Shoes in Stockholm, Feet in Finland - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

Degrassi · 06-25-2006, 07:34 AM

Hey all!

I thought I was wearing the wrong socks, too thick, then too think. I was tying them too tight or loose. I was being a wimp... I tried to push through it, but today was the straw that broke the camels back. I had to cut a day of walking around Stockholm off early because my feet hurt too much.

There is something wrong with my shoes. I should be tired at the end of a long touristing day, but not in pain.

I will leave here in 2 days for Finland. Ideally, I would like to have some shoes ASAP, but suggestions from Finland, Estonia, Latvia are welcome too.

What Iäm looking for... I want something good for general touristing.. museums, outdoor street walking, etc. Iäd like something one can jog in too, since I intend to do some of that. If possible, Iäd also like osmething with at least a bit of ankle support so I can hike, but I realize nothing is perfect.

I have gone into a few travel stores so far, looked at a pair of Northface hedgehogs and liked them okay, but feel like I can do better.

Ideally I would stay under 100 Euros, but... well, if I have to go higher, I will.
Thanks...

**beergal** · 06-25-2006, 10:33 AM

did you "brake" your shoes in before you went on your trip...i think you are going to have to suffer a bit of pain until you do. I always to my sightseeing in a pair of trainers or flip flops if its warm

**florencia9699** · 06-25-2006, 11:08 AM

Yeah.. perhaps it's better to sightsee with something you're totally comfortable in.

If you didnt break in your shoes before you went to Scandinavia, then it's more than likely that the same thing will happen with your new pair.. if that's the case, I think you should just buy loads of band-aids (the thick kind). Or perhaps try those little feet cushions that Dr Scholl sells. Like the corn removers or corn cushions and put them wherever you're hurting... hey! if they are nice and soft for the old ladies, they should be great for you!!

But if your shoes are well broken into but are just plain uncomfortable, I think you should go for something you could easly break into in like 2 days. Go for something that doesnt look too rigid, like a pair of Nikes or Pumas... otherwise you'll just be in pain for the rest of your trip trying to break into new shoes.

Hope this helps!!

Degrassi · 06-25-2006, 11:21 AM

Nah, I'd had them for a couple months, worn them around London and surrounding areas. The issue was, I believe, they were trail runners and using them on streets and sidewalks wore them down. That's what the dude at the store guessed anyway.

This is beyond any shoe discomfert I've ever felt.

I'd like to buy something new and sturdy, something that will hold up nicely for the next 5 months.

Are there any good travel stores around Scandanavia or The Baltics?
? Any uber comfy/practical shoe advice or reccomendations?

Argh.. I'm having a rough day for gear. My beloved camera bit the dust today..E18 error my ass. It'll cost as much to get it fixed as it will to buy a new one.

**d_fresh** · 06-25-2006, 11:24 AM

For walking I like Nike ACG and New Balance All Terrains generally.

**tumblezweedz** · 06-25-2006, 01:25 PM

A shoe chain I know of in the Baltics and Germany (so it might be in Scandinavia as well) is RENO. If you find one, they sell Bama shoes, in a range of styles. I bought a pair of Bama walking sandals there in 2004, wore them pretty well exclusively all that summer and the next and they're still holding up fine this year. Have also bought Bama shoes for my kids, and they're sturdy as stink. I think the shoes I bought were about 50 Euros or so, but they may have been on sale. Still, a lot of sandals and summer clothes are already on sale, so you may have good luck there.

A general department store chain that has good prices is H&M. It's a Swedish company, I think, but they have them throughout northern Europe, at any rate.

Another place to watch out for in the Baltics and I *think* in Scandinavia is "Humana". It's a second hand store with decent clothes (often new overstocks) and sometimes dirt cheap prices. In Lithuania I could get kids clothes for about 30 Euro cents, and adult clothes for about 1 Euro. I wouldn't recommend them for shoes, but if you need anything else it's good to know about.

Good luck!

**space virgin** · 06-25-2006, 10:24 PM

I always pimp out Dansko shoes (regardless of place of purchase). But it just so happens that they're Scandinavian... and specifically Swedish, I think. Maybe. You should be able to find them there though.

xanthuos · 06-25-2006, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by space virgin@Jun 26 2006, 01:24 AM
I always pimp out Dansko shoes

[snapback]128037[/snapback]

Quit lying. You don't pimp anything

**space virgin** · 06-25-2006, 11:06 PM