quote:

Originally posted by Chiocciola:
I went to a Clark outlet store on Saturday and tried on a few pairs of shoes. One of them was a Privo Cider. Now I am waiting for them to arrive! Will report back.

Got them! They arrived in just a few days and they look really cute. I wore them at work yesterday and for 20 minutes of the walk home, but then I had to change back to my other shoes as I was getting blisters on the sides of both ankles. They are a little high, as I was worried about, but I am hoping that with a careful break-in plan I can get them comfortable!

I walk a lot, including back and forth to work (35 minutes fast walk each way) so I want something that doesn't give me blisters! Last summer I spent forever trying to break in a pair of Nine West flats and a pair of Aerosoles but they still gave me blisters after months of wear, so it got really tiring. My new plan is to always have a back-up pair with me so that I can change when the blisters start coming. And tons of band-aids of course. I want them to be broken in by the time I go to Italy - in five weeks! Now I just need to get some of Brenda's foot powder...

Here's another great foot care product that Gehwol makes. Gehwol Med Cream, a salve for cracked skin, was originally created to provide a barrier between feet and the socks and shoes people were wearing. It was for hikers and long distance walkers, because it provides a 'slip' of sorts between the sock and your skin.

I use it on my heels after a bath or pedicure. It is t-h-i-c-k and smells lovely, I think. My clients sometimes complained about the 'medicinal' smell, but I think it smells clean.

Get some, work it into your feet, especially any area where you are getting some rubbing from a shoe. I love the stuff!

OK, I'm on a roll about Gehwol, now...

Here's the history of Gehwol! Amazing...

Gehwol Herbal Foot Bath is fantastic for a weekly soak for your feet. It smells divine, softens all of the scratchy and rough areas and prepares your feet to receive a good foot cream to be massaged in, after the foot bath or pedicure.

Gehwol Warming Balm, or Gehwol Red, is a wonderful warming cream for anyone with cold feet. Diabetics also benefit from this as well, as it helps to increase blood circulation in your extremities.

Gehwol Red Rich is a stronger version of Gehwol Warming Balm.

Gehwol Warming Bath Concentrate is a great foot bath for cold feet.

Gehwol Blue is my favorite for my own feet...a good massage cream with great fragrance and moisturizing qualities.

Gehwol Green works wonders on smelly and sweaty feet, to help eliminate foot odour.

Gehwol Leg Vitality is a product that a friend swears by. Her legs ache and she loves this to massage into her legs before bed. She says it helps a lot. I've never used it, so can't comment.

The beginning of Gehwol...
"Eduard Gelach is rightly regarded as the pioneer of modern foot-care.
As a soldier he was able to find out for himself how unbearably painful sore feet can be.
As a pharmacist he was able to successfully mix fundamental substances such as potassium carbonate, unsaturated fatty-acids, mineral based lubricants and disinfecting essential oils in such a way that he was able to market "E.Gerlach's Preservative Cream" in 1882." ~ Gehwol
Brenda

Here's a look at the original products from the 1800's...

I am glad to see this thread revived. Pokey, I loved those keens you posted so I ordered them. They are really comfy for the most part but missing the support I need in my instep so I have to send them back.

Laurie

quote:

Originally posted by llee:
I am glad to see this thread revived. Pokey, I loved those keens you posted so I ordered them. They are really comfy for the most part but missing the support I need in my instep so I have to send them back.

Laurie

so sorry to read this Laurie. Major bummer.
I hope you find another pair soon! I think the Keen brand is great, also J41.

All the best to you and "uffizi's" (your feetsies).

Pokey

See, the thing is that COMFORTABLE is not enough for me. I need to have shoes that give me enough support (like, say, Mephisto sandals) so that my legs don't get tired. For example, I recently bought a pair of really cool looking Geox laceups which are very comfortable but there is no way I would set out for a full day in Rome with them. They are just too, well, flimsy is the only word I can think of. But they would be great for walking to and from a casual dinner (which is in fact the only sort of dinner I plan on having).

And, like Chioccola, I always have AT LEAST two pair of comfortable shoes. I alternate days wearing them and that keeps my feet very happy.

