Hiking Boots or ?

These days, unless I'm hiking on very rough and slippery trails (I'm looking at you, Calanques National Park), I use trail running shoes, which sounds a bit like your middle choice "hybrid hiker" but might be more similar to the "barefoot" shoe, as long as that shoe is not a sandal?
A waterproof option would be nice, though. Rain is frequent.
The boots do not seem necessary.

I agree with Balso. Hiking boots are overkill IMO. I prefer light, waterproof hikers or trail runners. I would not be super comfortable with non-waterproof shoes though.

Thank you! That's what I guessed, but was hoping for confirmation from those who've been in the region. (I used barefoot hikers up and down Montserrat one dry summer day and they were just fine.)
I appreciate the advice about waterproof- will look into a spray or else weared the unattractive Lowas on the planes and trains otherwise.
More thanks for your time and advice!

When I went to Switzerland in 2022, I wore Oboz Emma, which are described as "low hiking boots." I sprayed with Cadillac brand Shield water repellent. All went well. (Yes, I'm a backpack packer.)

It's been several years since we took this tour, but I wore a regular pair of New Balance shoes. I remember sliding once on some loose gravel in the Dolomites, but I would rate the trails we did mostly easy. Nothing was difficult, although I'm sure you could find some if you wanted. We went in September and didn't have any rain.

We were in Chamonix for a second time in May of 2022, and I wore Brooks Adrenalines for hiking Petit Balcon Sud.

I would probably go with the barefoot sneakers with the really good tread, but you might want the Lowa's for the waterproofing.

More thanks, both of you, for the waterproofing brand that worked effectively and the additional "vote" for not needing (literally) heavy duty hiking books for the usual trails I will encounter in Switzerland vs looking for steep and rocky challenges! (I get nervous enough about breaking something on hikes in the PNW let alone in another country!)
I appreciate your time!

Just a reminder, if it rains the limestone is going to be slippery. I slipped and slid my way down a steep trail in Appenzel before Covid and swore I would never hike in the Alps again without boots that had good treads.

Thank you Maureen. Great links.

Yes, thank you so much! All the advice shared is much appreciated, just what I needed!

Further to what Margie said about wet limestone—-it can be slippery as ice or grease if it is worn smooth, like many places in the Dolomites. What you need there is good grippy rubber on the sole, not deep tread. Worn down Vibram lug soles can be the worst, actually, because the hard rubber is smooth and not “grippy”.

I am not sure what you mean by “barefoot footbed” for your lightweight hikers, but they could be a better choice than the older Lowas if the latter have lots of miles on them so the surface that contacts the rock has lost its “grip”. Or maybe the OnCloud waterproof light hikers you mentioned.

There are some climbers’ “approach shoes” that are good for hiking and have the right kind of rubber compound on the soles for good traction on smooth rock, but I get that you don’t want to buy new shoes for the trip.

Thank you, Lola!
I don't yet have the RS guide book(s) for Italy and Switzerland. Looking at the helpful map/trail descriptions from the earlier post (bookmarked those!) and online, the hikes in which I will be interested appear to be the classic tourist choices rated "easy".?As in, well- marked and pretty level paths meandering through alpine meadows with cows and flowers :) and seeing the craggy towering limestone from a distance as a view, rather than scaling them.
I understand weather is a total unknown as far as trail conditions.
I'm a fairly avid hiker and have done so in Europe and elsewhere (with adequate hiking boots) but was hoping if I stick to these options I can avoid the heavier footwear? I do like the "grippy" aspect of my barefoot shoes whereas the Lowas were fine in dry conditions but I don't like relying on the tread and the soles feel more rigid.
I am hoping to hear from someone who has hiked some of the trails mentioned in the reviews from the My Way Alpine tour, as far as level of difficulty, actual or perceived!

OK, I took a look at the itinerary for the My Way Alpine Tour. You will have a day of hiking up on Alpe di Siusi in the Dolomites. We spent 5 nights there at a hotel last September, and hiked all over. Unless you choose to ride a life somewhere and hike up, you can spend the day wandering the trails of the undulating plateau, on trails like the gravel one shown in the photo lower on this page (with two people walking along, shown from the back);

https://www.val-gardena.com/en/alpe-di-siusi-italy/#c8469

I know exactly where that trail is as we used it to get around the area each day. That trail, like many others, is built to accommodate bicycles as well as hikers, and it is not the least bit rough or gnarly. If you choose you can leave that type of open trail and take a narrower, hikers only trail, which may be muddier or have more rocks, but in no way will there be any scrambling involved. And I do not recall any places steep enough to cause concern about slipping on small ball-bearing stones.

There are trails up higher that are much more challenging, but you have to seek those out. The previous September we did a hike up to the Tony Demetz hut and rode a lift down from there. The lift went down the face you see in this photo:

https://www.tonidemetz.it/en/index.php

But we hiked up from the other side, shown in a photo here:

https://www.suedtirolerland.it/en/leisure-activities/mountains-and-hiking/in-the-val-gardena/through-the-sassolungo-group-to-the-toni-demetz-hut/

I assure you, there will not be trails like that if you stick to the open rolling terrain of the Alpe di Siusi itself. The views all around are so glorious; sometimes you just want to sit down on one of the benches provided here and there, and just sit and soak it all in. And you shouldn’t encounter any of that smooth limestone rock that is slippery when wet—-that too is higher up, on the more rugged trails.

In Switzerland, you stay in Lauterbrunnen and have two full days to explore. They say that the first day you will ride the cablecar from Wengen up to Mannlichen and walk the Panorama Trail to Kleine Scheidegg. This is a popular, easy trail, shown in this photo:

https://www.maennlichen.ch/en/summer/experiences/panorama-trail.html

As you can see, it is a nearly flat gravelly path. I have done it a number of times in regular sneakers.

When you get off the cablecar at Männlichen there is an opportunity to take the trail to the left to the top of the Männlichen Gipfel, to a nice viewpoint. This is termed the “Royal Walk” in the website. That is optional and a bit more inclined than the flatter Panorama Trail, but you only ascend 200 meters.

https://www.maennlichen.ch/en/summer/experiences/royal-walk.html

Apparently on the second day you go up the Mürren side of the valley, and ride the Schilthorn cablecar to the top. I believe Rick mentions hiking down from there in his book, but I would strongly advise against that, especially if hiking solo. That is a tough, steep downhill that I have never been tempted to try (I do not like hiking downhill because of the slip factor). Instead, ride the cablecar back down and start a hike from Mürren (I like the North Face Trail, tho it can be muddy and hard to find due to the construction going on). Some say to get off at Birg and hike down from there, but I cannot comment on that as we have never done that.

Oh, Lola, this is just so helpful! I am grateful for your time and the links and personal experience! I know from prior posts that you are an excellent resource for information on both shoes and hiking :) !!
I was so very relieved to read about easy access to beautiful views and just sitting on a bench. I really want to focus on seeing the beauty of the Alps rather than climbing up them as a challenge or "for fun". (As PNWers we are both fortunate to do that here at home!)
I'm feeling more confident about my footwear situation which also frees up a bit of precious real estate for a waterproof anorak.
Thank you again so much!