To sneaker or not to sneaker - that is my question.

[sunprincess]

Other comfortable shoes: Birkenstock (www.birkenstock.de), you can get them in nearly any shoe store in Germany and they're cheaper than in the US.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My birkies always travel with me ;)

[pungo3]

I am so thankful for this thread. I had planned on wearing my New Balance cross trainers for excursions, never thinking that might look "insulting" to the locals. Last week, I purchased a pair of Mephisto oxfords and have been breaking them in here at work. They are every bit as comfortable as my NB and, perhaps, even a little more so. I have to admit they do look much nicer than athletic shoes. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. I guess you really can teach an "old dog" new tricks.:)

[gopackgo]

For any of you who may be interested in where to buy Finn Comfort shoes in the Baltic's, I emailed the U.S. headquarters to get information. They replied back and told me to check the European website which has little to no information on stores.

 

The only one mentioned in London was the Taylor Made Shoes.

 

I am hoping to run across them in some stores while I am out browsing shoe stores.

 

Can someone tell me if Mephistos have a good arch in them?

 

Thanks,

 

Ginny

[dbh62ark]

Can someone tell me if Mephistos have a good arch in them?

Yes, they definitely do.

 

Pungo23, I'm not surprised that you are a convert. Mephistos are great shoes. I'm sure there are other great brands out there, but I can definitely recommend the Mephistos walking shoes and sandals.

 

I'm still hoping that someone will come back and confirm that the Mephisto store in Finland is still next to Stockman's since I was last there in 2003. I like to try to plan a little so that I can work the shoe shopping in with the sightseeing and don't spend a couple of hours just getting shoes.

 

Happy travels to all,

Donna

[dbh62ark]

If anyone has updates on Mephisto or Finn Comfort shoes shopping in the Baltics this year, I'd love to hear about it.

 

Thanks,

Donna

[Begete]

Hi everyone -

 

Count me in as a Mephisto fanatic. I used to run a support group for people with fibromyalgia and anyone who could afford them felt a big improvement in pain and mobility within weeks of beginning to wear them.

 

They need to be fitted properly by someone who knows what they are doing and worn for a while because they do not "fit" like other shoes. But once you get used to them, you will never want to wear anything else.

 

Of course, I broke my ankle and am in an orthotic which I cannot wear with my Mephistos, but I am loking forward to the day when I can wear them again.

[scoop78]

in olden days--1950, 1960--when americans traveled in europe and wore saddle shoes they were objects of shame to very sensitive fellow americans.

only americans had enough money to travel.

we live in a different world today. people of all countries travel all the long dayand they travel even to the united states.

most people wear wear clothes made in hong kong, china, etc. etc. and most of them look alike as far as fashion is concerned.

do not worry about looking like an american tourist--they don't look any different than any of the others.

manners are important--not clothing or sneakers.

important for all persons travelling.

if you behave well you will be accepted all over the place.

donna has written wisely about how to dress and how to travel comfortably.

follow her good sense advice and you cannot go wrong.

take it from a guy who wore saddle shoes throughout europe in 1950 and got along well.

today i wear new balance walking shoes( only the ones made in the us) and maphistoes. i walk miles every day.

[lionheart]

good post...I wore my (new) new balance sneakers throughtout the med last year and never felt like someone treatred me poorly for that. I don't recall anyone looking at me and then looking at my footwear. However, my attire usually consisted of khakis and a polo shirt as I toured. In addition, I did my best to be pleasant and courgeous even if some of the locals were not. Plus, walking off a tour bus probably gives it away that I am a tourist.

 

 

Regards,

 

Kurt

[JordanF]

I was on Baltic cruise two months ago. I wore sneakers every day. They were comfortable and did the job. Did I look like a "tourist?" Probably. However, regardless of the the shoes, I am sure it was be obvious anyway: I did not speak any of the local languages, I was in popular tourist areas, I was taking pictures of everything, and "worst" of all, when I was on a tour, I had a Princess sticker with my tour number on display. Let's face it, when you are on a cruise like this, you do not spend much time off the beaten track.

