern Italy for 5 weeks. I'm brining Keen Elle Backstrap Sandals, which have surprisingly good traction, Chacos (with toe strap), and Saucony Shadow tennis shoes. I could not find the link to the exact color for the Saucony, but the link below is similar. You can see the bottom has great traction. I'm taking an older pair of Chacos with a lighter footbed. They don't show the style anymore on the website, but they are similar to these. Chacos are a heavier shoe, but they are excellent for walking on cobblestones, etc.. The Keens are new to me this year, and I was worried that the bands would stretch out, but they haven't and they are very comfortable, plus not too heavy. Normally I would only take 2 pairs of shoes, but I think 3 pairs for 5 weeks is a good idea.
The best advice is to take the terrain and stairs slowly. There will be plenty of places to rest. We enjoyed the tour and our subsequent visit. If you have time, try to add on Meteora. It was a highlight of all my travels, seriously!! Too many people skip this part of Greece, but it could easily be added on as an overnight or two nights, depending on your time.