Good leather shoes are better for feet than sneakers. My kids wore high top leather shoes and mary janes when they were little and loafers later. Leather actually breathes better than man made materials. Well made high heels can be comfortable to walk in. It is important where the heels are placed. I used to own a shoe store (investor), so I spent a lot of time in studying making of shoes.
“1. Sneakers are much more comfortable than most formal shoes…especially high-heels. Still don’t know how wearers of high heels can walk more than two steps in them…and yes, I did try with the permission of a few female friends and an ex.”
The world has more options than just “sneakers” and “high heels” for women. There are plenty of casual / flat footwear options for women that have more style and pizzazz than sneakers but are just as comfortable and supportive. I walk for miles / hours touring in foreign countries and don’t need sneakers, and I’m in no danger of needing a foot surgeon.
I look like a baby giraffe when i walk in sneakers. I wear them to exercise but I can’t imagine why people wear them with street clothes. My hubby wears them all the time. We all must be from NJ calling them sneakers and not tennis shoes.
For women 40+ who like to learn about French style, Tish Jett has a good blog (afemmeduncertainage). This is what a lot of us are talking about, simple, clean, elegant lines, not a lot of busy patterns, classic black, white and neutrals, scarves worn just so, comfortable shoes that aren’t gym shoes. When I’m touring, I like to wear something that’s comfortable enough that I can walk up the stairs of a cathedral, but also elegant enough that I don’t look like a tourist when I sit down to eat. Though sometimes that can’t be helped 
These aren’t the height of fashion, but you wear a little turtleneck, a cardigan or pullover, some well-fitted black pants or dark skinny jeans, a cute trench coat or cape and shoes like the above – you look tons better than the people in t-shirts, sweatpants and sneakers and you’re just as comfortable to go anywhere they are. This just isn’t that hard.
If you want to pass as a Not American:
Americans smile too much in casual social interactions. We smile to show we mean no harm, as a way to grease the wheels of social interaction. I was told by more than one nationality that smiling in public too much at people you don’t know is viewed as fake and superficial, or an indication of mental problems. So don’t smile unless you really know the person well.
Americans, especially younger Americans can be very chatty and bubbly and overly friendly with strangers, roommates and acquaintances. I was told this can be annoying. Europeans are more constrained in their day to day business. They’re more inclined to save more raucous behavior when they’re partying at night, over beers or wine.
Don’t wear baseball caps.
Don’t make overly grand gestures with your arms or hands. Don’t point. Use your whole hand to gesture “over there”.
Don’t wear the shorts and sneakers combo unless you are hiking or at a resort town. Bermuda shorts on men with tube socks and sneakers (or worse yet, Docksiders) look especially American.
Don’t carry around a Vera Bradley anything. It announces where you’re from, especially if you have long, straight blonde hair. And are wearing shorts. Dead giveaway.
If you’re counting off something with your fingers, start with the thumb, then index, middle, right and pinky finger, in that order. I know this was part of a plot point in Inglorious Bastards, but it’s true.
Don’t wear college spirit wear (t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies emblazoned with the school logo) unless you are in Italy and it says “Franklin and Marshall”. Then they might think you’re actually Italian
Shorts aren’t good for touring anyway because you can’t (or shouldn’t) go into a church / cathedral that way.
For one’s own safety (regardless of being “recognized” as an American), it’s a good idea to learn about common gestures in other countries you’ll be visiting. I think that in Greece, at least when I was there in 1985, the typical American gesture of hand held up, palm facing out, to motion to a motor vehicle to stop for a pedestrian, was instead interpreted as having a vulgar meaning. And because motor vehicle traffic was not nearly as orderly in Greece (again, at least in 1985) than in the United States, this issue came up a lot for me.
Your observations are accurate except for the value judgments. What does it mean to smile “too much” or be “overly friendly”? I remember discussing cultural differences with a Swiss man who lived in the NYC area for many years. He pointed out that Americans, unlike many Europeans, move around a lot and must be adept at forging new connections and relationships. Europeans often live in the same area and have the same social circle for their entire lives. They do not need to be “friendly.”
I also think that the climate makes a difference. Much of Northern Europe is very dark for large portions of the year. Seasonal affective disorder is a reality. In Central Europe in late December, there is daylight from 8:30-3:30. That’s it. People become grumpy and low. I honestly believe that the brilliant, bright sunshine and blue sky in the USA (even during the winters in the northern states) has an effect on national character.
“He pointed out that Americans, unlike many Europeans, move around a lot and must be adept at forging new connections and relationships. Europeans often live in the same area and have the same social circle for their entire lives. They do not need to be “friendly.””
I find the opposite with my European clients - they move from country to country easily, speak multiple languages, and are adept at reading /. Fitting into other cultures.
IME, Brazilians are THE friendliest and most outgoing! Very social, very easy to talk to, very interested in others.
Brazilians and Americans are very similar in that they are citizens of immigrant multiethnic countries where everyone is originally from somewhere else. They also live in large continental countries where it is not unheard of to move a thousand miles without much thought.
I don’t know about your clients but I do wonder if they are typical working class Europeans.
Sounds like this individual never knew any New Yorkers or NYC from the early '90s and before. Most of us during that era would never smile, make much eye contact, or be friendly in public. Quite the opposite though a large part of that was a mix of minding our own business and trying to survive without being a crime target.
Someone who smiled too much would likely have been regarded as a clueless suburban out of town tourist ripe for a mugging and making eye contact with the wrong person could mean one accidentally “provoked” a fight with the one being stared at.
There’s also the popular stereotype several people, including friends who are lifelong Bostonians have mentioned about Bostonians being “aloof and cold” towards outsiders. I personally have never found this stereotype to be true, but can’t completely dismiss it as several lifelong Bostonian friends have mentioned it and were adamant there’s some truth to it.
Then again, some of this may also be due to differing perspectives based on one’s outlook. For instance, WASP in the NE area are stereotyped as quite reserved and quiet among some Americans. However, from my extremely reserved, quiet and formal older relatives’ standpoint, the NE WASPs who were neighbors and in a few cases, in-laws were very gregarious, outgoing, and informally friendly by their standards.
tennis shoes such as Nike and other brands you don’t see in Europe.
I personally can’t stand seeing anyone wear a baseball cap unless he/she is actually playing baseball.
I don’t think there’s something specific about “Americans”, given that we dress in different ways, etc., but rather living in a city overrun at times with tourists I can say it’s generally easy to spot any tourist because they don’t dress exactly like they’re from here and because they’re often in combinations of people that otherwise wouldn’t occur. So for example, a single person blends in quite well because there’s a variety of dress here but in many parts of town during the day you won’t find two couples out together or a family with kids or a family with kids of various ages because the people who live here (or anywhere) have things to do during the day and the kids are doing this or that rather than hanging out with mom and dad and maybe grandpa.
I travelled to London frequently for work in the 2000s. I generally wore black jeans, a dark shirt with no type of writing on it, and a black leather jacket if it wasn’t summer. Americans sometimes stopped me to ask for directions, and then were disappointed to be talking to a guy from the Midwest!
Baseball caps are the way you recognize celebrities in LA. Extremely gaunt appearance, wearing leggings, with baseball cap worn low on forehead, and big sunglasses means the person is almost certainly a famous actress. Especially if the sunglasses and baseball cap are being worn indoors.
Yep, Sorry, old comment that CC kept bringing up…
not knowing how to eat with fork and knife
That’s true, Sue - they are likely pretty self selected to be the kind who cross borders easily. Good point!