I must add a recent purchase to this thread. First of all, I have a very painful foot condition that affects my ankle as well. A fallen arch which then caused the ligament to stretch. I have tried every shoe known to man to help me during our trips to Italy and France. Just before our last trip a couple of weeks ago, I found a pair of black Easy Spirit sneakers and once I had them on my feet, I never took them off while in Paris. The shoes are very light weight and rather cute. Of course, I do change into a different pair of shoes when going to dinner if I don't have far to walk. They are suede with a bit of mesh on the side and I'm thinking of buying another pair just in case they stop making these in the future. The name is Esstila and I bought them in a half size smaller than I usually wear.

My foot/ankle never hurt once in four days of walking in Paris.

Sharon J

Dear fellow feet people:
It warms my heart to see all of this comfy shoe talk. We need more comfy shoes in our lives, and not only when we travel. About five years ago I was sidelined with a wicked case of plantar fasciitis. MBT shoes cured the condition, and I still wear them almost exclusively. I wore them on my last trip to Italy and they did fine on cobblestones.

I am currently wearing the "Raha" style:
http://www.mbtshoesdirect.com/...shoes/mbt_raha_black

Their sandals are nice too, and look OK with skirts.

Hope to wean myself onto prettier comfy shoes, so I appreciate all of the suggestions.

Here is another - if you have access to a freezer, freeze a couple of filled-up water bottles. It is yummy to roll your feet around on them after hours of walking.

Walk on!

Nancy

Thanks for commenting on the MBT's!
My girlfriend SWEARS by them! She also has plantar fasciitis. The first few days she wore them, she was complaining about how SORE her feet and legs were, after wearing her MBT's. I asked her if she was wearing them all day long, right from the beginning, and she said she was. Then, she stopped, coughed and muttered, "The clerk told me to start with a couple of hours at a time for the first few days, until my body got used to them." They were really giving her legs a workout!

There are other ST'ers who love their MBT's, also. I just haven't been able to make the switch, yet...pure vanity, on my part. I hope against hope for comfy shoes that are cute, as well.

My favorite comfy (AND cute ) shoes are:
~ Clark's Privos are so comfortable and some styles are actually cool-looking! I have 2 pair of Privos, both purchased because I'd severely sprained my ankle last April, before going on a trip with my granddarling to Paris and London n July. I desperately needed to be able to walk lots and have stability underneath my feet to prevent re-injuring my ankle. Privos were miraculous for me. I'm wearing them still, and often get comments about my 'cute' shoes. Cute is a stretch, I think...but they are far from ugly!

~ GEOX saved my life in Florence, when I'd made a huge mistake in taking what I thought would be comfy shoes...within a couple of days, I had the sorest feet in the Universe. I hobbled into a GEOX store, bought a pair because they felt like heaven on my feet, and they were absolutely amazing. In spite of the blisters and horribly-rubbed-raw areas on my poor wee feet, I walked miles wearing my brand-new GEOX! Right from the first step in the morning to the last step at night, they were perfect.

~ These Keen's Mary Janes that Mindy wore to our GTG in Savannah are something I'm going to try, also. I love them!!! She swears they were beautifully comfortable, and they looked hot.hot.hot!

"These are my new shoes.
They're good shoes.
They won't make you rich like me, they won't make you rebound like me, they definitely won't make you handsome like me.
They'll only make you have shoes like me. That's it." ~ Charles Barkley
Brenda

PS...
These Privos are also very cool! So many shoes, so few feet.

Alas, I wish I could wear Keens. But my feets they are too narrow. Sigh.

Nancy

Nancy G...my feet are also narrow but long and narrow...any suggestions I have the hardes time finding anything...

Narrow foot?
Me, too!
I have a AA toe and AAAA heel, so that's narrow and most GEOX styles fit my feet perfectly. So do a few Clark's Privos and occasionally, a few Keen's styles. There will be a couple of styles in most lines of shoes that will fit my skinny-minnie foot.

I had to try on quite a few styles in each line to find the ones that fit well, especially with Privos. There were quite a few in that line that didn't fit at all, much to my disappointment.
BUT, the ones that did fit are heavenly, purely delightful to wear!

