Women's walking shoes

This is a much discussed topic on this forum! One search of Women's Shoes brought up this thread:
"Womens shoe suggestions for Italy? " from 2/6/15. There are many general suggestions, and down a bit there's a response from Jean of Mill Creek WA, with a link to her question that generated over 100 responses! You are not alone with the question.
Sorry, I couldn't copy the link--I have yet to figure that out.
To search, go to the top of the page and type your question next to the magnifying glass.

Thank you, I couldn't find the search button but I figured there HAD to be other discussions about this!

There's a whole topic at https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/best-travel-shoes dedicated to walking shoes. You might get some good ideas by perusing that, and if you still have questions, it might be better to post them there.

I will say, though, that comfort should always always always trump style.

Time of year? I am taking my Keen water sandals plus Clark Wave closed shoes in May -- which gets worn on any specific day will depend on the heat levels. (Keene have been worn in Italy in October, Clarks in Austria in December.) Also depends on your level of fashion-conciousness.

mid April. Only semi-fashion conscious. I will take comfort over fashion!

I will chime in because I worried about this way too much, but in the end I think I came up with the perfect combination for our 18 day Europe trip. I took:
1) Sturdy sandal (Orthaheel Vionic Amber or Muir)
2) Sketchers sneakers (they look great with most things) I purchased them in a dark grey.
3) A Low boot with a good grip for all sorts of surfaces, the ability to go from cobblestone to slick museum floors and uneven stairs and still feel sure footed (Orthaheel Adrie)
4) Flip flops for long train rides where I wanted to kick off my shoes, beach walking, stroll to restaurant near our apt.

With this combo I never felt not prepared. I wore the boots on all rainy days and nights, the sandals to the colleseum and other hot days and for train travel and the sketchers about 75% of the time for heavy duty urban walking. The flip flops are great for hotel room, going down for breakfast, the beach..etc. I wore the sketchers on the plane (easy on and off) and packed the others as the sandals could literally be stuffed anywhere, they were so thin and light. The boots took up the most room but they were stuffed with clothing.

Hope this helps, it took me a while to figure this out and it worked best for me.

Toms work for me, but I've heard mixed things - some people say they don't have enough support. My only advice is to try a lot of different pairs on and then when you pick one, break it in. Go for a loooong walk at home, because you don't want to be in Italy and discover your shoe isn't as comfy as you thought. You can read all the threads for ideas, but feet vary so much that no one else's experience can really help that much. I wear basic ballet flats, Toms, and ankle boots - non-walking shoe brands, but for the flats and boots I had to try on 20+ pairs to find one that worked for the level of walking I do in Europe.

Mira-my days of flats are over unfortunately. I can wear them to work where I sit all day, but as I age I find that arch support and slight heel (as in under an inch) is the key to my feet happiness. I also stretch my legs every day to avoid cramps and PF flair up's. I am all about comfort without sacrificing style and I think I hit it with the Orthaheel/Vionic brand, truly lifesavers for me.

Tom's have no support and no cushion, so I would discourage those for sure! I also discourage athletic shoes/sneakers/tennis shoes. You really stick out as a tourist. Only Americans wear these in Europe.

I think that Keens and Tevas are good if the weather is warm. I actually bought my Birkenstocks when I was in Italy because it was so hot, my feet needed to breathe, and they offer support.
I think the best brand of shoes for walking is Ecco.

If you plan to do a lot of walking, I personally would not wear Toms as they don't offer enough support. Remember you will be walking on uneven cobblestones, possibly dirt and long distances. My husband and I typically walk upwards of 8-10 miles/day in Italy and unfortunately because I have foot problems I have to wear athletic shoes that offer stability (with my orthotics in them). As Julie pointed out, I stick out as a tourist but I don't have a choice and I'm all about being practical. And, in the larger cities such as Rome, Venice, Florence, etc. most everyone is a tourist anyhow! I envy women who can walk long distances in cute shoes that offer no support but unfortunately this doesn't work for me. If you are comfortable in Toms then by all means wear them but walking around in Italy is not like walking around your neighborhood on nicely paved streets/side walks! For example, on our last trip, we walked on some of the unpaved, uneven trails between Cinque Terre towns and I was sure glad I had my tennis shoes!

No to Tom's Like someone else said, there is no cushioning and no support, and your feet can slip out of these. I had several pairs of Tom's and they have all gone to Goodwill.

Any good sneaker is fine. I wear Van's at home, and I've taken a pair on my last few trips. When I'm not in the Van's I wear my 15 year old Chaco sandals that go with me on every trip.

I never buy new shoes to travel. I look in my closet and see what is comfortable, and I know I can wear all day with little or no discomfort, and I go with those.

Fashion sneakers ( as opposed to athletic shoes) are fine, indeed trendy. In have seen well-dressed 50-something women wearing converse sneakers in Italy. Vans are popular too. These may or may not have enough support for you--it depends on your feet. Toms definitely do not have enough support.

I have a pair of leopard-print Cole Haan sneakers that go to Italy with me every time, and they are great. ( these are the hybrid cole Haan/ Nike Air shoes). Other "comfort shoe" makers make cute sneakers too, and you might find some on sale at Sierratradingpost.com.

I probably struggled more with this topic than any other while planning my trip last September. I'd like to say it's because I have a lingering knee issue and that's part of it - but truthfully I'm a shoe girl and I like having lots of choices. After lots of shopping and trial and error and coaching by Evelyn at the Rick Steve's store (who travels with only two pairs - my hero), I ended up with two pairs of sandals from Obeo that I wore with everything including dresses. No fashion awards but it worked. I brought my standard Reef glitter flip flops and wore them to the beach, hotel, breakfast and light walking. I threw in my neon orange well worn mesh Nikes intended for hiking in Cinque Terre and wore them to death for the support. Yes, I looked unfashionable most of the time in them but at some point I remembered I was living the dream and stopped caring. I have a picture of me on the Spanish Steps all in black with those bright Nikes and Daniel Craig behind me. Jarring and unfashionable- but damn, I was on the Spanish Steps!

Getting off the boat on Capri in my old standby J Jill tank dress, funky paisley cardi, Mark Jacobs backpack and Nikes, a maitre d' said, "Hah. Nice sneakers!" Instead of being insulted I shocked the hell out of him by kissing him on the cheek and said, "You're so sweet to say so!" in my best drawl. He bought me lunch. And helped me cut the line at the Capri Watch store

Attitude and accessories - they will take you far

Ill be wearing Chaco Kannarra shoes and Chaco sandals BEST for walking, great support and no pain ! plus they are pretty cute

I usually take a pair or two of cute flat sandals (slight wedge helps with support) for days when I'm not doing as much walking, a pair of Nikes, and a sneaker like adidas Stan smiths or Converse. A low heeled bootie is a good idea for evening too. It is not true that only US tourists wear sneakers in Europe. I have been two Italy twice in the last 2.5 years and there is a huge sneaker trend right now. adidas Stan Smith, Superstars, and converse are most common, but you will see a ton of Nike too.

Europeans do wear athletic shoes, even white ones. Tourists will stand out, but not for wearing athletic shoes. I usually bring a comfortable pair of shoes for walking all day. I like Merrellls and used them on several trips, but on my most recent two trips I did really well with gray New Balance and then black Asics. For evening or days with less walking, I bring a pair of sandals that also have a decent sole. My sandals I have used for the past couple of trips are Merrells.