Hiking/Walking Shoes

Dad was telling me about “European Walking Shoes” and this is what I turned up when I googled the phrase.

It looks like the original poster in the above discussion was listening to the same podcast that Dad was. No one seems to be quite sure what exactly is meant by “European Walking Shoes” (EWS?) But it sounds like she might just be talking about a hybrid shoe/boot – I.E. a sort of low-rise hiking boot that can pass as street shoes. regardless, there’s a lot of specific recommendations and resources shared in the thread.

The recommendation comes from Cassandra Overby. In her book she mentions that her favorite brands of EWS include Naturalizer, Aragon, and Merrell, so that’s a starting point, potentially. Other posters recommend ECCO Urban Hiker/Walkers, Meindle, Mephisto, Vicar & Lowa boots.

Here’s a “Best Walking Shoes” forum on the Rick Steve’s website.

Here’s a health website article on the differences between walking and running shoes.

REI’s gear guide on how to choose Hiking Boots.

REI’s gear guide talking about the difference between typical hiking boots and what they call “Trail-runners.” I think what they’re calling trail runners is getting a little bit closer to EWS, but maybe even lighter than that.

And finally, because Martha & I both have pretty flat feet, Here’s REI’s insole guide. When we do hike up into the mountains, I think we’re gonna have a hard time finding anything that has enough cushioning and arch support to keep us comfortable, without also sticking some kind of insole in there.