Hiking boots or tennis shoes?

Vote with your feet...er, have your feet vote. What works for them?

Strenuous walking IN Rome? Wear what you'd normally wear. This summer I packed only comfortable sandals that have a good arch and heal strap. It was hot and I couldn't imagine wearing closed shoes.

PS I've never seen anyone wearing actual hiking boots in Rome.

I use good, sturdy walking shoes with arch-support inserts. I wouldn't want hiking boots, but regular tennis shoes aren't adequate for me. I average 6 to 7 miles a day and occasionally hit 11 or 12.

Comfortable shoes or sandals. You are not climbing the Matterhorn.

Hiking boots are overkill. Good supportive comfy shoes are the way to go. Be sure that the soles are thick enough to cushion you on the cobblestones. I didn't know to take that into consideration.

Hiking boots too heavy and hot for Rome, just good comfy runners are best , or well made walking sandals.

Make sure either are broken in. Do not buy two days before trip!

I recommend moleskin. Never leave your hotel without it. Use it as soon as you notice any discomfort or rubbing. If you wait, it will just get worse. Happy feet = enjoyable sightseeing.

Regular athletic-type shoes or any comfortable walking shoe like Clarke's, Rockport. We love orthotic insoles, too. We replace the insoles in all of our shoes with these improving the support and comfort.

We did 8.52 to 12 miles a day this summer in running type tennis shoes and sandals. I had the teva terra sandal, 10.57 miles on the day we went to the vatican and no issues. I used a trail running shoe that had a plastic rock plate thing, no issues on cobblestones or hiking through Cinque Terra.

I'm not sure what you're referring to with "hiking boot." You probably don't need or want an over the ankle boot, but a hiking shoe might be ideal. Comfortable and supportive, but not bulky. I travel with (only) a pair of Keen sandals, and a Merrell "hiking shoe." Whatever you decide, make sure to buy them well in advance of your trip and do some walking in them before you go.

My two cents for hiking shoes.

I usually bring a pair of Ecco Walking type shoes and a pair of low cut hikers, or hiking shoes. Not sure where the idea that these are heavy came from but my last few pairs of Merrells and Oboz hiking shoes are quite light. Not as light as a sandal of course but not much heavier then a pair of shoes. They also offer great support and comfort. If I am walking 10 - 15 miles in a day that is what i want to be wearing. Often i believe when people think of hiking boots they are thinking of some big heavy leather or plastic one that you will be carrying an 80lb pack with - those you do not need. I find a pair of light wool socks and some light hiking shoes to be the best combination, but that is me. If a hiking shoe works for you and you are comfortable wearing them then by all means do so. Of course they are not much of a fashion statement. Also on travel days you don't pack them in your bag, you wear them.

edit - One last thing when it is raining and i have my hiking shoes on I just walk right on through those puddles and over the wet pavement.

I wore my Teva Verra sandals for > 10 mile a day walks over all types of surfaces, through puddles and out to dinner. Wear whatever you are most comfortable with depending on the weather and surfaces you'll be dealing with on your trip which btw, you haven't said what time of year your trip will be which might make a difference in replies.

I recommend sneakers that are comfortable. Definitely not hiking boots as you can manage with sneakers and the boots may be too heavy. The most walking we did was when we did the outside ruins portion which has a ton of trails and there was even a sculpture portion with humans in numerous poses....forgot what it was called but it is recommended. There was an entire garden area. You will walk a lot but it is relatively flat.

Castle St. Angelo we recommend going to - open late and very fun

Hiking boots are definitely overkill. You need the ankle support for primitive trails and rock scrambling (we've done plenty of both) but not for city exploring. If I was to advise anything - other to have a sturdy, broken-in shoe for miles on concrete and cobblestones - is to wear a shoe with a good grip on wet, slippery surfaces. I've seen too many tourists take painful headers on smooth, wet marble: it's deadly slippery on rainy days.

Best walking shoes ever are my Naot sandals. I've walked all over Italy in them, and last year on easy walks in the Alps. Great support & traction with very little weight. Betty

What would you wear to walk around New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, or your home town? Rome is no different for walking.

The strenuous walking for the week in Rome tour offered by Rick Steves is that you have a lot of stairs to climb and there can be some long walks on city sidewalks. Unless you live in hiking boots in your daily life, I would suggest something lighter. Whatever you choose, make sure they are well worn in and very comfortable.

Ken - What do you currently use when you go on strenuous walks? I look for shoes that are comfortable and has the support I need.

On our family trip this past summer, I took along Ecco Trak II & Merrell All Out Blaze. We averaged about 8+ miles per day.

As Chani commented, I would take along some moleskin for blister prevention.

I'm going to say something exactly opposite of what almost everyone else has said. Regardless of where I go, I wear Ahnu Montara Hiking Boots. They provide the support and comfort I need for 6+ hours of walking and standing, especially on hard surfaces and cobblestones. I wear them with Sockwell Circulator compression socks. I always take moleskin, but I've never needed any kind of anything like that for blisters. I've never had any blisters wearing those boots and socks.

I always wear pants. They go down over the top of the Ahnus, so the fact that they are high-topped isn't obvious, not that I would care if it was. The high tops protect my ankles should I make a false step on the edge of something. They come in a variety of colors and at 14-15 oz per boot, they are light weight. They are definitely bigger than a pair of sandals, so I also wear them in transit.

If possible, I switch to different, more "normal" yet comfortable shoes or sandals to walk to dinner at the end of the day. Abeo is my brand for those. They have good walking footwear of many kinds for both men and women.

I have tried or at least tried on every brand mentioned so far and none can compare for comfort, support and stability. Ahnu also makes boots and hiking shoes for men. But my husband loves Merrell Jungle Mocs. He obviously doesn't have the same foot, ankle, knee and back issues that I do, but he does always wear compression socks.

Betty I love my Naot sandals too.. have worn them for many trips.. and I walk and walk.. last trip we were clocking up to 20,000-24000 steps a day.. I think that's about 10 to 15 miles a day.

Moleskin is an excellent suggestion.

I do think time of year makes a difference.. there is no way I could wear wool socks and totally enclosed shoes in Rome in summer.. but if travelling in colder months they might be fine.

Wear what you're comfortable wearing all day long walking on uneven cobblestones and occasional dog poop. I've got some black shoes that look a bit like a hiking shoe but not as eye-catching as white sneakers. (Lots of people do wear white sneakers.) The most important consideration for me is getting a really stiff sole and a comfortable fit. Also waterproof in case of rain.