Manolo the Columnist
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,
I will be going to Europe (London, Paris, Rome) for vacation and want to have a comfortable pair of walking shoes that are also not so boxy or ugly and which I can wear to a restaurant without shocking or offending.
J.D.
Manolo says, somewhere, some wag has noted that the American abroad may be distinguished from the natives by his white sneakers, which he insists on wearing everywhere, even to meet the Pope.
And now, because of this slander, the American traveler worries about the quality of his feetwear, refusing to wear the sneakers out of fear that they will offend the delicate sensibilities of the Germans and the Greeks.
While the Manolo applauds anything that convinces the Americans to wear the better shoes, he nonetheless must note that the Europeans are notorious complainers, and better shoes on the Americans will not stop this.
Trust the Manolo, he knows this. He is European.
Still, it does not hurt to wear the handsome and comfortable shoes while traveling. In this case the Manolo would recommend the Cary by Mephisto as being suitable for the multitude of European situations. They are made in France, so you can be assured that your shoes have been pre-approved by the natives.
Jenny too is a european who comes into frequent contact with the americans and she would much appreciate it if they would all listen to the wise words of the Manolo and wear better shoes. That said she also wishes that many of the Europeans would listen to the wise words of the Manolo, she knows too many people who think it is okay to combine an otherwise nice outfit with the greying sneakers (trainers).
Also she would like to register her concern that the sneakers are slowly disappearing, but only to be replaced by something much much worse…
These shoes are really American. They look like they encase the feet of the kick-ass Yanks who have come to liberate us from the Nazi jackboot. You could land on the beaches of Normandy in these and power all the way up to Berlin in them.
The French wear sissy shoes, and the Italians wear fine Gucci loafers, while the British wear lace-up brogues. That’s the way it is.
Manolo, great wisdom, as always.
I’m half-Swiss, half-American, and I live in Berlin, where I’ve thankfully been liberated from the Nazis.
I also come into contact with tourists daily.
To all tourists:
I have to say that the wardrobe choices of tourists do leave something to be desired. Yes, dress is important. But so much more important is your comportment. Do not speak loudly in English, do not yell to Edna that you are “over here”, and do not expect everyone and their mother to speak English (not that you would). If you don’t speak the language, fine. But understand that you are in their country, not the other way around. A hotel is a perfectly normal place to expect English to be spoken, however.
Always be polite; never forget to say “please” and “thank you”–extra points if you can say it in the language. Learn to ask if someone speaks English in that language, if possible. If you need to ask for directions, almost anyone is willing to help. Just remember to start with an “excuse me”.
Do not make loud comments about the natives, do not express your distain for the country’s history (if I hear one more tasteless Nazi joke….).
In short, be sensitive to the fact that you are indeed a visitor, but not everyone is your host.
That said, the only tourists that stand out are the tacky ones, the ones who just don’t get it. Any chance you have to improve how we are perceived should be taken advantage of.
This is JD himself. Thank you Manolo for the excellent advice and to all the posters as well. I agree that it is important to be as polite as possible and by good fortune have been to Europe many times so I can speak a little language (it helps so much). After looking at the Mephistos I found they were too low to stay on well for my foot so I went with a couple of Cole-Haans, the Air Estadio http://couture.zappos.com/n/p/dp/21704156/c/3.html and the Zeno http://couture.zappos.com/n/p/dp/21704539/c/3.html
Of course I will take my A. Testoni’s for evening dinners.
Now the Zeno slip-on is a very European shoe.
Please! Can the Manolo answer this most pressing question….for the woman traveler?
A week in Ireland, a week in London and a long weekend in Provence. I wish to only take two pairs of shoes – help!
I second Sarah’s question. What are we ladies to wear, especially on those of us who are desk-bound during our non-vacations, thus prone to shocking our feet by even being on them. Super-cold weather means the flat boots and tropics can justify sandals, but what about the moderate-weather city trip? Over cobblestones, etc. Aiiii! My feet are already hurting and making preemptive demands for Nikes!
I was always curious why Europeans didn’t think I was an American during my time in Italy and Croatia last summer. It must have been the black leather sandals that were so wonderful for walking. It must have been also the fact I didn’t feel the need to carry around everything in a fanny pack and wear t-shirts proclaiming I’d seen every tourist trap city in Europe.
If you’re more comfortable wearing sneakers, wear sneakers. I don’t think a person ought to be judged solely by what one wears. However, behavior speaks for itself and I agree with e about how the courteous American, or any other nationality, for that matter, should behave while traveling abroad.
I, for one, do not like to feel as if I’m advertising a company (or city, or restaurant) for free so I tend to stay away from clothes that have ostentatious logos and labeling. Also, I don’t wear fanny packs. However, my feet tend to get very tired and sore if I wear shoes other than sneakers. Of course at work, I will wear heels, but there have been some days where I came home and almost started crying because my feel literally felt as if they were bleeding. So if the choice is to wear some nice shoes and be miserable, or to wear something comfortable so I can really enjoy my visit, I will always choose the latter.
