Sneakers in rome?

Nope...wear whatever will make your feet feel happiest. Plenty of sneakers to be seen in Rome. No one will frown upon you - that said, the better you are dressed the better the service you will receive. At least that's what I have found to be true in my experiences in Italy.

Sneakers are not frowned upon; big city urban world culture (e.g hip hop culture fashion is everywhere); sorry you will see youth dressed like they do here sagging pants underwear showing in Rome. personally I wear running shoes, Chuck's Converse Allstars and Birkenstocks for comfort. Wear whatever your feet find comfortable and what you like. You are not going to a small town where people notice. Just do not try to wear super short shorts or a tank top in church.

Go see a professional shoe salesman and try stuff on to get feedback. hopefully you still have one in your town like the good ole days.

I have awful feet and find that my feet can hold up to walking 10-12 miles a day (AND up and down all the steps in Rome!!) wearing athletic shoes. My first priority is taking care of my feet.

I, personally, wear Altra brand Zero-Drop shoes but you should wear what is comfortable for your feet. Try on shoes at the end of the day preferably when you've been on your feet a lot! I hope you are not going soon because you will want to have put some miles on the shoes you take with you. Many here on the forum seem to manage in sandals but I know my feet could not do that!

You are going to look like a tourist anyway. You will be in tourist areas and seeing tourist sights rather than working during the day like the people who live in Rome.

A lot of the European tourist wear trainers with their deigner jeans.

No matter what you do or wear or think, it's going to be super obvious that you're a tourist. Nothing you can do about that. You will be a tourist. Accept it. Get over it.

Nobody cares that you're a tourist. Nobody cares what you wear. Really - nobody. You will be just one drop in an ocean of other super-obvious tourists. This is not a worry that anyone should have on their list of things to worry about. Wear whatever you like.

KLM's question about comfortable footwear in Rome is legitimate, and other fellow members have submitted similar inquiries. Asking for tips to look less like a tourist is legitimate as well. Each person's trip concerns vary, and we do not know the full context of the question to say that this should not be on someone's list of trip worries.

On the sneakers in Rome question, Edgar's comment is spot-on. Many Europeans of all ages wear sneakers with more tailored jeans and smart tops. Adidas trainers are the most common style I've seen on multiple trips to Rome (something like these: https://www.adidas.com/us/stan-smith-shoes/B24105.html). The key in Rome is styling up with the sneakers rather than going overly casual as is often the case in the US. For my Rome trip back in February/March, I invested in a pair of Blundstone boots, and come to find out, those boots are as ubiquitous as the Adidas trainers for popular comfy footwear. Those boots were fantastic in helping to avoid foot fatigue, improved back support, and more.

Rome style tips are a popular topic with travel bloggers, and I recommend googling those resources for additional ideas. Try YouTube and Instagram as well. With as many style "influencers" as there are in today's social media environment, you'll find tons of tips and recommendations. To get you started, here are several blogs on the Rome style topic:

https://www.romewise.com/what-to-pack-for-rome.html

https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/what-to-wear-in-rome-italy-packing-list/

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/wear-rome-dress-like-local-58372.html

http://shawnvoyage.com/wtwi/what-to-wear-in-rome/

https://joyandjourney.com/what-to-wear-in-rome-in-spring/

Anita's encouraging feedback is 100% accurate: I have experienced better service when I made more of an effort to incorporate some Rome style tips and made comfy choices.

Let us know if we can help further!

Wear what you want. Comfort is #1

I’ll answer from a fashion perspective - some sneakers are normal among locals and visitors alike, not unfashionable. Generally these are lower profile or retro ones, not bulky modern running shoes. There are exceptions but that’s a very specific scene. This is during the day and general touring - if you go out to nicer/trendy restaurants or bars at night then I’d switch out of sneakers.

I wear either keen Siena mj or onitsuka Serrano or these random target sandals that I love for daytime then change into a ballet flat or ankle boot at dinner/late night. Those are shoes that work for me, everyone’s feet are different!

The flats/boots are comfortable for walking at night - to/from dinner etc, over a mile but I might not love wearing them all day. Hence the daytime walking shoes!

A what tourist wear (buy) trivia answer:

Visiting the Adidas store in the Woodburn (Oregon) Outlet Mall, I noticed that the Adidas outet shop was mobbed by non-English speaking tourist shopping for shoes and football kits.

We too just completed 4 days in Rome... this is a walking city. Both my husband wore our sketcher sneakers and for the colosseum tour I wore my light Merrill walking shoes. 99 % of people we saw were tourists...focus on the comfort of your feet and enjoy!

Don't worry about how you look in Rome. In all other towns I would say to stay away from sneakers...but in Rome they know who is a tourist before you even open your mouth-regardless of how you dress. Rome is huge and you will be doing a ton of walking. Plenty of tourists and locals alike wearing sneakers.

I can't imagine logging the miles we did in Rome (10 miles a day) in anything other than comfortable walking shoes or sneakers! Everyone is right that it is so full of people that nobody will give you or your feet a second look. Tourists from all lover the world. Dress for comfort :) And have a great time! We loved loved loved Rome!

