When you are looking for comfortable walking shoes, do you go for those butt-ugly ones that your parents might have worn, way back in the olden days...OR, do you look for lovely luscious ones like these ones that I'm currently salivating over?? Not likely to buy them, though...my pocketbook would scream at paying $345US/$381CAN! Oh, well, my trusty GEOX are going to have to do for now!
These are my "Body Shoe" black walking shoes (the new pair I am keeping to take to Italy.) They are A$120 but I got them on sale for A$80. I wear the older pair, still black, to work, and will take the oldest pair (a third pair!)for the Cinque Terre walk and will throw them out afterwards.
Brenda, if it's any comfort, just because they're really stylin and expensive doesn't mean it will fit your foot. On the other hand, I don't have any qualms paying for a quaility shoe. I'm on my feet most of the day and it's essential to have a shoe that is supportive and comfortable. And if it's not too ugly that's a plus too. I own many, many pairs of Mephistos. Have you looked on Zappo's? They have some designer shoes. And also Nordstroms. Eluxury also has sales from time to time.
When you are looking for comfortable walking shoes, do you go for those butt-ugly ones that your parents might have worn, way back in the olden days...OR, do you look for lovely luscious ones
Brenda, I am constantly searching for beeyooteefull walking shoes but I always end up with black nubuck SAS Freetimes. For my feet, they are the most comfortable.... and, they're not that ugly either (just a little bit ugly )
Posts: 870 | Location: New York City | Registered: 28 May 2003
Jan, Just in case you change your mind, the Tods shoe outlet is less than 100 Km from Ascoli Piceno.
TOD´S OUTLET 134 Corso Garibaldi (località CASETTE D´ETE), SANT´ELPIDIO A MARE, Ascoli Piceno Telefono: 0734 / 871671 - Orari: DAL LUNEDI AL SABATO ORARIO CONTINUATO 10.00/.19.30 IL VERO OUTLET DEI MARCHI: - DIEGO DELLA VALLE - TOD´S - HOGAN - FAY oltre 3000 mq di calzature abbigliamento e pelletteria al 40% off
Posts: 254 | Location: Canada | Registered: 23 July 2004
I love these shoes! There is an outlet for Tod's in Italy? How totally cool is that? Jan, take Nancy's information and go!
My Pillar to Post House Inspector guy was in my office on Friday, and he was wearing the coolest pair of shoes...a lot like the Tod's that I love. He's had them for over 10 years and says they are the most comfortable shoes in the world. No idea where you could get them now, as he hasn't seen them on the market for ages.
I'm not adverse to paying good $$$ for good shoes, as I have a difficult time finding size 10 - 10 1/2, with a 2A toe-4A heel combination. So, if I find shoes that fit even just OK, I buy them, no matter what. I have a feeling that these Tod's shoes would fit totally and exquisitely perfect! THEN, they'd likely follow me home, and I'd HAVE to keep them!
"Men aren't the only ones who need something beautiful to hang on their arm!" ~ from the Franco Sarto website, talking about handbags! Brenda
I have a pair of Tod's loafers I bought at Selfriges (on sale) a few years ago. They were a little expensive even on sale, but I haven't regretted the purchase for a minute. They still look brand new - if I amortize the cost over the years of wear they were actually not expensive at all!
I am quite certain that Terry would not see it that way....so it is a good thing we will not be close to the Tod's outlet in Italy.
Sheena
Posts: 2163 | Location: West Vancouver, B.C. Canada | Registered: 28 February 2004
I have about six pairs of Tod's (I have shoe issues ). I've had great luck at the Tod's outlet in The Mall in Tuscany. Last Fall, they had a few shelves of shoes marked down to 60 euros a pair. But I find that their classic driving shoe, with the pebbled sole, is comfortable to wear but not that comfortable if you'll be walking for hours.
My favorite shoes for walking on European cobblestone streets are Prada Sport. They're too expensive here in the U.S. but at the outlet, I've bought them for as little as 100 euros. They have thick rubber soles that provide a good cushion and they make a size 36 1/2 that fits me perfectly.
SAS also makes nice shoes that are comfortable for walking, and they're more moderately priced than Prada or Tod's.
I always tend to wind up with some kind of Clarks or German shoes such as Rohde or Rieker. I mostly wear skirts and dresses while travelling on semi-business, semi-research, semi-fun, so nix the real sneaker type shoes. The sleek ones in the first post look too narrow for my feet (the opposite of BGE; more or less 7 wide, aka square, though my heel is much narrower).
I am currently wearing a pretty pair of Clarks sandals (mules, with a bit of a thick heel) that are about the most comfy things I've ever had, and not too ugly for Italy, that I bought on sale half price, but the shop no longer had the serial number for this particular shoe.
Wish I could find Mephistos on sale. Don't do the order thing; too many expensive disappointments. Have any slowtravellers found good stocks of them in France?
I have lawyer friends who live (and plead) in Mephistos but my vie d'artiste is more precarious - would love to find a good deal!
Posts: 868 | Location: Montréal | Registered: 29 January 2006
I am a big Mephistos fan (I may have mentioned this here a few thousand times ), and I like their combination of comfort and style.