Oh, Manolo, add me to the list of women wanting an answer to this question. Research trip to England (10 days or so), and I have one splendid pair of apple green suede loafers by Gabor (they’re pretty good, I must say) but a) I’m not sure how they’ll be for lots o’ walking, since they’re new. And I’d like a second pair of something–maybe something I’d feel more sure will walk well while keeping me at least a second cousin to the superfantastically shod.
Here are the Gabors, if anyone wants to give them a shot.
Oops — sorry. I guess I don’t know how to leave a hyperlink. Trying to give the Gabors loafer link again, but being really apologetic.
http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7228363.html
Normally I agree totally with the Manolo’s opinion on all matters footwear, but these shoes are really ugly. How about something more stylish, from Frattelli Rossetti or Stuart Weitzman? Or a nice pair of patent leather loafers?
Mrs E (from London but always in Italian shoes)
I disagree with Mrs E – I love those shoes and may have to buy them for my significant other. They look comfortable, very American (even though made by a French company) and casually chic.
As for the the inappropriately casual tacky clothing worn by tourists, it’s not just Americans. I have seen plenty of atrocities worn by European tourists. I live in NYC and for years worked in the Wall St area, near the World Trade Center. There were always lots of European tourists about – they were easy to spot since you could hear them speaking German, French, Dutch, etc, consulting their maps and often stopping me to ask for directions. (Now of course there are even more tourists there as people from all over the world flock to see the big hole in the ground). In general, the clothing worn by these Euros was every bit as bad as that sported by Americans in Europe. I’m talking black socks with sandals and shorts (favored by Germans), ill-fitting, off-looking jeans, and fanny packs. Yes, I have seen plenty of Euros (mostly men) sporting fanny packs. The worst would be those tourists of a certain middle age dressed in bizarrely youthful clothing – I’m talking capris (on men), usually accessorized with a man bag and trendy, fussy-looking footwear. The worst was seeing a Scandinavian family on the subway once. The teens, apart from a slight Euro flair, looked like pretty standard issue teen-agers worldwide. Mom was dressed like the teens – the look was too young for her but not too bad. But the dad – ayyyy. He was wearing those aggressively hip eyeglasses that only architects in this country wear, cargo capris (with lots of large pockets, chains, etc) and a football-style jersey. Give me a track-suited, Nike-wearing American any day! And don’t even get me started on the bizarre clothing choices of the Japanese tourists or the many young (local) women I saw in London last year wearing flip-flops with dirty feet!
Being a tourist in a big city in the summer is pretty grueling. You’ll do a lot of walking, the temps may be well above 90 and you’re going to need someplace to put your camera, your purchases, your sweater for the heavily air-conditioned shops. So a backpack or a fanny pack may be necessary. So go ahead, be comfortable. Just spruce up a bit for the nice restaurants and Lincoln Center (the theater is a lost cause – just try not to wear shorts).
And of course there’s always the frightening prospect of European beachwear – especially that worn by men. Please, keep it on the beaches of St. Tropez – don’t frighten the small children on the beaches of Miami or Southern California!
I don’t want to seem mean, but Americans have been excoriated (and rightly so) for years for their inappropriate dress while in Europe while we all act as if every European hits these shores looking like James Bond or one of his consorts. That’s most definitely not the case and maybe if more Americans would acknowledge that they could relax a little and lose the inferiority complex.
I’ve travelled extensively worldwide and to my mind, the most chic, appropriately dressed, sexy people are to be found in Buenos Aires. It helps that they are some of the most naturally beautiful people in the world but I find it amazing that at every age they almost always look fabulous. The world would be a much better place if we could all look and dress as the Portenas do.
The saying “when in rome” comes to mind. You should definetly try to not offend the sensibilities of the locals when you travel, including the service people. Many of the europeans who have visited my bar seem acutely aware of american customer service standards,yet act ignorant of our tipping customs, MOST ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLES FROM THE UK. Tips are the only way that the service people in the touristy places can ever afford super, or even kinda-fantastic shoes since many of us earn the minimun wage. Poor tipping for good service is more than an assault on ones eyes, but a direct insult to the people who are here to make your stay pleasant and will reflect poorly on your people. I declare that the europeans with the poor tipping habits are worse than tourists wandering throughout europe in orange crocs with canadian flags blatantly attached to thier backpacks (including canadians.)
Maybe tourists generally dress worse than locals because they are on vacation. They are dressing for weekends and relaxation while locals are dressing for work. It’s not quite fair to compare.
Why is this response found on Google under the heading ‘the French wear sissy shoes’. Do American men consider mens’ shoes of style and quality ‘sissy’ shoes because they have no style?
My favourite style is the Chelsea Boot cut because it has everything in its favour – simple clean lines without laces yet, easy to slip on with good support around the ankle. Cheap Chelsea Boots are everywhere on the net but I found a really good range from around £70 upwards by a little independent online retailer called Arthur Knight Shoes. Their Chelsea & Dealer boots range is here: http://www.arthurnightshoes.co.uk/shop/24/chelsea-boots