<p>preironic – those are the ones I got from Lands’ End, but in black suede. Don’t know if they still have them this year. Very comfortable.</p>
<p>katlia – I understand your point, but honestly? Any time we’ve been abroad we’ve never had any trouble picking out the Americans – and that was without hearing them speak. IMO, it’s more important to have comfortable feet.</p>
<p>CBBB - good thing that with most of the shoes named on this thread, you can keep your nationality anonymous and still have comfortable feet 
It doesn’t have to be either/or.</p>
<p>Our OP specifically asked for stylish walking shoes… which sneakers and many mary jane styles are definitely not.</p>
<p>One thing OP shouldn´t rule out on is buying some shoes when she is in Europe. I find shoes from Europe are generally more comfortable for me because they are cut little bit wider. Another thing is Europeans tend to do a lot more walking than Americans, so they sell a lot more walking shoes. Even their high heels are more comfortable for me. I don´t feel like I need to buy designer shoes in Europe in order to get high fashion and comfort.</p>
<p>^ I second the thick soled loafers (for the cooler months). I usually wear a sort of sneaker/Mary Jane shoe in the warmer months but last time we were in Europe I noticed my knees really starting hurting while walking on the cobble stones and I never have knee problems. After years of traveling I will pick comfort over style any day, although I don’t find running shoes to be especially comfortable.</p>
<p>Romika shoes. I don’t own any but like the looks of them and they get glowing customer reviews on websites that sell them. I believe they are a European brand (German).Check them out at <a href=“http://www”>www</a>. Zappos.com or <a href=“http://www.6pmshoes.com%5B/url%5D”>www.6pmshoes.com</a> Nordstroms shows some Romikas on their website.</p>
<p>Thanks PackMom, I really like the Romika high heeled sandals… hmmm… </p>
<p>I agree that you could wait and buy in Europe – just expect to pay a lot more. In a store just last week I saw a German woman buying 2 pairs of German shoes. She couldn’t believe how much less they cost here, not to mention the sale price.</p>
<p>Barkingdogshoes dot com reviews a lot of comfortable shoes, esp. for <em>problem</em> feet. She also has links to online sources where one can buy them. I like the Zappos site because it has videos of what the shoes look like on real people. The part I don’t like is that it sometimes takes forever for shoes to arrive at my place or be delivered there. I ordered two pairs on the 19th, and they still haven’t arrived. I dropped off a huge box at UPS on the 13th, and they are still <em>in transit</em> so who knows when they will actually get to Zappos and be credited to my account. Other returns from over a week ago are not showing up in the UPS system. . .</p>
<p>Privo by Clarks. I wore this last fall thru France, and just packed them for my upcoming trip to Italy. They were terrrific</p>
<p>I suggest you consider not waiting until you get to Europe if you wear a size 10 or larger or have wide feet. A friend who wears an 12 N had the experience of listening to the clerk tell another clerk, “Look at this lady’s huge feet”. Needless to say, they didn’t have anything that fit her.</p>
<p>Wow! Thanks so much for all the suggestions. I’ve checked them all out and I think I like Clark Privos the best. I guess I am trying to find a shoe that I can wear hiking and then with a skirt. How many pairs of shoes would you bring on a week vacation to Italy? I’m leaning toward two: comfortable, somewhat clunky walking shoe and dressier flats. Skip running for the week?</p>
<p>You will be walking so much, you won’t have the energy for running Enjoy your trip.</p>
<p>On our trip to France last year there definitely was no time for running. We were up and out very early each day and on the go, walking, walking walking. Assuming Italy will be the same. I truly wore the privos every day, although it was September so I did switch off to a flip flop on very hot days. We leave for Venice, Florence & Rome this weekend, and as of now I have way too many shoes out. I hear Italy is much more casual, and although we dressed for some fancier restaurants in France, don’t think we will in Italy. But I am still having a hard time putting the boots back in the closet even though they take up too much space! They are so Italian . . .</p>
<p>oh itslfs – you don’t take boots TO Italy… you bring boots FROM Italy</p>
<p>I know, I know! I really am trying to just go with the privo walking shoes, ballet flats, and one pair of comfortable heels for a nicer evening out. And a big empty bag for leather good purchases . . . but to be honest in France we were so busy there was barely any time to really do serious shopping, so I am thinking in Italy I will only end up with the obligatory gloves & belts for gifts and hopefully some murano glass. Trying to focus on comfort & versatility when packing and not style. I need to pare down for sure.</p>
<p>Shoe anxiety for Europe has always bedeviled me. When traveling in this country, I have certain things that work for my very casual visits to friends, and less than elegant social life. But Europe, well…When visiting my D in France this spring, she said a few days before leaving, “uh, what shoes are your bringing?” Which made me rush out and find some barely comfortable, if elegant flats to bring along. But you don’t spend much time actually walking in flats, and I never did end up going to the hotel to change prior to dinner. At the back of the closet though, are shoes of this sort:
[Naturalizer</a> Black Leather/Suede Farida](<a href=“http://www.naturalizer.com/en-US/Product/EC0201183-3008931/Naturalizer/Black+Leather_Suede/Farida.aspx]Naturalizer”>http://www.naturalizer.com/en-US/Product/EC0201183-3008931/Naturalizer/Black+Leather_Suede/Farida.aspx)</p>
<p>Which I rarely use at home, but are perfect for Europe. My D approved when I showed up wearing them, saying, yes, they wear weird stuff like that all the time here. So I felt less the stand out American, at least in terms of footwear, as well as comfortable. If you do take runners, which I did for hiking, at least avoid white socks and shoes. There are also some casual Sperry Topsiders these days with nice designs. If you have any foot issues, inserts can really help shoes of that nature feel comfortable during full days of walking.</p>
<p>"When visiting my D in France this spring, she said a few days before leaving, “uh, what shoes are your bringing… My D approved when I showed up wearing them, saying, yes, they wear weird stuff like that all the time here.”</p>
<p>LOL. Gotta love daughters!</p>
<p>IMO, 2 pairs of shoes will do you for 1 week in Italy. Agree with katlia that all your touring walking will compensate for your regular running. And shoes just take up so much room in your luggage – much better to leave room for souvenirs! When we went, H was determined to bring home wine that we can’t find in the US – which we did. I was in awe of his packing skills since we travel fairly light as it is. </p>
<p>A couple of years ago I bought a pair of Privo slip-ons in dark brown – incredibly comfortable. So for Italy last year, I figured I’d buy a pair in black, as my “wardrobe” was black/blue/gray based. When I tried on a current style, though, it was incredibly UNcomfortable! That’s how I ended up with the Lands’ End Mary Janes.</p>
<p>Good luck with the shoes, and have a great trip!</p>
<p>Yes, 2 pairs of shoes will be plenty for a weeklong trip. For my 2 weeks in Europe, I packed 3 pairs: black Coach tennis-like shoes for wearing with jeans and hiking, brown Rieker sandals (another Euro-comfort brand of shoes; amusingly, our Russian guide wore almost identical sandals!), and dressy Geox flats with a hidden wedge heel (worn to the Opera house). Of course, only 2 of my pairs of shoes were packed in the suitcase. :)</p>
<p>Unless you are training for a race where you want to place well, you should skip running. As the others said, your feet will be tired from walking all day long, and frankly, one week is too short to “waste” 1-2 hr a day on running (while you could be sightseeing!).
Make sure you read up on keeping your wallet safe from pickpocketers. Enjoy your trip!</p>
<p>I swear by my Aerosoles. I commute on foot (two miles round trip) and love not having to change when I get to work.</p>