Don't give up.
There are some great shoes on the market that are made for our narrow feet.
Have a shoe party in a few good shoe stores and try on a whack of 'em to see what works for your feet! Then, let us know...add to the list of comfy shoes on this thread!

"I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky;
I left my shoes and socks there - I wonder if they're dry." ~ Spike Milligan
Brenda

Here are my Clark's Privos, the style is Tequini...I wear them barefoot. They are amazing!

...and my other Clark's Privos, called Float...just as comfy and I also wear them with or without socks. Both ways are very comfortable.

It's interesting that the ads at the top of this page when I'm posting this are all for Clark's shoes! How do they DO that?

"I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes. I had one thousand and sixty."
~ Imelda Marcos

Thanks BGE I will have to look for these when I get back to the states. I have not been able to wear the GEOX though..which keens can you wear...

My feet are also narrow. I found a store that actually measures your feet and sells shoes in various widths. It turns out that I should be wearing a size 8 narrow. I've been wearing a 7 medium because most of the stores just sell medium width shoes. No wonder my feet get blisters! I'm just like most other women, I have probably 100 pairs of shoes...too bad they're all the wrong size!
I ended up buying a pair of Ventures by Munro. They are very comfortable...fit like a glove. I put them on and walked 30 minutes on a treadmill at a pretty fast pace. At the end of 30 minutes my feet felt GREAT! I'll be really putting them to the test in June as we are planning 9 days in Florence and the Tuscany area.

Thanks for all the help!
LisaF

JilM,
I have a pair of Keen's that are not available anymore...bery comfy and soft on my feet. I am also going to try a pair of the cutie-pies that Mindy was wearing in Savannah. Here's the link for them. They are called Madrid Mary Janes.

Lisa,
If you haven't already done so, walk a LOT in those shoes before you leave for Italy! I took a new-ish pair of shoes on a trip, thinking they were comfy...at least they had been, the 2 or 3 times I'd worn them at home.
NOT! My feet were killing me within a couple of hours of walking on the cobblestone streets and sidewalks.
Now, I only take walking shoes that I've worn for ages, and so far, so good!
Let us know how it goes!

"At the end of a movie, all of my outfits are missing.
They even call: 'Tara, those were $700 shoes.' What are they going to do, search my house?" ~ Tara Reid
Brenda

LisaF would you share what store measures your foot and where it is...I love Munro's and
Brenda thanks for that link..I will check it out.
I probably will wind up throwing lots of shoes out before I get back home to the States...all the ones that did not work

Yeah, narrow feet makes it hard to find a good fit! I saw that Naturalizer has some styles that come in a narrow width - but of course not the ones I wanted.

My Privo Cider are not as good as I had hoped; while very soft and comfortable for walking, they cut my ankles a lot. I got some heel thingies so that my foot would be a little higher, but that just makes me feel like the shoe isn't really on my foot... I am keeping them, though, and hopefully they will get better.

So Brenda, you should get a commission from Geox! I gave in and ordered these Geox Stefani ballet slippers. I can't seem to find Geox around here so I figured ordering them from Zappo was OK since they have free shipping and free returns. Many people commented that they were narrow so hopefully that is true!

I wish, Chiocciola!
GEOX should give me free shoes for life, after all of the complimentary promo I've given them.

Funny thing...I googled GEOX one day last month, looking for a specific style to email to a friend, and one of my posts on Slowtrav about GEOX was at the top of the Google leader board! I laughed out loud.
Still, GEOX hasn't come calling, so far.

We need a shoe swap/exchange on Slowtrav! Most of us must have several pair of 'comfy walking shoes' that aren't. They just might be, for someone else.

"Any girl that's got a $500,000 table and $5 shoes, I'm in love with." ~ James Brolin
Brenda

My trip isn't until the middle of June, so I do plan to really break in my new shoes. I'm also going to get an alternate pair, just in case these aren't as comfortable as I'd hoped.
The place that measured my feet was a small store is in Oklahoma City called Daniel's Shoes. I saw the aparatus that is used to measure your feet in Dillard's, but they only carry medium width shoes. I can't buy my shoes from Dillard's anymore, but it's nice to know the proper size to buy.