But I just bought a pair of Geox in Montalcino (where some people buy wine). They are part of the "Respira" line, and are a white and silver lace-up shoe with some pizzazz in the heel. I started wearing them as soon as I tried them on. The model is called "glam", I think, and is not available here in the US. The shoe itself cost 90 Euros, and is made in China.
I felt perfectly stylish wearing them in the towns of southern Tuscany, as many of the younger women were wearing similar shoes . Would I wear them in Florence or Rome? Probably not.
M
Posts: 6631 | Location: Montclair, NJ, USA | Registered: 16 March 2003
Mephistoes, rarely if ever, go on sale. Zappo's sometimes has style's in off sizes and weird colors on sale, and my local shoe guy sometimes has discontinued shoes on sale but the most popular styles such as the Helen never go on sale. I did see some bargins on ebay though.
A convert! Way to go, Marian! You just bought the most comfortable shoe in the world, IMHO!
I bought my first pair in Florence, when I had bloodied my toes and heels with NOT-comfortable walking shoes, and I tell ya, I put those babies on in the store around noon, walked out the door and walked for the rest of the day with NO pain.
Marian, I wore my GEOX everywhere in Florence and also in Paris and never felt uncomfortable with them. I was in such heaven with feet that didn't hurt, and in shoes that looked great besides...perfect!
GEOX are amazing. Lightweight, soft on the feet, a great shaped heel with tons of support...perfection in a shoe! Are yours like mine in the photo at the top of this topic? Wait, I just found them on the GEOX website...very cool shoes!
Debra, check these out! These are good lookin' and comfortable also! Niiiice combination! Here are the next ones I want...mmmm, lime green! Look at the last pair on the page... H-O-T!
"A man hasn't got a corner on virtue just because his shoes are shined." ~ Anne Petry Brenda
I have been looking for months (actually years) for some good comfortable shoes. I have a high arch, have had plantar fasciitis, have very narrow feet and long toes. I would say that I definitely have shoe issues.
I have tried Clarks, Rockports, Eccos, Naots, and many other brands recommended for comfort. I live in my Chacos all year round (even have walked all over Italy in them) but really need other types of shoes. I have always hated wearing closed shoes and cannot walk in even the slightest heel and so it has always been impossible for me to find these type of shoes for a trip or to wear with a nice outfit. I end up buying a pair, lugging them with me, never wearing them, and eventually donating them to Goodwill. I often order shoes from Zappos but usually end up returning them (although I recently found a great pair of Keens clogs at Zappos that I have kept).
This afternoon, I walked out of Nordstrom's with 2 pairs of shoes!!! That for me is a tremendously successful day. I found the most comfortable Merrel shoes. I think they are pretty hip and more fashionable than the typical walking shoe. They are called Merrell 'Water Pro Ultra Sport' Active Shoe . I have not tested them out on a long walk yet, but HOPE they work out. They feel like I am walking on a cloud and they seem to have great support. Also, much of the material is mesh which is good for hot weather. I also found a pretty nice pair of Munro ‘Bahama’ Sandals . I don't think I could do a lot of walking in these shoes, but at least I could use them for a dressy occasion where minimal walking is necessary. They are very comfortable also and don't slip all around like most dressy sandals do for me. An expensive day, but if I added up all the shoes I only wore once or twice and then gave away, hopefully they will be worth the investment if they work out.
I am still in search of that nice closed dressy shoe but it doesn't look like I will find it for this trip. Perhaps I will be lucky in Italy? I will have to check out the Geox shoes. Are they good for narrow feet?
Speaking of shoes, I bought my first pair of earth shoes from J. Jill. These are the pair I bought in yellow. They feature "negative" heel technology and among the claims they make is the following
"Burn Calories, Build Endurance." "Correct prosture and eliminate back pain." " Burn more calories by walking on a 3.7 degree incline." And the clincher "Walk away cellulite with every step."
I spend 5-6 hours a day on my feet, and have found the Softwalk brand works well for me. Amazing cushioning. Even the heeled dress shoes are comfortable!
Narrow feet? Yep, I have a 2A toe-4A heel, size 10 - 10 1/2....that's long and narrow as you can get, I think! Geox are perfect for me. They make the walking shoes that I love but there are some other really cool looking GEOX shoes as well. It depends on which country you live in, as to which shoes are available...I checked out the GEOX website, but found more selection going on Zappo's, Tony's and other shoe sites.
Take a look at this site, if you love funky shoes! I just found this while looking for GEOX this morning!
Shopping tip: You can get shoes for 85 cents at the bowling alley. ~Author Unknown Brenda
Take a look at this site, if you love funky shoes!
Brenda, John Fluevog started out in Vancouver (with Peter Fox, also of shoe fame).
Years ago his shoes weren't funky. His basic boots and jeans (not his!) were the university uniform when Nikki was at UBC. Great for poor university students as they lasted for years!
There is a Fluevog store on Granville. Add it to you list of things to do/see in Vancouver!
Sheena
Posts: 2163 | Location: West Vancouver, B.C. Canada | Registered: 28 February 2004
)
). I've had great luck at the Tod's outlet in The Mall in Tuscany. Last Fall, they had a few shelves of shoes marked down to 60 euros a pair. But I find that their classic driving shoe, with the pebbled sole, is comfortable to wear but not that comfortable if you'll be walking for hours. 
