5 Rules for What Shoes to Wear in Europe (as a Tourist)

What Shoes to Wear in Europe

Wow, who knew shoes were such a touchy subject?! The comment section on this video is riddled with emphatic remarks on my personal 5 Rules for Shoes and I want to clarify and reiterate some things so, here goes…

Rule #1, There are no secret/perfect shoes

There is no one shoe I recommend over another. Why? Because there are loads of right shoes and they are different for every person. For most people the biggest challenge to one’s feet is when they go on a trip they walk (far) more than they are used to.

First and foremost, walk before a trip. Walk around town, your neighborhood or on a treadmill…for miles. Start slow, gather speed and endurance over time. If you can walk on hills (or crank up the elevation on the treadmill) this will help with stamina and prepare you for cities like Lisbon or Rome that have several hills.

Rule #2 Don’t wear Tennis (Running) Shoes

Running shoes are great for running. But walking for miles upon miles on (often) cobbled streets all that soft squishiness underfoot actually isn’t very helpful. For one, they are usually clunky which can impede walking on uneven surfaces. I swear the thicker the cushion the higher your foot is from the ground and the wobblier you can become.

I personally find my feet are happier in stiff or hard(er) soled shoes. I am not a podiatrist, I can’t tell you scientifically why but, I think it is because rather than squishing down into a foam footbed with each step your foot is actually sensing the ground beneath your feet.

Also, hard soled shoes are sturdy, they hold up to those hard-uneven surfaces well. They are thinner which means you are lifting your feet less. It may be incremental but tell me it’s not hard to pick up your feet after you spending 8 hours walking the streets of Paris.

Here’s the touchy bit… American tennis shoes look different than the tennis shoes people wear in Europe. I stand by this statement. We just have different styles, not a bad thing but, when (unsavory) people can pick you out as a foreigner you are more likely to be a target for pickpockets and scams.

I never want one of our fans to be robbed, scammed or pickpocketed. The more things one can do to ‘fit in’ the better. Boy, this statement really angered some people. I currently live in the US, I have lived in Europe, I spend months there every year. Some of my best friends are European, and they agree, you can often spot an American by their big ol’ running shoes.

I am not saying our shoes are the only thing that make Americans stand out, our overly loud boisterous nature, giant backpacks and fanny packs are far more obvious clues to our status as tourists. But changing our nature is harder than changing our shoes.

Certainly, some Europeans wear running shoes much like ours. They just wear them for running or sports activities. You rarely see people in running shoes out shopping or going about their daily business, but you do see them in what I call ‘urban street shoes’.

Urban street shoes? Think Converse Chucks or Adidas Superstars. Both have flexible but solid soles.

This is a good ‘tennis’ shoe for those beautiful cobbled streets. And quite frankly, they go with a myriad of other clothing options…would you wear runners with a sundress? Probably not but, you can totally throw a pair of Superstars on with one!

So, think outside the running shoe box to shoes with thinner, stiffer soles that can accommodate more clothing choices. Shoes take up a significant amount of space in a suitcase so try bringing one or two that can go with many clothing options.

Rule #3 Wear Good Shoes

If you wear cheap (not inexpensive mind you, but cheap) shoes your feet will not love you. Take Good shoes, sturdy shoes that will hold up to several miles a day for the length of your trip. Cheap shoes will fall apart and then where will you be? Buying shoes. Buying shoes on a trip isn’t a bad thing, I do it all the time and I’ll address that in a bit.

When deciding which shoes to take remember that your feet will likely swell a bit, especially in the heat of summer, so take shoes that will accommodate that. You need shoes with some structure but also resilience. I like leather shoes, they meet that criteria of structure and resilience so well.

I love Birkenstocks in the summer months. They have a perfect sole in my opinion, stiff with a bit of cushion and they have become more fashion forward that those ‘Jesus shoes’ of years gone by.

Good shoes are well made and have excellent support. If you have these in your closet and you love them, take them.

Rule #4 Wear Lightweight Shoes

Heavy shoes suck. They suck the energy right out of you. Unless you have calves like The Hulk wear shoes that don’t weigh a metric ton. Do I need to explain this further?

Heavy shoes get heavier as the day goes by. Start out in those puppies and you think, ‘I got this, they are sturdy and keep my ankles from rolling and they are just great!’ By 5pm, after trekking all over those beautiful marble sidewalks in Athens you’ll think the mob had fitted you with concrete boots and you’ll be begging Tony Two Face to toss you into the sea.

I know, you are going to Iceland or hiking in Lapland and you need boots. Get good ones that aren’t crazy heavy. I bought new hiking boots a few years ago for Iceland. I tried on a lot before narrowing it down to two. Of those two, one was on sale and the other was about 2lbs lighter per foot. Guess which one I bought. My legs weren’t aching, my feet were happy and didn’t feel like they were encased in quickcrete.

Do wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane and pack the smaller ones to save space in the suitcase.

Rule #5 Buy Shoes Abroad

I am not saying go to Europe with flip flops on your feet and expect to buy all the shoes you will wear on the trip while you are on the trip. That is silly. But don’t be afraid to buy a pair.

Typically, when I buy shoes on a trip I don’t wear them right away unless I have a day where I am doing very little walking. You know, the day of the 6hr train ride or 2 flights across 7 countries.

You do want shoes that you’ve broken in a bit, shoes that know your feet and that your feet enjoy. My feet appreciate shoes with whom they’ve had a few dates before they are whisked off to another continent with them. If you do buy shoes on a trip save the daily wearing of them for your next trip when they are on a more intimate standing with your piggies.

One thing to remember when buying shoes, and in all things while traveling, is that people live and thrive in the places you visit. They have shoe inserts and band-aids to help if you do find your feet protesting.

By all means buy shoes on a trip. Buying shoes abroad is fun (buying shoes is always fun for me) and they are a great souvenir. That snow globe isn’t going to serve much functional purpose in your life back home but shoes certainly will.

Remember there is no perfect travel shoe. Walk A LOT to prepare. Choose good shoes that are supportive and well made. Wear shoes that are lightweight and still meet the criteria of having structure resilience and good soles.

In the end take shoes you love and that love your feet. Savor all the beautiful places those shoes will take you.

Jocelyn