Shoes

There is a saying among horsepeople: "No foot, no horse." It applies to humans, too, when you're walking six to 10 miles a day through hills and across cobblestones.

In an effort to choose comfortable walking shoes, too many people opt for tennis shoes or sneakers, but few things mark an American tourist like tennis shoes.

What's wrong with that? Tennis shoes are an easy way for pickpockets to spot a tourist, a.k.a. an easy target.

You want good "street shoes" or boots for your trip:

• sturdy and well-made

• comfortable

• low (or no) heel

• completely broken in

Sturdy and well-made

Forget the super cute $10 shoes you wear with that killer outfit; they won't last through the Alps. They may not even last through London.

Go for the classics instead. I like Ariat, Blundstone, Dansko, Keen and Merrell. My all-time favorite is a pair of secondhand Merrell boots, just high enough to keep me from rolling an ankle and fitted with Ariat ATS insoles. Other good names are Clark, Bjorn and Ugg, and more are out there. Check your local consignment shop or eBay for deals.

Comfortable

You are likely to walk many miles a day on all kinds of terrain. I usually log six to 10 miles each day, with occasional 15- to 20-mile days. In talking with other travelers, I've learned that that's common.

A few words about cobblestones! As much as I admire the Romans for building roads all over Europe that have lasted for thousands of years, their cobblestones wreak havoc on shoes and feet, even after being worn "smooth." And if it rains - which is likely at least every few days - cobblestones turn into jagged ice rinks that prey on your knees, ankles and elbows.

Low (or no) heel

High heels just don't work for long-distance walking. You're more likely to fall or get a sore back (and other parts) from the unnatural angle forced onto your joints. Save the heels for fancy occasions; wear flats for vacation.

Completely broken in

Don't make my mistake of getting a pair of boots a month before vacation and thinking they are "broken in enough."

At home and work, the boots I got were just fine (and cute), but the first 15-mile day in Germany left my feet a literal bloody mess. I shipped the boots home, wore my backup pair, and limped through the rest of the trip. It took about two months to heal from that one day. Ouch!

You want shoes or boots that are completely, totally, absolutely broken in.

A note on style

If you're traveling to Europe, street shoes or ankle boots in black or dark brown are popular; Europeans choose earth tones and solids over bright colors and patterns. Although they probably own fewer pairs of shoes than Americans, their shoes and boots are well-crafted and last a long time. Probably to survive those cobblestones.

If you're still perplexed about what will work well, check out the live webcams of the cities you're traveling to (if you're heading for major cities that have webcams); watch what the people there are wearing. Some of them may be tourists, but a lot of them will be locals. It will give you a good idea of how to blend in -- somewhat -- so you finish your trip in comfort.