shoes for Greece in particular

Hi Julie,

You will find a lot of posts for shoes at this location on the forum:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/best-travel-shoes

Keens. Have 5 pair. Best travel shoes for me. Pricey. Durable. Nary a blister or discomfort of any type.

thanks Claudia - see they have sandals – do you think their sandals will be good walking shoes

thanks Jean - will see

Keens for me, too; perfect for our Greece tour (a few Octobers ago) and every other tour I have taken. I love them and they are kind to my feet. I take a pair of closed toe sandals and a pair of open toe sandals. They are fine for rain and other kinds of water and do dry quickly.

do you think their sandals will be good walking shoes

I have had Keen Rose sandals for walking in the past. I now have Ecco Offroad as I prefer an open toe. Both have been comfortable for walking all day.

Thanks Andi! Perfect feedback – we are going to Greece in October! I read they can go in the sea!

Thanks AussieNomad for your experiance!

For me, the absolute winner were my Teva sandals https://www.zappos.com/p/teva-tirra-bering-sea/product/7593648/color/213922

I now have them in both white and blue.

Travels in Greece entail walking through many ruins with pieces of antiquities littered about. I ended up wearing my Brooks sneakers most of the time due to these conditions.

thank you Suki & AMann - hearing how you were comfortable with sneakers on the long walks in Greece is so helpful

I was there for 14 days in July and wore nothing but my chacos.

Hello Julie,

As someone with some deformities leading to way too many foot problems, shoes are foremost on my mind too for my May Greece trip. I know there'll be lots of hiking up and down and Rick has warned of the slippery cobblestones everywhere. I'm therefore considering taking hiking poles as well as good shoes.

I have wide toes, so many Keens, with their wide toe box, have been good for me. For all purpose use, including limited walking and going into the sea, I'll be taking my Keens Newport waterproof closed toe sandals.

But for hours of walking, the Newports won't be comfortable enough for me. I'll need full fledged walking shoes with socks for cushioning and support. After going through many brands over the decades, I've recently discovered Altra to offer D widths and be very comfortable, and will be taking a pair to Greece. A natural shape with wide toe box, very light and comfortable, and the mesh uppers allows cooling air flow. I'll be taking a pair of pink Superfeet OTC orthotics to insert for more support, as needed (they work better than my 3 custom made orthotics!).

I've also had good luck with Asics Gel Nimbus in wide and will have to take that too. REI and Sports Basement, a Bay Area chain with an online store, consistently have well trained and helpful shoe staff that have helped me find good shoes. In addition, both will allow you (even encourage you) to actually try out your new shoes outside and will still accept them for full returns within a certain time frame (1 yr. for REI)! So useful!

As I find socks make a big difference in comfort, I also vote for Balega. My feet tend to sweat, so I need something breathable and light but with cushioning like these. I have many Smart wool socks, but they wear out quickly and would be too warm for me during hot weather.

Good luck Julie, I hope you float through Greece on comfortable shoes!

Thank you Latha

Having more choices and the information as to why you like those shoes and how you plan to use them is most appreciated – so helpful!

As I get older, I have new aches and pains to deal with to keep going!

Thank you kindly,
julie

Why would Greece be different than other countries? Are you going to be walking on unpaved surfaces a large percent of the time? Do you want a running shoe? Running shoes are typically lightweight and quite breathable. Do you want a trail-running shoe? I currently have a pair of Altra Torun6 running shoes (the 6 is not a typo).

But what if you have to go out in the rain? You can't waste your vacation in your hotel just because of rain. Do you care whether the shoe is water resistant? What if you step in a puddle or a pile of mud?

Before going to sand dunes in northern Michigan, I bought a pair of Colombia high-top hiking boots. They were lighter weight than a pair of Timberland boots that were almost appealing. But now when I shake the colombias, I can hear sand rattling around, even though i felt like no sand got inside the shoes. And after a few uses, I had to fix water-resistance of the colombias by spraying them with waterproofing spray. And you have to spray outside, shake the can and take a deep breath just before spraying, breathing out slowly while spraying, and jump away before breathing again, or you will inhale the spray...

How many pairs can you take to Greece? Do you want to risk the extra volume and weight of packing an extra pair of shoes? Or do you want to just limit yourself to one pair, the shoes you wear to the airport?

Mike:

Why would Greece be different than other countries – you ask

Not having been to Greece, I was thinking sand – getting sand in my shoes and too, the days being hot – so that the walking shoes and boots I have successfully taken on past RS tours wouldn’t work - that’s why my question for women, to share what shoes worked for them in Greece - we need comfortable and cute walking shoes

Julie: Do you still have your shoes you wore on your last major trip? Are they in good enough condition? Don't buy another pair unless you really have to. Or let's see if Columbia makes an appealing model.

Edit: the women' Colombia Trailstorm mid waterproof shoe, is the women's version of the man's model I own. It does the job well except I had to spray it with waterproofing spray after about 5 uses.

I don’t think walking around cities like Paris, Rome, Salzburg - Etc. will be the same as our RS tour in Greece - expecting different walking shoes to be needed

I am not concerned about rain – I’ve proven worthy travel rain gear

I have plenty of time and input to sort this out – I’m not worried – I’m enjoying the planning

***thanks everyone for your time, experiences and kindness - happy travels~!

I just returned from Greece and took 2 pairs of shoes - one tried and true and one new for this trip, based on a recommendation I found here on the forum. The tried and true are Naot Kirei (https://www.zappos.com/p/naot-kirei-antique-brown-suede-combo/product/7563148/color/759864). These are the shoes I wear 99% of the time at home and on travel. They are incredibly comfortable and also flexible.

The new were Ecco sneakers (https://www.zappos.com/p/ecco-soft-7-sneaker-white-white/product/8550690/color/1001). I am really glad I brought these for one reason - the thicker soles were more comfortable on the cobblestones. I ended up wearing these daily. They were great for the long hike/walk from Fira to Oia, on the cobblestones, including in light rain.

Good luck with your trip planning!

thank you denisek!

such spot on helpful info

will check them out

I wore my hiking shoes from L.L. Bean and packed my black Reebok sneakers (because you don't want your heaviest footwear in your luggage). I wore the hiking shoes most days, swapped in the sneakers when rain was expected as they're quicker-drying. And wore the black sneakers for the farewell dinner.

Last May I wore my Brooks sneakers a lot while traveling in Greece. And walking around Greek ruins and up and down hills is very different from sightseeing in cities. My Brooks sneakers are very, very comfortable. I highly recommend them.

I believe the most strenuous day of the tour will be when you visit Mystras. Search for YouTube videos of the walking paths to get a sense of the type of trail you will be on. Shoes that are closed toe with good ankle stability are best.

Yes, I figured walking in Greece would be very different tan the cities where we have gone in the past – that’s why this post

I appreciate everyone’s experiences

So far, all recommendations have not worked for me – have tried about 6 different pairs – thankfully sending shoes back has worked out ok

I have the most comfortable pair of Saucony stretch & go tennis shoes but darn, cannot find any more – but many recommendations indicate a pair of comfy tennis shoes is a good choice. I’m not bringing my hiking boots. I’ll have a pair of cute walking shoes too. My shoes are lightweight so I can try putting a pair in my day bag to change out during the day if I want.

I agree with Noelle that Mystras will be the most strenuous. Especially if you go to the Upper Town and walk to the top of the castle ruins. I wore my Brooks sneakers that day, and took my time, being careful and walking slowly.

Thank you most kindly for personal experience walking in Greece.