Trying to decide best walking shoes to wear in Rome. I will have my heavy soled hiking shoes (from our Cinque Terre hike) and my Brooks Ghost. Are the streets cobblestones? We’re planning on lots of walking and want happy feet.
Posted by
Seattle
351 posts
I'm also a Ghost wearer. I wore mine for our Best of London in 7 Days (plus 4 extra days in York and Edinburgh) in June, 2023, and our VFR Tour in October, 2023. They held up very well on all surfaces, including cobblestones. If I recall, cobblestones were found mostly in the historic district of Rome and St. Peter's Square.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10989 posts
I wore my Brooks Ghosts for ten days in Rome. I also wore them for hiking for several days in the Alps, in the Berner Oberland. Are you sure you need hiking boots in Cinque Terre?
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Good question. They are gortex brooks.
Posted by
Rhode Island, USA
251 posts
I've worn Ghost shoes as my only pair of shoes on a few RS tours including the 17 Day Italy Tour and hiked from Monterosso to Vernazza in them with no issues.
Posted by
361 posts
Some of the routes in the Cinque Terre are rocky uneven steps but are still doable with running or hiking shoes. Unless you have ankle or foot problems, I would leave the heavy boots at home. However, I do prefer a shoe with a stiffer midsole if I am going to be walking all day long so I tend to prefer either a light, low cut hiker, or a running shoe with a supportive insole like superfeet or Treadlabs.
I have done several hiking tours around the Alps, Cinque Terre and Dolomites and found the combo of a good shoe and hiking poles is the best option for me. Then I am not using valuable space hauling a heavy and voluminous pair of boots around for the rest of the trip.
Posted by
East Peoria, IL
827 posts
Longtime Ghost wearer here. I'm on my sixth or seventh pair of regular Ghosts. I got my first pair in preparation for a 20-mile hike with our son's Scout troop many years ago. The only common complaint about them, which I share, is that the soles tend to wear more quickly than ideal, especially for runners (which I'm not).
We're headed to Paris and then an RS Belgium/Holland tour shortly. For this trip, I got a pair of Ghost Max 2 walking shoes. They're every bit as comfortable, but have a thicker, more cushioned sole and leather uppers. I plan to take those as my only shoes instead of schlepping another pair in the suitcase. They're plain black leather so will suffice for more-than-casual looks and hopefully not get immediately soaked in rain. I've been wearing them fairly regularly for walks around home and I'm very satisfied so far. I suspect the thicker sole will also be a plus on cobblestones. They cost around $160, which is totally worth it if they live up to expectations.