You can only wear one pair of shoes at a time so, no.

Yes! Your feet need a break, even just changing shoes in the evening can help rejuvenate tired feet.

3 - Maybe

To me it depends on your feet, the age of the shoes in question, how much hiking you are planning to do on your "free" day in Switzerland.

Having said that I took only one pair of shoes on one RS tour (Best of Italy) as I was very conscious of my suitcase weight. While I did not need a back up pair, I would have traded of with them if I'd had them. I am a woman but wear size 11 so mine take up a good bit of room.

2 I've done most trips with one. But I dont care about how cute or appropriate to my outfit they are. I'll pick up a cheap pair of flip flops for wear in the hotel room and as shower shoes. On the GAS, the only time you are walking thats not on city streets is any optional trails in Switzerland. I used a pair of Merrell Moabs on that trip but I wasn't doing any difficult trails, so my regular shoes would have worked too.

Depends on what you’re use to. I like to give my feet a break and switch shoes. My husband usually brings a pair of waterproof walking and maybe a pair of sneakers. On the GAS tour we hiked a couple of trails in Switzerland but nothing requiring boots. So mainly what you’re most comfortable in on cobblestones. This last May we did the Best of Germany and my waterproof Brooks Ghosts developed a hot spot where I could not wear them for a long day of walking so I was very happy I had a second pair.

I vote YES

I am in the "maybe" camp. Will it be wet? How are your feet? Do you usually just wear one pair, day after day, at home or do you change every few days? How far do you walk every day? All these questions factor into my choices when it comes to shoe taking on trips.

1 YES
my feet need a break from the exact same confinement day after day. Switching it up make my feet happier :)

Yes!
I have had expensive, well-made shoes wear out very quickly on trips. Shoes I thought had a lot more life left in them, seemed to age and get uncomfortable with the daily grind of 15-20,000 steps. Have a great trip!

I go to Europe with a 2½# carryon bag that, loaded, weighs about 12#, so I've gotten pretty good at packing light. In over 170 days, 11 trips since 2000, I've never taken any other shoes than the ones I wore on the plane. Never been a problem for me, and I do quite a lot of walking.

So, I vote NO.

Just do what you want—there is no packing police outside of the TSA. If you have the room, take an extra pair. If you don't, don't. Worst case, you can always buy a pair over there.

I always take an extra pair, I guest blisters very easily even in shoes I have broken in. So for me Yes, as I could not purchase a back up easily. My husband can miraculously buy a pair of shoes and wear them immediately, so he never does, unless he needs a dressier pair.

2 maybe. But: have you worn THOSE EXACT shoes all day, covering many miles on sometimes rough terrain, with no problems? I haven't taken that tour, but the description (as I'm sure you know) talks about multiple days of "Strenuous walking: 2–8 miles throughout the day with lots of hills, stairs, and uneven terrain." (Don't you wish they would make up their minds how many miles you're likely to cover?! Huge difference between 2 and 8!) If not, you might want to consider also taking the most comfortable pair of shoes you own.

DO I NEED MORE THAN ONE PAIR OF SHOES?

Probably not.

I did 4 weeks in Italy with one pair of North Face trail sneakers.

I do not count flip-flops as a pair of shoes, but take them for the hotel room.

I found my shoes 'rebounded' overnight.

If you know they work well for your feet, I say no. I'm a woman and bring an extra pair, but I find myself wearing the same pair almost the entire trip. I am confident I would be good bringing one pair.

What time of the year?
In summer I like to have a pair of sandals too. It gets hot in Europe in summer, even in those countries.

If you walk a lot with sandals I recommend orthotic sandals with arch support, like the ones below. They are great.
https://a.co/d/0gjOCT6m
https://a.co/d/06vrhsph

For the hotel room I wear the spa hotel slippers I occasionally take from prior hotel stays. They take no room. If you don't have any you can buy on Amazon for less than two dollars (see below)
https://a.co/d/0a4xk9hO

They sell shoes in Europe if you decide that your one pair is not enough.

Ideally, for reasons suggested 1 - YES
But because you are taking only a backpack, and shoes are available for purchase - I vote 2 - NO!

2-No. If Ecco is one of Rick Steves' recommended brands, that should be enough of an endorsement. If your feet are sore after a day of tourism, perhaps your shoes don't fit properly, or don't offer adequate support. My travel shoe is a Timberland waterproof Oxford - excellent support- can wear them all day without fatigue.

Has anyone had a problem with one pair getting wet? Mine say "water proof" but wondering what others have experienced.

"*Has anyone had a problem with one pair getting wet? *"

Yes, on a RS tour to Iona. I had what I thought were waterproof shoes but they don't protect from water getting sloshed in over the tops, lol. Back at the hotel I unlaced them, took out the insole and set them under the very convenient towel warmer so they were dry by morning. I did have back up shoes on that trip.

