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Most comfortable shoes (for honeymoon)?

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espressa

Shiny_Rock
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Sep 14, 2007
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We just bought our plane tickets to Italy for our wedding/honeymoon (yay!), and now we''re trying to figure out exactly which cities we''re going to and for how long. We''re going to be gone for almost 4 weeks - leaving on Sept. 30, getting married in Cortona on Oct. 9, going to Paris at some point and then flying home from there on Oct. 26.

So, it has occurred to me that we are going to be doing a lot of site seeing, which means A LOT of walking. Which is all fine, except for the fact that I am one of those people whose feet always end up hurting, always ends up with blisters, and generally whines/complains and annoys the crap out of everyone because of it. I don''t mean to do it, it just usually happens. And I would rather NOT do that to FI on the honeymoon!

So, I need your help. I need to find the most comfortable shoes in the world, which will magically make it so that my feet don''t hurt after walking around all day, that won''t give me blisters, and if possible, look halfway decent.
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My current "walking shoes" are some New Balance sneakers, but my feet and ankles still end up hurting.

I''m willing to spend a few hundred dollars (or possibly more). FI doesn''t know this yet, but he will agree with me when he finds out because I''m sure he doesn''t want me complaining about my feet the whole trip.
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Thanks!
 
I know these won''t win the "prettiest shoe" award, but my mom and I wore them all around Europe last summer, and didn''t have any problems. http://www.teva.com/ProductDetails.aspx?g=w&categoryID=38&productID=6840&model=Olowahu

They''re only $20 or so at Sport Chalet or Famous Footwear. The black ones actually look half decent. They''re very light weight, but still have arch support. They mold themselves to your feet, and are sooo comfortable!
 
taryn rose makes comfortable sandals.
 
Honestly, it really depends on your feet. My comfy shoes are Crocs (works for all day retail-walking around a shoe store for 9 hours), Privos (by Clarks), and Nike athletic shoes.

I would get some Crocs and try them out-they run around $40 a pair-and while they aren''t exactly gorgeous, people in Europe seem to love them. (If you are in Europe, and feel differently, please correct me!) I honestly live in mine, and they are making all kinds of different styles now with the Croc material.
 
Hmm...I have pretty sturdy feet, it takes a lot to make them hurt, so these may be rubbish for you, but I *adore* my birkenstocks. They're really comfortable and have a sort of contoured sole to support feet and are v. good for walking around cities. I have a pair of madrid sandals and practically live in them come summer, so these might be a good option for Italy. I think they also do shoes but are famous for their sandals.

edit: and seeing as you're going to Europe, you can get them for around 20-30 euros.
 
Born, Dansko, and Soffts are very comfortable for dressy sandal type shoes. Chacos are the greatest casual sandal I have ever owned. The Walking Company (http://www.thewalkingcompany.com/) has several kinds of shoes.
 
I ditto Stephanie.
Am wearing danskos right now, lolita I think, now my second pair in five years as India sort of did the first ones in, but awesome for walking around, even on cobblestone. I like more arch and have narrow feet so the crocs don''t work, but Chacos are a nicer version of tevas and they are awesome, both in the water sandal variety and the leather ones. Sorta more hip than Clarks, but clarks have had some cute ones lately.

Regardless of what you pick, break them in first! Never take new shoes on a walking based trip!
 
It has been my experience that birkenstocks are great if you have just the right sort of feet and not terribly great when you don''t. They are ugly as sin, but everyone I know swears by crocs. The sole contains a polymer that is designed to mold to your foot in a way no other shoe does as I understand it.
 
Thanks so much for the suggestions! I''m going to try a pair of crocs (the mary janes) and see how those work, since they''re so cheap. If those don''t work out, I will go on and start trying all of the other ones you all mentioned.

I''ve been "researching" the others on zappos, and I think it''s just gonna be trial and error to see what works, because for so many of the shoes there are tons of people saying they''re super comfortable, then a few people that say they got blisters from them, and so on. Hopefully I will eventually find something that works before I leave.

swimmer, I will definitely be breaking in any new shoes before I leave! Thanks for the reminder.
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Hi espressa!! Your wedding and honeymoon plans sound wonderful!!

My feet are the most sensitive feet in the world and hurt within 30 mins if I don''t have the right shoes. I have tried many brands but I now swear by Hush Puppies. They are not the prettiest or sexiest shoes, but I own many pairs for both work and leisure. Of course, then there are also Nike running shoes.
 
LOVE my Danskos - I have sandals and clogs, and I can wear either one for really really long days in the lab and my feet (which ALWAYS hurt with other shoes) are fine. Definitely recommend trying them, but be prepared for the fact that they feel really different than other shoes - they are kind of supposed to be loose a little bit around your foot.
 
I would highly recommend Danskos and Birkenstocks. Camper shoes are also comfortable but are not as sturdy/orthopedic as Danskos and Birkenstocks. But they are a bit more stylish and they''re from Spain so a lot of them have a cool European vibe. And just an FYI, you can get Birkenstocks with a comfort footbed that is squishier than their usual footbed. (The usual footbed tends to need some breaking in.)