True/False Quiz;
1. The locals will be able to tell you're a tourist no matter what.
True.
2. Therefore it doesn't matter what you wear.
FALSE. The more you dress like the stereotype of an American tourist, the more likely you are to be targeted by pickpockets. They go for the tourists who most obviously look like they're traveling for the first time. They figure you will be easily distracted. Pickpockets are more likely to avoid tourists who look as if they're at least aware enough of their surroundings to try to blend in somewhat. Plus it's more respectful of local culture.

As Rick says, "Don't show up looking like you're there to mow the lawn."

Thank you to everyone who posted helpful and kind comments and advice! My main concern is respecting the culture and not getting blisters so I appreciate the tips! Thanks again!!

There is nothing wrong with sneakers, per se. Gucci makes sneakers:

https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/gucci-new-ace-gg-supreme-sneaker-women/4779612?origin=category-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=BEIGE

I have seen any number of stylish Italian women, usually 50+, in Vans (maybe flower or abstract prints) or other "city sneakers". They don't wear them to work, but they do wear them for leisure time. And they look very nice with narrow-leg jeans or capris.

So nice-looking leather, suede, or fabric sneakers are acceptable and even trendy. It is the clumsy pure athletic shoe, like Nike or others in neon colors with lots of mesh, that can look jarring. But you can even wear those during daytime if they are more comfortable. I just wouldn't wear them to dinner or out in the evening.

As others have said, comfort is a top priority when walking many miles. Along with comfort, I have my favorite sneakers. I bring my tried and true Asics that I wear for my daily walks at home. My recent style is black with a white sole. Light weight running shoe with great support. In addition I love my "city sneakers" ECCO Soft 7's. I have both in silver & black.

In addition, a recent thread on blister prevention was discussed on the forum. Great tips.

Just wear 'em.

I'm going with casual sneakers rather than athletic sneakers. A lot of comfort brands like clarks or cole haan have casual leather sneakers that are fashionable and comfortable. I know I will look like a tourist but, I at least want to look like a European tourist! That's my goal anyways, laugh if you want! Talk to Europeans about it, they will certainly have an opinion on the fashion differences between Canadians/Americans and Europeans.

No white socks unless you're literally running, that's a recurring statement I've heard from serbs, italians etc..

KC

I have tried wearing sneakers, but I actually don't find them comfortable enough, so we purchased low hiking shoes, and my husband agrees they are far more comfortable for all the walking we do. Look into styles by Keen, Merrill, etc. If you are going in the summer, you may want to check out Chaccos which have great arch support. They are all available on the REI website. I wear my hikers all day long, and have had no foot problems. For the evening, when we may just be walking to a restaurant, I switch to espadrilles if wearing a skirt, or if wearing pants, my Gucci loafers, so I look a bit more "local", but as others have stated, no one really notices or cares. Enjoy your travels!

I didn't even think about socks!! 😂🤦‍♀️

Sketchers makes a variety of comfy athleisure shoes that look like chic ballet flats. They work for me and look cute!! 😀

Comfort is first

But there are different types of sneakers!
Trendy ones influenced by hip hop fashion and worn by young people.
Low profile ones, casual not athletic, sometimes retro styled.
And then there are serious, big running shoes.

I’d avoid the first category unless you are knowledgeable about that fashion scene. And the latter is overkill and what people often mean when they say “avoid sneakers”. Plenty of people in Europe are wearing things like adidas Stan smith or converse or other casual sneakers. Go with something like that if you are concerned.

As for me I have a pair of sneakers - gray asic Serrano. Like these but gray/pink. But in summer I actually prefer a walking sandal. Looks better with sundresses, which I find cooler in hot weather. In cooler weather I have the sneaker and either an ankle boot or ballet flat.

Also there’s a big difference between what you want to wear to tour the Colosseum and what you want to wear to walking around in the evening, stopping at wine bars and eating in a local, nice restaurant. For actual touring, like a day in the Colosseum and Forum, look as touristy as you want, everyone is a tourist!
But for wine bars and dinner ditch the overly touristy attire. Boots, flats, nice sandals, and well fitting jeans or pants or casual dress. That kind of thing, not formal but a step up from sneakers.

I have a pair of black leather Mephisto walking shoes that aren't that attractive, but are really comfortable. I haven't brought them on a trip yet, but was planning on bringing them along on my South Italy trip at the beginning of October. They wouldn't work with skirts or capri pants, but since I think (hope!) it might be a bit cooler by then, I will probably bring light pants and use the Mephistos during the day. But I will need something else that looks better for evenings (and we will be going to the opera three times before and after the tour) and any warmer days when not wearing long pants--so probably will bring a pair of wedge shoes and maybe very lightweight flats. Shoes are of course a big issue when you travel with only a carryon, so will have to evaluate when putting the packing list together. But definitely--comfortable shoes for daytime are an absolute must!

I noticed many people in Europe wearing sneakers however many of them wore black or brown ones that weren't running shoes. But honestly, were what you feel comfortable in because unless you speak fluent Italian, you will immediately be pegged as a tourist. As far as getting better service unless you go to a high end restaurant, you will be fine.

When I walked the Breast Cancer 3-Day many years ago it was suggested to buy walking shoes 1/2 to 1 size larger than your normal size because your feet swell during a day of walking. It really helped me. Brand of shoe didn’t matter as long as the fit and comfort works for you. Walking 60 miles in 3 days I only got 1 small blister. Bandaid Blister bandaids really were a foot saver, along with Wright anti-blister socks.