Shoes

Anything but white running shoes.

When you get there, look at what Italians your gender and age are wearing and buy those.

I'm staying out of this conversation. Shoes are a VERY important topic to a huge segment of the populace (that being almost everyone except me), and the fashion vs. function argument has no solution :-)

I disagree with buying them once you get there. If you plan on walking a lot you want comfortable shoes that are broken in before you get there. Last thing you want is to deal with blisters and achy feet.

Blisters are a small price to pay for fashion and blending in.

If I am a tourist and I am walking what is wrong with white walking shoes? And yes I have been to Italy many times.

I was just in Italy (Venice) last week, and it was hot. Most of the Italian women I saw wore sandals. I in fact wore flip flops the whole time, which I saw on a lot of teenagers. However, I will also say that all over Switzerland and Italy I have seen a few types of shoes a lot - Chuck Taylors (the low Converse type shoes); ballet flats of every color; Skechers in black or brown, the type that kind of look like bowling shoes; and Nike/Asics/New Balance shoes in gray, brown or black. I really have not actually seen that many white running shoes, and I thought that was just a myth. Oh, and lots of sandals with socks, on natives and tourists alike.

I'm with Kent...Ferragamo slip ons and dressy casual...under no circumstances are shorts appropriate! Blisters and warm clothes in hot weather are indeed a small price to pay for fashion.

Personally, I do not care if anyone knows I (68 year old female) am a tourist. With my day back pack, PacSafe Stash Safe 200(fanny pack), Teva sandals with socks, surely they know I am not a local.

Comfort is important for me. As long as a person is clean, neat and tidy that should be what counts.

Amen to that. I would love to look like a native--I never saw so many good-looking, stylish people. But I'm consulting maps and guidebooks, and my companion's clicking away with his camera, so it's not my shoes that will be giving me away.

I wear my best manners and leave it at that. And those manners are more easily worn and more genuine without the distraction of blistered feet.

"I never saw so many good-looking, stylish people."

And I'll Amen to THAT!

But I'll add that you need to go to Stockholm. The Swedes don't beat Italy for looks and style, but they equal them, in their own way!

The food's much better in Italy, though. No competition there.

I agree with the response that suggests looking into Nike, New Balance, or Sketchers in any color but white. You are not giving up comfort & practicality and look stylish in return.

This question on the Graffiti Wall always cracks me up because I live in a city with many American tourists and you can always spot them a mile away. They are walking among other local Americans, so why do they stand out so much? That's why I don't think it’s an American-European thing, but rather people dressing like tourists when they are indeed tourists. It's a weird phenomenon, but it happens.

I also believe that it is related to an individual's age. When my in-laws visit from the Midwest, the older folks are all in the white sneakers, whereas the 20-30 somethings are wearing more fashionable shoes. I have also informally observed this around DC.

If you don't already dress to "blend in", then why change your whole wardrobe for one trip. Just be safe by having your money and valuables tucked away and be kind to the locals. It is fun, however, to have a Parisian ask where you got your shoes from.

Donna says it best. Wear your best manners and no one will care what shoes you're wearing. We saw locals wearing white athletic shoes EVERYWHERE we went during our 3 weeks in Italy this past May. The most important thing about travel shoes is that they be comfortable and well broken in. Why miss the climb to the top of the Duomo, or a walk through a tuscan vineyard because you're feet are killing you?

I spent a week in London a couple of months ago. I spent ages before the trip trying to find the right shoes (I have cranky feet), spent a bunch of money on shoes that should have been great, and ending up wearing my crocs the whole time. I have to qualify that they were the ballet flat style crocs in dark brown, not the brighly colored clogs. They were much more comfortable than all those expensive shoes I bought and I thought they looked okay, plus my feet were happy.

Ecco makes some great waterproof shoes that look good on the trail or a church.

http://www.eccousa.com/index.aspx

The most important thing is to have "Happy Feet".

My daughter got her Masters in Italian in Florence. She has brown eyes and hair and bought her clothes and shoes in Italy. The Italians usually still knew that she was not Italian. They did believe that she was European however guessing French or Spanish.

I wore tennisshoes the entire time...I'm sure I stuck out as a tourist but I have foot problems and comfort was my only objective. In fact, my foot problem flared up the week before my trip & I wasn't sure if I was even going to make the trip. Long story short, I made it but even with tennisshoes, I found walking on the small cobblestones in Rome to be most uncomfortable. The streets everywhere tend to be uneven and wobbly & there's no way I could have made it in anything other than tennisshoes. I needed the ankle support that a good tennisshoe can provide. I wish I could have worn cute sandals like I saw most other women wearing but my philosophy is that comfort is more important! Trust me, you will be doing A LOT of walking (we walked 5-10 miles/day).

Honestly, I wear the same shoes. All my shoes are black, so they pair with black slacks or jeans about equally well. I understand not wanting to wear jeans through the Vatican, but the place is HUGE so comfy shoes are a must, especially if you are prone to feet/knees/back problems.

I did wear nicer leather slip-ons to dinner once, but my feet weren't happy about it after touring all day. Now I stick to just one pair of all-purpose shoes. They're not fancy, but they keep my feet happy and that's what matters.

There are many variables to consider: age, fashion orientation, and purpose (i.e. concert, dinner, people-watching, shopping, sightseeing, etc.) to name just a few. If you’re young and fashion-oriented here, my guess is that you already have a stock of shoes that will fit right in. A concern with stylish shoes, however, can be the discomfort they might inflict. Do a little internet research and see what people are wearing. Someone once suggested Google Street View to see what the locals are wearing…great idea. I also like the idea of shopping for them upon arrival if it's important enough to you. I have no idea where Hudson is, but if you’re in NH, why not check out the trendy shopping districts of Boston…the young people there will give you a good idea of what to expect. BTW, Europeans do wear running shoes. I’m not sure how or where this urban myth began, but I wouldn’t rely on travel writers for fashion tips (travel advice…yes, comfort advice…maybe, fashion advice…no).

I've read through a number of the shoe posts, and the part I'm still a little confused on is if people are wearing comfort shoes (sneakers, Ecco walkers, etc.) what are they wearing them with? At home, I would usually wear shoes like that with jeans, but I don't want to wear jeans the whole time on my trip. So if you're dressing up a bit, say to visit the Vatican or go out for dinner, what shoes do you wear?

I work at a 5 star resort in Miami Florida and I see Europeans on a daily basis buying white sneakers and wearing them. I'm sure they don't spend the money just to wear them here for a 1 or 2 week vacation. I have been to Italy a few times and see many people wearing white sneakers (it's now universal)!!

I keep telling people this, it is NOT the shoes. It is the whole package. You can put on black shoes, or brown shoes and it does not make a difference. It is how you walk, the hair styles, men AND women, (even the colors), the jewellery, the style of jeans, the shirts, the jackets, how you clutch your practical looking bags and purses for fear of getting pick pocketed as opposed to carrying something stylish, and I don't care how long you have studied a language, one will just about always have an American accent when speaking. It is almost next to impossible to lose this.

So, stop worrying about blending in, just wear what is comfortable, what is required to visit churches, something decent for dinner, and then enjoy yourself.

My wife wore Teva Sandals the entire time. Don't put too much stock in what everyone says on this site about attire. Dress in Italy is as diverse as the U.S. Unless you are wearing a big American Flag on your T-Shirt, it is unlikely that you'll be noticed. Just pack clothes and shoes that are comfortable.