<p>Yes, a slight heel is good. But I don’t recall any men complaining of bad feet issues due to lack of wearing high heels.</p>
<p>Colorado mom, take a look at men’s and athletic (any gender) shoes. Men do not complain because… Men’s shoes do have a built-in 1 inch heel lift in the shoe soles!!! Ta-da! Mystery solved.</p>
<p>Again, here is the summary of the articles: the optimal heel hight is 1-2 inches, but both high heels and flat no heel shoes are equally bad for the foot.</p>
<p>Just have to add my support of Bunsen Burner’s point. I have terrible feet (hereditarily flat, overpronated, plantar fasciitis, hereditary bunions–I never wore high heels regularly). My podiatrist told me to avoid flats completely. They are terrible for feet (as are flip flops). He advised rigid soles, steel shanks, excellent arch support, 1.5 inch heel. Sneakers and athletic shoes are too soft to give optimal support for my crummy feet. </p>
<p>The only shoes that I can wear all the time with no issues are Birkenstocks, ugly as they are. Their comfort is a beautiful thing.</p>
<p>I love my vibram five fingers. I don’t run in them , but I try and wear them every week.
I think they help my knees and with proprioception.
Both H & I also wear Converse alot, which are pretty flattish.but generally we wear something with a little more shape, like Chacos.</p>
<p>I wear walking shoes of varying brands and can walk all day in them. I prefer them over heels any day. With heels, I tend to twist my ankle or have other issues. I don’t know if my shoes have any built-in heel, but they do have arch supports, which I really like. The arch supports help keep my high arches from tiring. I also wear socks that have built in “arch supports” of a sort–Thorlos. Never get blisters with that combo.</p>
<p>“Men’s shoes do have a built-in 1 inch heel lift in the shoe soles!!! Ta-da! Mystery solved.” - Right. We agree. You don’t need HIGH heels, just a bit of heel lift, like in sneakers and men’s shoes. </p>
<p>A lot of the low-ish shoes discussed have same. (Not ballet flats , but for me they don’t give enough support anyway. I know others that love them for city walking.)</p>
<p>I love this thread - learning about lots of new brands … thanks! These are the best flip flops I have ever found … I have to have arch in my shoes, flats don’t work. Toms, I love but can’t wear very long. I highly recommend these … olukai is the brand … if the link disappears. </p>
<p>['Ohana</a> Leather Sandals | Featured | Shop | OluKai Premium Footwear](<a href=“http://www.olukai.com/Product_Featured_'Ohana%20Leather_20224-4040.aspx]'Ohana”>http://www.olukai.com/Product_Featured_'Ohana%20Leather_20224-4040.aspx)</p>
<p>Has anyone tried Fly London shoes or booties? I recently bought their Ylva sandals, and they are uber comfy. They are a bit pricey for me, so I hope Nordstrom eventually marks them down. They are also on Amazon, but not carried by Amazon Prime. :(</p>
<p>Colorado mom, my posts on the dangers of flats were posted in response to someone recommending flats as walking shoes for travel to Europe. I hope no one looking for walking shoes will follow that poster’s advice. I completely agree that most shoes posted here meet the heel lift criteria.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the advice on the shoes.</p>
<p>The 2nd pair I got in the silver (not the black) but the link takes you to the black and you have to select the silver color to see the shoes. The silver makes them a super comfortable dressy pair.</p>
<p>The 3rd pair I bought in the beautiful cobalt blue (link goes to the black). But, I have made the decision to leave those at home. The color makes them too restrictive for traveling and they don’t have enough cushy support, although I was able to get insoles into them.</p>
<p>And yes, the cashmere sweater is going! I’m sure it won’t stink too bad by the end of the trip 
I have a versatile black trench coat that will probably be worn every day because of rain.</p>
<p>My black patent Clarks have a nice low heel on them and I wore them today and they were comfortable. Unfortunately my type of work doesn’t really allow me to wear anything nice to try to get them worked in.</p>
<p>coralbrook, cashmere is perfectly hand-washable. You just need to use mild soap, never wring it, and lay it out flat on a towel to dry.</p>
<p>You mentioned rain… Are any of your shoes water resistant? If no, here is a small trick. Last year, I took my prized Chanel shoes (a Nordstrom Rack find) to Paris so they could touch the soil of their birthplace ;). Surely enough, one day we got soaked while trying to find the caf</p>
<p>We used newspaper for drying soccer cleats for years! Thankfully haven’t had to do it since! Will see if I have to use it this next week…leave for London and Paris tomorrow! :)</p>
<p>I am headed to Europe in 2 weeks. I just bought a pair of Born Raisa ankle boots at REI for travel. I wanted something that could transition from possible rainy-weather tramping through the countryside to visiting museums in the city, and shoes that would go with leggings & a dress as well as pants. (I was inspired by the CC leggings thread. 
