Survive Family Travel: The Best Shoes for Europe
The next few posts are going to be dedicated to preparation for a trip to Europe I will be taking in May. For Christmas this year, my husband figured out a way to rearrange his schedule to get the kids to and from school, and set up temporary daycare for our 3yo, so I could go on a 2-week family heritage trip with my sisters and mom to Germany.
Hands off, ladies, he's all mine!
I haven't been to Europe in an embarrassingly long time, so I need to do some major personal preparation. As is common with most moms, I tend to put my needs on the back burner: new clothes, shoes, haircut, time with friends, etc.
By spending some time preparing now, hopefully this will mean that I am all ready to go for the next time we travel out of the country as a family.
The first thing I will need is reliable footwear.
When selecting footwear, I have a few criteria that are pretty standard for most women:
1) Comfort - I have one wide foot and one normal foot, high arches. I break in shoes for at least two weeks pre-trip!
2) Functionality - Needs to be able to handle a little rain/rough terrain.
3) Style - Needs to be neither a typical "American" gym shoe, nor an orthopedic grandma shoe and must look cute with pants, skirts, or capris.
1) Comfort:
I have one foot with a bunion which makes it about a half-inch wider than my other foot. Strappy footwear often crosses my foot in the wrong place and is painful. Also, I learned during my 10 years of retail experience that having good arch support is fundamental when it comes to comfort. It doesn't matter how "cushion-y" a shoe is if it doesn't support the arch. My Go-To for arch support has been Dansko brand shoes for with pants, but I have yet to find a style that looks cute with shorts/dresses/capris and doesn't weigh a million pounds. Clogs/Danskos are out, ballet flats (torture devices) are out, sandals are out.
2) Functionality:
I anticipate walking long distances (at least 10 miles a day) while in Germany this May. We will not be hiking or backpacking, but walking through little towns and maybe up the occasional scenic hill, castle wall, or turret. (More on how I'm preparing for this soon!) I need to be able to get them a little dirty/wet without making them look grubby - therefore light colored shoes are out, canvas is out.
3) Style:
When I travel, I try to look as much like a native person as possible. Now, that is not always possible, but I try not to stick out. This is NOT because I am embarrassed or ashamed to be an American. Rather, I prefer to blend in with my surroundings and not be a spectacle because it allows me to experience the culture as a member instead of as an outsider. I would prefer not to be labeled, if possible. I have found that I am targeted less by pick-pockets and weirdos and beggars if I don't look like a "rich American" and if I also look like I know what I'm doing.
Therefore, I don't ever wear tennis shoes abroad. Never. I know they're comfortable and made for walking and a million other excuses. But they are like a target on my back for negative experiences. Besides the fact that they are clunky, don't look cute with any dress or pants or anything really. Backpackers and hikers and super-athletes, this excludes you, of course. Although, even hiking boots are cuter than tennies.
The Best Shoe for Europe:
This is NOT a sponsored post. Now, this is my pick but as always, do what works best for you. These are the Clark's Cloudsteppers Sillian Stork Flats.
Picture from QVC.com, click image for affiliate link!
The Sillian Stork Flats come in tan, light blue, red, navy and maybe some more colors. I bought black.
1) Comfort:
These horizontal straps that go across the foot have elastic in them, so they are extremely forgiving on my wide foot. The heel is a little loose, but I have walked about 10 miles in mine so far and haven't noticed any tenderness. The inside of the shoe has "Cloudstepper" technology - which basically means your foot feels secure and supported.
Picture from QVC.com
2) Functionality:
This shoe is unlike most loafers or ballet flats because it has a thicker rubber bottom. That means that I can step in more than a millimeter of water without getting my foot soaked. The exterior is a man-made "fabric" but is easy to wipe off. It is black, so I won't be disappointed when it gets dirty after traipsing around old cobblestone streets and dirt paths will dust right off. Great textured bottom tread, grips the ground well. *Bonus: Easy to get on/off at airport security.
3) Style:
This shoe will be perfect for 99% of our events in Germany. Site-seeing, ice cream-eating, castle-visiting, church-going, shopping, restaurant-ing, etc. I plan on bringing one other pair of fancier shoes for if we go to a nice restaurant or opera.
I plan to wear these from now until our trip to break them in a bit. Hopefully, I'll have about 25 miles or more on these before we leave.
What do you look for in footwear for your traveling needs?