 

Anyway, what's so bad about looking like a tourist. The main thing, I think, is to be polite. Beyond that--really, in most of the places you go, they are happy to see you--it's what they do for a living.

[Queenk2]

o comtinue, my husbnad is a Podiatrist. Having just returned, last week for m the Med. I can speak form experience. I had 3 pair of walking sandals with me. Ecco, not too bad looking...black patent leather, beige suede Mephistos[the most comfortable] and a pair of Louis Vuitton with rubber soles. I alernated and foud if I wore the same ones everyday, my legs ached. I am fashionable and at night wore Manolo Blahnick as well as other flimsy shoes/sandals, but for cobblestones stick witha walking shoe/sandal. You will never egret being comfortable, but you might regret not being able to continue to tour in comfort. Above all, remember, we are Americans and just by looking anyone can tell.I speak French well, but when I open my mouth I let the cat out of the bag and my accent is off! Happy traveling!

[MizzLee]

Honestly, I wouldn't even think twice about it--comfort (and safety) comes first. We saw many, many people, both locals and tourists wearing sneakers. The other thing to keep in mind is that there are cobblestones (regular, square, fairly flat) and then there are COBBLESTONES which are notihng more than stones set into the road. We ran into these in several ports and they really take a toll on your ankles/knees/back. You need flat shoes with some ankle support for these--and sneakers certainly do the trick!

[Hawaiian Eye]

Honestly, I wouldn't even think twice about it--comfort (and safety) comes first. We saw many, many people, both locals and tourists wearing sneakers. The other thing to keep in mind is that there are cobblestones (regular, square, fairly flat) and then there are COBBLESTONES which are notihng more than stones set into the road. We ran into these in several ports and they really take a toll on your ankles/knees/back. You need flat shoes with some ankle support for these--and sneakers certainly do the trick!

 

 

Do you remember offhand which ports had the ankle-busting cobblestones? :cool:

[Mapu]

Having been on several European cruises our experience has been atleast 3 pair of really good walking shoes- solid non-slip soles and good support (sandals are fine for 1 pair, atheletic shoes for a second and then another pair of really comfortable shoes). It is really necessary to alternate shoes each day; sometimes even changing mid-day.

[elin]

Okay, so I admit it, my name is Elin and I'm a shoe addict. I love shoes, I love gorgeous shoes. I hate clunky ugly shoes. I hate wearing my Mizunos when I go running as they are ugly (yet not the ugliest running shoes you could buy). I have photos of myself in Italy walking for hours on the cobblestones in these really cute little slides.

Okay, so I got a little older (now 39).

Do you want a great pair of comfortable yet very stylish walking shoes?

One word, GEOX. It's an Italian firm that produces stylish non athletic looking walking shoes. I have 2 pairs, a funky looking casual shoes, and a patent leather, with horse bit shoe. Great looking, great for walking. No sneaker here, good looking shoes with comfort!

JMHO. But then again, my name is Elin and I'm a shoe addict. Hope it helps.

e

[M&T]

We found Tallinn to be the most difficult in terms of cobblestones. I wore Dansko Sandals many days and had no problem even on gravel because they are at least an inch off the ground.

[irv54]

We just came back from the Baltic and sneakers were the best. Cobblestones are brutal, especially in Estonia with all of the steps. I brought two pairs and wore one each day I was in port, incuding St. Petersburg.

[JodiBB]

We sneakered it everywhere in the Baltics! The cobbletoned streets (although charming) were not conducive for sandals. May I recommend Easy Spirits if possible? They are wonderful for walking long distances!

 

PS...irv...how's Rebecca doing???

[42trvl]

We just got back from the Baltics, and all kinds of shoes, including sneakers, were worn by both locals and tourists. The camera will probably give away the tourists much more readily than the shoes;) . One thing that was not commonly worn by the locals, espeically women, was shorts. But shoes are really a matter of your own comfort and definitely be careful with the cobblestones.