Also, Dansko makes some pretty cute sandals that are extremely comfortable, so don''t feel like you just have to get the clogs. (I know you''re going to Italy in October so it will probably be too cold for sandals, but just an FYI for warmer trips!)
 
I forgot about Clarks! They are super comfortable. I like the Clarks Originals best (the Wallabee is the one they''re known for) but I''m sure their other styles are comfortable, too. Also, my older sister swears by Born! She also thinks Campers are comfy.
 
Dansko clogs are the shoes I wear when I know I''m going to be on my feet or walking around all day. They do take a little getting used to though - when I first got them I had a tendency to turn my ankle a lot.

But there is a reason why every single person buys a pair of Dankos when they enter their third year in medical school
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Another vote for Danskos!
 
I, too, am on my feet all day for retail and have learned to love Merrells. They use an insole specifically designed for women, and seem to have good arch support. That''s important to me as I have really high arches, and tend to get cramps in my arch without it.
 
I admit, I have a pair of Danskos-credit that to working in a pro kitchen for 5 years. Love them, but they take some getting used to.

I still say Crocs, because I''ll wear them when I''m cooking (the other day that was 8 hours, and today it was 6) on hard tile floor, and my feet don''t hurt at all. Not to mention how inexpensive they are.

I would also check out the Privo brand from Clarks-they are more "fashionable" and they have little massaging texture on the insole, which has saved my feet more than once. As a warning-the "Hop" shoe is not very supportive(although ultra comfy)-but I think they others are great. link

But still, it''s all about finding something that works for your feet...
 
Thank you all so much for the great suggestions! I''m going shopping tomorrow and I will be buying some new shoes, so hopefully I can try on a bunch of the shoes that you all recommended.

Thanks again!
 
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Merrell''s. They are my go-to shoes for traveling, and also got my feet through lots of walking in Italy. I have 2 pairs of sandals...one in green (thong-type) and one in red (kind of like an open-toed mule). They are the best and better looking than sneakers (they''re cute, but overall more functional than cute! ha!). I don''t go anywhere without them!
 
If it''s not just your feet that end up hurting, but your ankles as well, I''d like to throw in another suggestion: SAS. They''re the ultimate granny/nurse (the real ones, not the naughty kind!) shoes, and they''re fugly like no other, but my rationale is that if the older folks are willing to wear them, they must be worth the ugliness! They make sandals too, so it shouldn''t get too hot in them.

They aren''t available online, so you might have a harder time finding these.

To see pics of their ugly/comfy shoes:

http://www.ejshoes.com/sas/womens.html

(Jewel and Easier are some of the "better" designs...)

For a list of outlets:

http://www.mallseeker.com/sasfactoryshoestore.aspx
 
We just got back from 2 weeks of walking around Italy, and I would swear by my Puma Drift Cats.

They''re not cute little sandals, but I wore them EVERYWHERE and my feet never hurt - including the 7,000 stairs in Positano!
 
I''m wondering if maybe it would be worth it to you to go visit a podiatrist and have a pair of custom orthotic insoles made? If every shoe ends up hurting, maybe there''s something about your foot that would like more cushioning or protection?

My DH used to get blisters from his sneakers and always had ankle and foot problems. He had a pair of orthotics made and he doesn''t have those problems at all anymore. His feet are so freakin'' soft. They slip in most athletic shoes, but you can also have them made a little smaller for fancier shoes. I have a pair because of a stress fracture and I wear them in Finn Comfort walking shoes as well as most of my Clarks loafers and other lace up/slip on shoes with removable insoles. Insurance often covers them if you go through a doctor.

Whatever shoes you end up with, just don''t let them be white sneakers! Being American abroad is tough enough without white sneakers!
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Another idea (similar to Sumbride''s) is to visit a running shoe store and have them test you out to see what shoes work best for your feet. They look at how you walk and recommend shoes to correct for any issues.

Good luck! I walked around Europe in Converse Chucks, but I know those aren''t the most comfy for everyone.
 
I have a pair of the Crocs flip-flops, and there''s something about the soles of them that''s extra squidgy compared to the Mary Jane style Crocs that (to me, anyway) is like 10 times more comfortable than any other shoe I own. I *LOVE* them.

My Sketches tennis shoes are also really comfy, but after a few days of sightseeing, my foot gets achy from the laces and stuff. Is never a problem with the Crocs (although now and then a little pebble does get in there since they are flip-flops).
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Date: 5/20/2008 10:13:16 PM
Author: basil
Dansko clogs are the shoes I wear when I know I''m going to be on my feet or walking around all day. They do take a little getting used to though - when I first got them I had a tendency to turn my ankle a lot.

But there is a reason why every single person buys a pair of Dankos when they enter their third year in medical school
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Click to expand...
I love my Dansko clogs and have heard that their cuter shoes are comfy too. Like basil said, they take a little while to break in/get used to. The first couple nights I wore them (during third year of school, of course!), I was like "what the hell is everyone talking about? these are horrendous!" And the dreaded ankle roll! But a little while later, after they molded, they felt great. I still wear the same pair almost 3 years later and I love them.
 
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