LisaF...Odd coincidence...I will be in Oklahoma City in the fall so I will check them out...Ihave the hardest time finding comfy and good looking shoes...BTW if you have a Nordstoms try them for shoes they have lots of narrows...and thank you for the name...I just found them through google so I bookmarked them...again thanks

I posted earlier that I had to return those too darn cute Keen mary Jane that Pokey posted because of no support and went with the total opposite a Mehpisto sport sandal and these have to be returned, talk about support, the problem is they have a bump where your toes meet the ball of the foot. reminds me of birkenstocks, I sent back a pair of Aravons last week. otherwise they feel great and for the price of $68 at Sierra Trading pOst. Glad I started early for my June trip
here are the Mephistos



here is the site if that pic wont work

http://www.sierratradingpost.c...t-sandals-for-women/

I was just at the travelsmith.com site and they have a great "outlet" sub-site. A lot of you seem to be Privo wearers and I noticed a couple of cute pairs.

There is a cute pair on sale for $75 and another for $49.

I have been wearing my new Clark's Privos for several days and one foot is just killing me. I don't know the name of the style but it is mary jane-like with a strap across the instep. It's the strap across the instep on one foot that hurts. Is there a way to stretch it out a little? The strap on the other foot is fine.

I also have narrow heels (like many other posters)and apparently one heel is narrower than the other -- who knew? I bought these pretty cheaply at a Clarks outlet, so I don't feel too badly, except that they probably won't work for our upcoming trip!

I love my clark sandals so I know there is a style for narrow heeled, high arched people like me!

I've just received the pair of Naot Marilyn sandals that I ordered from Zappo's and they feel good. I had also ordered a pair of Mephisto All-rounders, but they are a bit too wide across the instep to be comfortable.

Marian

The Naots are cute. I hope you will post during and/or after your trip to let us know how well they worked out!

dd

OK!

I also got a pair for my granddaughter; she tried them on and they fit her too.

No more little feet; she's a size 37 = 6. The Allrounders didn't suit her either; the arch rubbed her foot.

I think an awful lot of people have heels that are narrow in proportion to the top end of their feet. I used to think I was the only one, a real duck foot. I've had the problem with every pair of Clark's that I've tried on--they fit fine except for the too-narrow heel, and there isn't enough give even in the back strap of sandals to compensate. Don't know why.

If you're in Paris, Converse shoes are great, but also Ben Simon. I stay comfy in my knee-high leather boots for most of the year or ballerina flats in the summer. Save your running shoes for running!
Parisgirl

I wear Dansko clogs 5/7 days a week, sometimes more. I love them. My feet love them. They are okay for many trips, but not all, clearly...

I've been thrilled with my two pairs of Taos sandals which I bought at a Walking Co. store in L.A. They have been my best friends here in Italy once it got warm enough to wear them (which is almost all the time I've been in Florence). They are take-offs on Naot clearly with cork soles. Very simple but nice design with nice Velcro straps. My feet are saying thanks the whole time I wear them. I have them in black and a kind of brownish-gold color. About $116 or something--could be less if bought online maybe? Great shoes.

P.S. I went to three museums today and walked lots more than that. Aside from needing to put them up on the bed and a bit of cold water on them (ice would be nice), they are doing fine, ready for the Florence streets--my feet, I mean, natch, not the shoes (getting tired here!)

Here is a photo of the Geox sneakers that nearly killed my feet in Rome. I knew before I left that they were somewhat flimsy, but I had no idea how awful they would be on the cobblestones. Putting pads over the insoles did not help. And, unfortunately, the weather was rather rainy so I ended up wearing them more than I would have wished.

This is the first time I've ever had shoe problems while traveling, and I will try very very hard never to do it again!

One of the most tempting sins for me is buying new shoes for a trip. I have learned the hard way, only bring the tried and true shoes on a journey. If they can make it the whole day at work, on my feet,( on cement floors covered with something someone thinks is carpeting) then they can make it on the trip.

Oh, but how I would love to buy new sandals for a summer trip!

Laura

Well, Laura, there is no protecting oneself from one's own stupidity. I wore the shoes quite a bit before I left, and they were not real comfortable. Yet I somehow convinced myself that with a padded footlet they would be MUCH better.