) While at REI, I also picked up [Nikwax</a> Waterproofing Wax for Leather at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/788211/nikwax-waterproofing-wax-for-leather]Nikwax”>http://www.rei.com/product/788211/nikwax-waterproofing-wax-for-leather) & coated the new boots. The Nikwax is transparent & could be used to waterproof any leather shoe, but not suede or fabric. </p>
<p>I am a minimalist & travel light, with just a carryon (I try to avoid checking luggage whenever possible) & a personal item that contains a cashmere cardigan & large wool scarf which I use as a blanket on the airplane. I am only taking 2 pairs of shoes: wearing the boots & packing a pair of Ecco flats.</p>
<p>Wishing NorthMinnesota a bon voyage & happy travels!</p>
<p>Love the Raisa boots! Running to Target today and will look for something to waterproof my boots!</p>
<p>Just in case, here are some brands that make waterproof footwear: Blondo (I love my skater booties!), La Canadienne, Aquatalia. All perfectly suitable for walking!</p>
<p>coralbrook: it must have been the subliminal suggestion of your cobalt shoes ;), but I found these lovely [Women’s</a> Born Danine Azure Dress Pumps](<a href=“http://www.travelsmith.com/born-danine-dress-pumps/sale-clearance/shoes/673522]Women’s”>http://www.travelsmith.com/born-danine-dress-pumps/sale-clearance/shoes/673522) on sale at TravelSmith. TravelSmith has a lot of nice shoes that are good for travel on sale right now. <a href=“http://www.travelsmith.com/sale-clearance/shoes/#w=*&af=cat2:saleclearance_shoesclearance%20cat1:saleclearance%20pagetype:products[/url]”>http://www.travelsmith.com/sale-clearance/shoes/#w=*&af=cat2:saleclearance_shoesclearance%20cat1:saleclearance%20pagetype:products</a>.</p>
<p>Blue shoes are lovely and good price. But probably difficult for long term travel because they won’t match too many things.</p>
<p>Unfortunately it’s too late for me to order anything over the Internet.</p>
<p>Yesterday when I was getting my hair colored I noticed the cute royal blue leather flats the young woman in the next chair was wearing. I highly doubt I would have noticed her shoes if I didn’t have blue flats in the back of my brain from this thread!
Not shoes but something I found helpful was the [Amazon.com:</a> Eagle Creek Travel Gear Silk Undercover Bra Stash (Black): Clothing](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Creek-Travel-Undercover-Stash/dp/B004MQMFGA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382036371&sr=8-1&keywords=eagle+creek+bra+stash]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Creek-Travel-Undercover-Stash/dp/B004MQMFGA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382036371&sr=8-1&keywords=eagle+creek+bra+stash) I carried my euros in a zippered cross body purse but kept my debit and credit card stashed in my bra.</p>
<p>The bra stash is very interesting, but what happens when you are in the restaurant or bakery or store? You have to reach into your shirt and fumble around with your bra?? Kind of awkward :)</p>