TechWife Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I'm trying to decide what shoes to take to London. Tennis/running style shoes make me feel touristy when not in the states. I usually wear boots in European countries, but I've also only been there in the fall. In the states, boots on women are usually reserved for fall & winter months. So, what type of shoes would be good to wear that wouldn't make me stand out? I plan on wearing blouses, jeans and slacks as we move about. I'll bring skirt in case we go to a nice dinner and wear some flats with that. We will be doing tourist activities - after all, we're tourists! It's my son's first trip to London so we will be visiting The Tower of London and The British Museum for certain. Everything else is up in the air (my husband travels to London frequently & we are confident in our ability to plan on the fly there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I got some black Skecher GoWalk shoes before our Europe trip and they were great. I wore them with everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Just wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, you're not really going to stand out in London because of your shoes unless you wear rabbit slippers sightseeing. Day to day I wear soft walking boots/approach shoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I tend to wear Eccos. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I tried to warn my daughter off sneakers when she went to London. She ignore my advice and informed me that London was crawling with sneaker-clad people of all ages. I haven't been to Europe in almost 20 years so my advice as apparently dated :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieF Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Yes it is dated! You won't stick out wearing sneakers, even brightly coloured ones! Wear shoes comfortable enough that you can walk for 8 hrs plus for several days. Stephanie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieF Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 PS London is FULL of tourists 365 days a year, the increase in visitors is staggering, in fact there seem to be fewer Londoners around than ever before unless you visit the business district Stephanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 Just wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, you're not really going to stand out in London because of your shoes unless you wear rabbit slippers sightseeing. Day to day I wear soft walking boots/approach shoes. Well, they aren't rabbit, but I do have a pair of these... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 embrace your tourist status & wear runners.I wore these all through Europe a couple years ago. Didn't even bring a second pair of shoes - that was it for the whole trip. Fancier tops, flowy pants, jewellry & I called it dressed up. Jeans & cotton tops for day to day with a funky jacket/scarf. The following year I went back & wore a different pair - black with pink soles. My whole family was in runners. Darker colored & trail running styles tend to blend better imo but always go with comfort first. I'd rather go further, climb higher, see all the things, be able to run to catch that bus/tube than to look more dressed up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I somehow didn't realize till just before we left for Europe last summer that my only comfy walking shoes that weren't trashed were my running shoes, that I don't even wear around for regular stuff stateside. I ended up going shoe shopping in London. :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I somehow didn't realize till just before we left for Europe last summer that my only comfy walking shoes that weren't trashed were my running shoes, that I don't even wear around for regular stuff stateside. I ended up going shoe shopping in London. :D What a terrible, terrible hardship :D 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Tennis Shoes are pretty popular in the store windows here, wear what is comfortable for you. After one of the WTM no white tennis shoes in Europe threads I went to the mall (we do have a nice big mall) and counted what people were wearing on their feet. It wasn't the busiest of days and I do not live in a popular tourist destination.....can't remember my numbers but almost everyone had tennis shoes on in some form and wait for it....white was one of the more popular colours. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiara.I Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I don't like wearing sneakers unless I'm doing athletics. So I'd vote for European walking shoes. Since, well, you'll be walking. In Europe. ;) Clarks, Josef Seibels, something like that. A Mary Jane style would be great, as they would go with shorts and pants and skirts. Something like this: http://www.clarksusa.com/us/womens/womens-collection/Haley-Stork-Navy-Nubuck/p/26068988 http://www.zappos.com/clarks-evianna-peal-black-leather http://www.zappos.com/josef-seibel-ingrid-black 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okra Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I don't like wearing sneakers unless I'm doing athletics. So I'd vote for European walking shoes. Since, well, you'll be walking. In Europe. ;) Clarks, Josef Seibels, something like that. A Mary Jane style would be great, as they would go with shorts and pants and skirts. Something like this: http://www.clarksusa.com/us/womens/womens-collection/Haley-Stork-Navy-Nubuck/p/26068988 http://www.zappos.com/clarks-evianna-peal-black-leather http://www.zappos.com/josef-seibel-ingrid-black Those are cute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Hey, Clarks are an English company, aren't they? I have worn my Clarks all over Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted May 21, 2015 Author Share Posted May 21, 2015 I went to DSW tonight and came home with three pairs of shoes. Some have to go back. I just can't decide. I have these in beige. These in black. These in black. I also have these in white that I purchased last year. I left about ten pairs behind. Sigh. Decisions, decisions. ETA: I tried on some Clark's while I was there. I didn't find them as comfortable as the Skechers, but I think they would be comfortable if I wasn't planning to walk as much. I'm getting ready to embrace my inner tourist... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I lived in London for several years. I think the only thing to avoid is big white running shoes with big white soles. Athletic shoes are super popular in the UK, but they tend to be more streamlined and low profile than in the US. Your DSW choices all look good. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 . I ended up going shoe shopping in London. :D The first year that we were married (and still in graduate school), my husband was asked to speak at a conference in London. When he arrived there, he discovered a previously unnoticed large hole through the bottom of one dress shoe. So HE got to go shopping for shoes in London! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I lived in London for several years. I think the only thing to avoid is big white running shoes with big white soles. Athletic shoes are super popular in the UK, but they tend to be more streamlined and low profile than in the US. Your DSW choices all look good. I agree. There's something about those big white trainers that does say 'tourist'. I'm sure that this is partly a hangover from the first time we saw big white trainers, which was decades ago on tourists. There's also a bit of an age difference still, I think. While British younger people are likely to wear athletic shoes, older people (middle age and up) are less likely to. I live near a tourist town, and the British middle aged to elderly people are likely to wear 'sensible' leather shoes (Clarks and the like) whilst all ages of tourists are more likely to wear trainers (and baseball caps). However: comfort trumps everything when travelling, so long as you are not offending local cultural sensibilities. And if you are a tourist in London, you'll be in good company, so it might not be worth the hassle of trying to fly under the radar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 It's also worth checking that whatever you choose can cope with rain since it can rain any time of year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 It's also worth checking that whatever you choose can cope with rain since it can rain any time of year. Definitely. Leather or Gore-Tex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Street sneakers such as pumas would work. The all white or all black sneakers scream American tourist to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 We just got back from Europe a few days ago. We walked many, many miles every day, so comfort was the priority in footwear. I chose my tennis shoes because they are the most comfortable shoes I own (yes, I own Clarks and Walking Cradles, but the sneakers are still more comfortable). I didn't care that I looked like a tourist. I was a tourist. *shrug*. There's nothing inherently evil or rude about white tennis shoes, and trust me, they'll know you're an American with or without the tennies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted May 23, 2015 Author Share Posted May 23, 2015 I added these to the collection today! I think they are the winners. I'm looking not only for comfy shoes, but ones that I can wear not only with jeans, but if I put on a pair of slacks for a nice dinner out one evening. I'd like to only bring one pair with me, if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeAndTheBoys Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 When we went to London, I wore these everywhere: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/58464?feat=506705-GN2&page=women-s-comfort-mocs It was before kids, we took everything in two school-sized backpacks, and dressed simply the whole time. I had two pairs of thin-material black jeans, a few shirts, a black or dark gray sweater and a jacket. Not touristy--we kept getting asked for directions :) I have this version of those shoes now, and would probably take them instead: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/74833?feat=506705-GN2&page=women-s-comfort-mocs-mary-jane A little more stylish-- Both very comfortable. B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.