I referred to this thread before my trip and felt I was appropriately equipped with my Keen Ventura sneakers. The first leg of our trip was Rome and at the end of the first day my feet were killing me!!! Even the gel insoles I inserted didn't help. To make a long story short, by the time we got to London I dashed straight to Nike on Oxford Circus and got myself an UGLY but very comfy pair of running shoes.

I should leave better prepared next time!

I'm with Calypso ... there's no comparison to my Adidas running shoes when I'm traveling

I never ever wear heels in the mornings/afternoons - why spoil a holiday complaining about how much your feet all the time! Why women do that is beyond me. I understand the need to be a "diva" even when traveling, but I won't put myself through hell for it

I just take a couple of "nice" shoes for the evenings and I'm set. Mind you they're never stiletoes either - I don't do stiletoes very well Then again, I've never been that much into shoes. Strange I know!

As for handbags and purses, well that's a completely different matter!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sarahnwalker:
"Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space has ceased."
(John Steinbeck)

Great quote. W

I just returned from Rome, where we walked all over the city. I purchased a pair of the Naot Matai about a month prior to the trip and they have been absolutely divine since the first moment I put them on. After walking all over Rome, my feet never hurt at all. I was extremely impressed! They have nice supportive insoles and there is a lot of shock absorption in the heel, so that your feet never feel bruised, even after walking for days. I had happy feet! They are pretty roomy and the leather is very soft, so they aren't too binding, which is nice when your feet swell from the flight and the walking. I was in heaven!

I'm just back from Italy and Rome was my last stop. This was my first trip without Naot's and I was miserable - Rome's cobblestone streets were brutal. For the record, I took two pair of Clark Privo's and purchased a pair of Mephisto sandals in Lucca. Next year, I'm packing only Naot's.

I read in the local Carmel paper there is a trunk show today for Naot's at Lloyds' Shoes. Because of all the raves here I think I will go and check it out . Thank you. W.

Jen, did you wear the Naot Matai shoes with bare feet?

Karen

By the way there are some really cute Birkenstock sandals in the windows in Rome. 3 years ago there was only one store that sold sensible shoes. Now there are hundreds. Course that still doesn't mean that you won't see 3 inch stilletto heeled SANDALS.

I kid you not!!

I have 2 pair of the Matai - copper/burgundy
and the black ones. I wear both with socks
and without. Nice shoes.

OK, I just ordered a pair of Matai in the white with silver. I have high hopes!

Does anyone know if the Matai will be good for those of us with long and narrow feet...I do wear one style of Naot an have no problem with them but wonder about these...(I have the Naot sandal,can't remember the name, with 2 leather strips going across the front and one velcro closure with back ankle strap across the ankle)

I got these shoes from Merrell (Plie is the model) before my trip to Italy and they worked out really well. I especially liked them because they stay on my long and narrow feet! And hardly any blisters. They are not really cute enough for skirts but look great with all sorts of pants. I am wearing them a lot now after my trip as well.

I've worn the black NAOT Matai for a couple of years of travel. I was a bit dismayed when they arrived to find how soft the uppers are--my immediate thought was bedroom slippers! But I've found them comfy and to have good soles & support.

As for long, narrow feet, mine are on the narrow side and they are fine. Roomy for the toes.

Thanks, I will look them up as to where I can buy them...

I tried on a couple of styles yesterday, one with two adjustable straps across instep with rhinestone buckles in a aubergine tone - too wide and loose, even w/ straps tightened down.

The second, black strappy with velcro adjustable strap and a cute loop in the middle - the strap across toes was a bit too loose and not adjustable. Wondering if I could take it to a shoe repair place to tighten that strap or would that be okay so if my toes/feet swell from long days walking I would be happy for the looseness. (They were called "Carmen")

I did not buy anything, but there were several pairs of their new designs I could see on many of our members.

quote:

Thanks, I will look them up as to where I can buy them...

Jil, you can order them on Zappo's, free shipping both ways. (There is a note on the Zappo's website saying Naot advises that the Matai runs large, and recommends ordering a size down, so I ordered a 38 instead of my usual 39.)

And should you not be happy, the return is really easy. You just go to the website, click on return, get a return authorization and print out a pre-paid UPS label, stick it on the box, leave it for UPS, and that's it.