I did not have a problem with my feet getting wet on the GAS tour I did but it was a hellish heat wave when I did it and we'd have been happy to have wet feet. It was cooler in Switzerland but we hiked in the afternoon so the paths were dry.

In response to the comment upthread about 2-8 miles....sometimes it really depends on the individual. 2 miles might be the minimum to perhaps go from the hotel to whatever sight is to be seen and back "home". 8 miles might include the walking tour of the city, another museum or venue or hike up to an observation point, etc.

Answers to any question about footwear will result in a wide variety of answers. In the end it comes down to what works best for you. For me I find that my water proof trail shoes are heavier and make my feet hot which may not be required everyday. I take a second pair of running/walking shoes that can be worn either after a long day or instead of the waterproof pair. My advice is what ever you take should: be comfortable; fit well; and have some use so that they are broken in.

Yes. My shoe repair person sees too many ECCO brand shoes requiring repairs as the quality has changed in recent years, not for the better (and I trust her experience more than Rick Steve’s on this particular matter). I no longer buy them and years ago, a pair of ECCO shoes were the ones that I had to throw away while on a trip. I always have a 2nd pair of shoes as I have also been caught in nasty downpours in Rome and Paris and my shoes needed time to dry out.

2
My travel footwear is one pair either of sneakers or day hikers. Important - such is combined with socks of the highest wool content. So, even if footwear becomes wet, comfort is maintained while hiking, biking or just walking about. In addition, sandals are included on my main bag and worn during off hours.

2 - No
I've taken lots of European trips with only one pair of shoes. I've encountered rain and had moisture reach the inside of my shoes. Letting them dry out overnight usually does the trick. On rare occasions, I've utilized a hair dryer.

However, I do recommend bringing along a pair of flip flops. When I get back to my hotel room, I peel off my shoes and socks, but I don't want my bare feet touching the floor. Also, flip flops are great to slip on for breakfast or when you need to pop down to the front desk.

2 - As long as the shoes you wear are broken in and comfortable, as in you are able to walk miles in them. I always go with just one pair of shoes, because shoes are too bulky and heavy to pack. I’ve never had a problem. If it’s going to be hot, I might also take a pair of lightweight sandals, but I rarely travel in hot weather.

Thanks everyone for helping. A lot of good suggestions.

Just a comment about Ecco’s. I own 4 pair and love them. I have problem feet. One pair just got too worn out after a few years of heavy use so I replaced them with an identical pair. Except they weren’t the same as the pair I had purchased previously and while they looked the same they didn’t fit the same. Unfortunately I chose a trip to LA to wear them for the first time and they were quite painful. I always take a spare pair of shoes but I didn’t this time. I’ll never travel without a spare pair again. I definitely don’t want to try to replace shoes while traveling because of my feet problems. My husband can put on almost any pair of shoes and they are fine for him.

1

Yes. I always travel with at least two pairs, usually three, if you count sandals. I have hard to fit feet (very small but wide with a high instep), and I once had to spend more than a day trying to find a different pair after my feet swelled in the heat, and I developed blisters.

I travel carryon only, and I don't find it difficult to travel with this many shoes at all. It's easy to tuck other things, such as socks, into the shoes, so they don't take up much room. Mind you, if I had big feet, that might be different.

It's no fun to be uncomfortable or have sore feet on a trip, and who wants to waste time shopping, so, for me, it's worth bringing a second pair.

1 - Yes, in case:

(a) your one pair gets soaking wet in the unexpected downpour on your hike, you'll have a different pair to wear to dinner. Even waterproof shoes can get wet, especially if you step into water.

(b) there's a heat wave and your feet sweat incessantly in those waterproof shoes.

I always pack a second pair for the above possible cases, but I do so mostly because my feet need a break from wearing the same shoes all the time. Make the second pair lighter-weight, breathable, and easily packable.

Even waterproof shoes can get wet, especially if you step into water.

Then they aren't waterproof, are they? Waterproof to me means seam-sealed, so you can stand in a puddle, wade across a shallow stream and stay dry. So more than just leather or fabric which is waterproof or -resistant. As for being sweaty on a hot day - we just got over weeks of 90+ degree days here in Los Angeles, with some days over 100 - don't recall any sweat-soaked feet while wearing my Timberland waterproof shoes.

NO

If you do, buy them there. But you won't - unless you already know you have a technical outing or special event you know they absolutely won't work for and if that's the case, you already know the answer. ;)

No.

But I will admit, when I have gone on an RS tour, I have taken a second pair for some ridiculous reason. I have never needed the second pair. On all my independent travels I only take one pair. It is something I will no longer do if I ever take another tour. Ecco makes good shoes so they shouldn’t fall apart on you. Maybe be sure to have a pair of woolen socks in case the weather is horrible and the interior of your shoes do get wet, because waterproof shoes can take longer to dry if wet. It won’t matter if you can wear a pair of wool socks.