<p>Has anyone discovered a reasonably attractive good walking shoe for, in this case, travel? I don’t want to wear athletic shoes and, when I wore my standard flats (loafers and ballet flats) for our last trip (London–lots of walking), my feet were in pain by the end of the day. We’re going to Vietnam so it won’t be cold but I need a shoe I can wear from morning til night. Thanks for any suggestions.</p>
<p>collage- I feel your pain. Been there, done that, after walking many miles on trips around the concrete sidewalks in Philly and Chicago.
Brutal on legs, feet, back, and I’m someone who regularly walks 5 miles. </p>
<p>Found this shoe which has made my life better.
Looks ok long pants,better than my Avia walking shoes.</p>
<p>These work for me. </p>
<p>[Keds</a> Heritage Classic Canvas Champion Sneaker - QVC.com](<a href=“http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.aol_refer.false.tpl.detail.msn_refer.false.item.A169661.ref.GBA?cm_ven=GOOGLEBASE&cm_cat=Fashion&cm_pla=Shoes&cm_ite=A169661]Keds”>http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.aol_refer.false.tpl.detail.msn_refer.false.item.A169661.ref.GBA?cm_ven=GOOGLEBASE&cm_cat=Fashion&cm_pla=Shoes&cm_ite=A169661)</p>
<p>Friends bought these for European trip this summer, and both the mother and 20 year old daughter recommends these Keens.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/ss10/shoes/women/trailhead/newport/carmelite[/url]”>http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/ss10/shoes/women/trailhead/newport/carmelite</a></p>
<p>If you have a high arch, as I do, I recommend Mephistos. I bought their sandals for our trip to Europe this summer, and I walked in them for several hours every day in total comfort. They are pricey but worth every penny.</p>
<p>^^^dg- I do have high arches, could you be more specific about which style is “tried and true”.</p>
<p>I looked on the mephisto website and couldn’t find my exact sandal, but I think that the basic last (meaning the part of the shoe that your foot rests on) is the same for many if not most of the sandals. You just have to try them on and see which gives your arch the most support. On our trip I alternated between the Mephistos and my running shoes, and at the end of the days when I wore the Mephistos, my feet (and my back!) felt better than with the running shoes. Happy hunting!</p>
<p>I think the best walking shoes are either Naot (Israeli brand) or SAS (San Antonio Shoes).</p>
<p>mdcissp, Naot is a great brand but does not support as high an arch as do the Mephistos–it really depends on the shape of your foot.</p>
<p>Keens and Naot. Keens especially.</p>
<p>If you go to the Zappos website, you can read reviews of shoes, and people very often comment on the arch support. With free shipping and returns, you can order a dozen shoes, play shoe store at home and return the ones you don’t want. I’ve done that several times.</p>
<p>If you have a Walking Company store near you, go there and look at the styles and ask for advice. There are countless brands that are excellent and many styles. I just walked all over San Diego yesterday in Merrell’s and also wore them to my business meetings (casual, but fine).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the basic last on the Mephistos is not the same. I had one pair of Mephistos that I loved and one pair that I hated. Donated in 6 months to a shelter in town.</p>
<p>I love Mephisto, but they cost around $300. My go-to shoe is anything by ECCO. They are about $120-$150, but they do have outlet stores–Woodbury Commons, NY and Jersey Shore Outlets. I think those outlet destinations are owned by the same management company. If you check the websites, you may find that there is one near you. Nordstrom carries ECCO, as does Macys. I find that they are comfortable and have worn them walking 10-12 miles a day in European cities.</p>
<p>Be sure to look for shoes with built-in arch support. I have a problem with foot pain, and the only shoes I’ve found that I can walk comfortably in all day without pain (besides athletic shoes) are Dansko clogs in winter and Ecco Yucatans in summer. Both shoes have very good arch support. Here’s a link to the Eccos:</p>
<p>[Ecco</a> Performance Yucatan Sandal Atmosphere/ Ice White/ Black - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH Ways](<a href=“Ecco performance yucatan sandal atmosphere ice white black ecco + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com”>Ecco performance yucatan sandal atmosphere ice white black + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com)</p>
<p>Ecco just came out with a redesigned Yucatan, but I can’t vouch for the comfort:</p>
<p>[Ecco</a> Performance Yucatan II Moon Rock/Moon Rock - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH Ways](<a href=“Ecco performance yucatan ii moon rock moon rock ecco + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com”>Ecco performance yucatan ii moon rock moon rock + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com)</p>
