Stylish but comfortable shoes for sightseeing in London & Paris?

becesq

O.G.
Jan 13, 2010
138
0
Beyond sneakers or sporty flip flops/sandals, what would you wear for long days of sightseeing? I need to go from museum/parks to nice restaurants/shops wearing mostly dresses/skirts and with three young kiddos.

Are open toe shoes acceptable during the day at high end restaurants? Was thinking of those standard thong Manolo sandals with the strap. And the Prada t-strap sandals and Lanvin flats for days with more walking. Unfortunately, none of these are as comfortable as sneakers...
 
These are seem like totally fine options for day or night dining in London, even at high-end places, assuming you'll be there in warm weather. Otherwise, flat black boots are always acceptable.
 
I was in Europe all last summer. I wore my Tieks quite a bit and some Jimmy Choo flats. Charlotte Olympia makes super comfy and adorable flats too.. People don't wear heals like we do in the US and the roads are so uneven. For night I brought a pair of gold jimmy Choo wedges with a low heal and they were perfect! Have fun!!
 
Beyond sneakers or sporty flip flops/sandals, what would you wear for long days of sightseeing? I need to go from museum/parks to nice restaurants/shops wearing mostly dresses/skirts and with three young kiddos.

Are open toe shoes acceptable during the day at high end restaurants? Was thinking of those standard thong Manolo sandals with the strap. And the Prada t-strap sandals and Lanvin flats for days with more walking. Unfortunately, none of these are as comfortable as sneakers...
If doing lots of walking wear comfortable flats or nice flat sandals for going to high end restaurants.


We do wear heels a lot in London but most of us either get taxi's or carry a pair flats with us as well.
 
I was recently in London and I wore my blingy miu miu ballet flats- so comfy but they still look dressy so they can go from day to night easily.

I recommend a pair of ballet flats; for evening maybe go with a nice wedge/stacked heel. You never know in cities with cobblestones etc...I live in Boston and it's crazy the number of heels I've destroyed just walking around lol
 
Wear Ballet flats only if they have some added support. Otherwise, your feet will get so tired. I've traveled a lot in Paris and London and wore Cole Haan metallic gold driving mocs (they look like Tods) that were really stylish and so comfy! I Also wore Superga sneakers and comfy little Munro black ankle boots. Rubber soles are so much easier on your feet.

Seriously, a shoe that works around where you live will still probably bug you with the amount of walking you have to do in these major sightseeing cities. Yes, even Lanvin or Chanel flats.
You have to get something that's just ultra comfy.
Also, try to rotate your shoes on your trip. Wear one out for a few hours in the morning and change mid-day if you stop back at your hotel.
 
flats and sandals will be okay, but I agree they might not be the most comfortable (especially on all the cobblestones). Ankle boots or loafers might be better, and also appropriate. If you'd like to wear sneakers, I think converse or vans are comfortable but do look nice with dresses. I'm not sure about wearing those to nice restaurants though, but there are so many tourists with running shoes (like the white skecher ones), shorts and fanny packs that go there too that I can't imagine a cute dress with converse are not okay?
 
I usually wear my Tod's ballet flat in daytime and Roger Vivier chip flat when I go to posh dinner. Tod's are very comfortable for me to walk in the park or shopping. I wear my Chanel flat sandals when the weather is hot.
 
I agree with the comment above that if you wear ballet flats, make sure they come with support. I wore TB Revas in a trip to London once and it hurt so bad. I just came back from London again and summer is in full swing - I alternated between my Tods drivers, Toms espadrilles (these are really the best) and LK Bennett wedges for our dinners.
 
I agree with the comment above that if you wear ballet flats, make sure they come with support. I wore TB Revas in a trip to London once and it hurt so bad. I just came back from London again and summer is in full swing - I alternated between my Tods drivers, Toms espadrilles (these are really the best) and LK Bennett wedges for our dinners.
Yessss, Tom's are awesome. I was walking around London with a friend, not even sightseeing, and my flats started to hurt, so I went a bought the first pair of Tom's I saw because I love them so much.

And yes, converse sneakers are totally fine for day wear.