<p>edit: crossposted with fafnir605</p>
<p>I used a new pair of Merrells when we traveled from three weeks this summer. The ones I got had a breathable top, as my feet get really hot. They looked like this, and I Love them.</p>
<p>[Merrell</a> Circuit MJ Breeze Taupe - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH Ways](<a href=“Merrell circuit mj breeze taupe merrell + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com”>No results for Merrell circuit mj breeze taupe | Zappos.com)</p>
<p>I also love my Naot sandals, which I couldn’t find when I packed, so I bought a pair of Mephistos in Paris. The Naot’s are 100 times more comfortable.</p>
<p>I have never owned a pair of Crocs in my life and never thought I would, but bought these in black about a month ago and they are extremely comfy and even my 18 year old son said they looked good! Can be wore with just about anything, are lightweight and would pack easy! They are not your typical Crocs - more of a combo flat/sandal/mary jane:
[Crocs</a>? Olivia | Crocs, Inc.](<a href=“http://www.crocs.com/crocs-olivia/10335,default,pd.html?cid=255&cgid=women-footwear-flats]Crocs”>http://www.crocs.com/crocs-olivia/10335,default,pd.html?cid=255&cgid=women-footwear-flats)</p>
<p>insoles make a huge difference
Superfeet make insoles for all kinds of shoes & conditions
We started buying them after D’s dr. recommended them for a knee problem
[Superfeet</a> Premium Insoles](<a href=“http://www.superfeet.com/]Superfeet”>http://www.superfeet.com/)</p>
<p>Why not wear athletic shoes? If you’re planning on walking a lot, they really are a lot more comfortable. I understand a lot of people think it makes them look like a tourist, but you’re going to look like a tourist anyway, so you might as well be a comfortable tourist.</p>
<p>With my high arches I love the aforementioned Mephistos and also love THINK [Shoes</a> | Women’s ~ Think! Shoes](<a href=“http://www.thinkshoesusa.com/shoes/ladies.aspx]Shoes”>http://www.thinkshoesusa.com/shoes/ladies.aspx) . The THINKs are expensive but they are very well made and I like their quirky designs.</p>
<p>One thing to be sure to look for are ties or straps that go over your instep. They help your foot and shoe move together as one, which reduces fatigue. I have a high arch and love Ecco’s. They are very well-made; when mine are too scruffy to be walking shoes, I wear them for gardening!
[ECCO</a> Cloud II Tie Black Leather - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH Ways](<a href=“Ecco cloud ii tie black leather ecco + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com”>Ecco cloud ii tie black leather + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com)
are the closest I could find on Zappos. I’ve also gotten them on sale at Nordstrom’s.</p>
<p>Forget the arch support in shoes. If you like arch support, take the insoles out of your shoes and put in the right pair of SuperFeet. I even have them in my Docksiders. Night and day for me. Any good running store will have a display with pre-cut demo pair in all sizes that you can slip in your shoe and try:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.superfeet.com/[/url]”>http://www.superfeet.com/</a></p>
<p>As far as walking, this may or may not be the right shoe for your foot, but Brooks makes their Addiction running shoe in leather Walker versions, in black, white, brown, or tan – with laces or velcro. Same shoe, but in leather instead of running shoe mesh: They are available in widths (narrow, regular, wide, and extra-wide) so you can get an exact fit for your shoe.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.zappos.com/brooks-addiction[/url]”>http://www.zappos.com/brooks-addiction</a></p>
<p>This may not be the style you are looking for, but this would be the type of shoe I would consider for some serious walking.</p>
<p>Oh boy, do I sympathize with this thread! I had the worst time on college visits because I didn’t have comfy walking shoes except tennis shoes and hiking shoes. I swore I was going to fix this issue, and did a long hunt for comfy, reasonably attractive walking shoes.</p>
<p>I have ended up with 2 pairs that I really like. One is more summery, one is more of a bad weather/wintery shoe. Both came from the Lands End shoe department in a Sears store (we live near the Mall of America, so it is an easy stop for us). Both were on sale, so I am not sure if they make them any more. But they are “sensible” without being completely unattractive. I’d suggest you stop in at a Sears and see what they have. The selection is not huge, but it really hit the sweet spot for what I was looking for. Oh, and one pair (the more summery ones) look good with shorts or long pants, which is a bonus.</p>
<p>I walked all day in them in Europe this summer and had no foot issues at all.</p>