Italy: if you could only pack 2 pairs of shoes...

Any advice for what footwear to pack for men? Seems like most of the comments here are geared towards women. I like to pack light and tend to dress extremely casually (I'm from California), but I'd like to make a reasonable attempt to fit-in. Even though my wife and I are backpacking, we'd like to be able to enjoy a reasonably nice meal on occasion and to be dressed appropriately for it.

In days of yore I recall being warned NEVER wear Levis or tennis shoes when traveling in Europe. Everyone will know you are an American.
Well, last November in Roma I saw nearly everyone wearing jeans and more tennis shoes than I could count. Fashion changes. However, I too am from California, LA to be exact and you know how laid back we are. Still I chose NOT to look like a beach bum while in Italy. Capri pants, nice scarfs, turtle necks, you get the picture. Casual but not. Anyway, for a guy I would say bring a pair of nice yet sturdy lace ups or slip ons. Born, Rockport, Keene, Ecco all have what I'm talking about. Have a wonderful trip. Fabulous city.

Thanks for the great advice, everyone.

Based on what I'm hearing, I think I'll go with a pair of leather sandals (for restaurants, museums, etc.) and a pair of the newish feels-like-a-sneaker-looks-like-a-shoe shoes (for walking/hiking).

I know there will be a moment when I'll wish I had brought this pair or that, but I guess that's the price we pay for traveling light. At least we won't be tied down like those folks who get off the plane with their two huge suitcases each, and climb immediately onto a massive tour bus!

Can't wait to experience Italy. Is there anything like the adrenalin rush of immersing yourself in a new country/culture...if only for a few weeks?

Thanks and happy travels, fellow thorntree-ers.

11 - my comments were true for men, as I am one :-)

For me comfort is the main thing. It's hot and I don't want to have my feet shut in and sweating. I'm on holiday. I don't care what people think too much, or if I look like a local (practically impossible in a country as fashion-obsessed as Italy, anyway). In fact I don't even want to. I find I've taken walking boots and then done quite mountainous walks in sandals just cos I didn't fancy putting on the boots. Just wear shoes you like to wear in hot weather.

Enjoy and don't worry about dress code!!

#10 - your comments are a tad harsh. The Briton you describe is from a certain (lower) social class, commonly known as a chav, and to be honest I don't see too many chavs in Italy as they tend to go to Spain. It sounds like the only British you have seen are those who hit Italy for Champions League matches and are not to be taken for your average Briton. I am female, do not drink beer and have never worn a football shirt in my life. Don't lump us all together - Britain is made up of 4 nations (England, Scotland, Wales and NI) and England in particular has distinct social classes. The ones in Italy tend, IMHO, to be of the middle and upper classes and certainly don't act like you describe.

BTW - talking of dressing 'modestly' - I would hardly call the Italian girls' penchant for tight white jeans and even tighter sparkly diamante Tshirts modest!! They make us British girls look like nuns.

#16

I was joking, hope none will take that too seriously, I'm sure people can say similar things about the Italians (actually I would love to hear that! If you don't want to look italian DO NOT:...??).

BTW - I happen to know very well the British, being a resident of London...I know there are social classes over here and the difference is huge. I have to admit I don't like that too much, in Italy my friends belong to any background and there is no much difference in the way they behave or education, while here people tend to hang out with people belonging to the "same class".

PS I agree with the dressing modestly in Italy!!

If you don't want to look Italian DO NOT:...??)

Oh dear.... do not "be Italian", maybe? Or maybe it could help to think of what it would take to "fare bella figura", and then do the opposite? But even that doesn't usually work, cos you're still obsessed with your image, as with all those Italian indie chicks! I think the only way really is to come and live for a long time in somewhere like England where people will go out to the supermarket in their pyjamas (so to speak). After a while maybe even an Italian could get to enjoy that freedom from the tyranny of the bella figura?

There are social classes in Italy too, as everywhere! I don't really believe it that people have friends from "any background". I lived in Naples and am quite sure that none of the people I knew in the middle-classs suburbs had any friends in the downtown areas.

Agree with 16 about dressing modestly (whatever that means!) Lots of women are supremely elegant, of course, but others (oh yes, social classes again!) are tarty too - it's just stylish tarty as opposed to chav tarty! Just as the posh girls dress better in Italy, so do the chavvy ones.

Not 100% sure about obsession. As far I am concerned I am not obsessed in the sense that I don't dress up for the others i.e. I would wear a pair of jeans and a shirt if I had to go out but I would wear the same pair of jeans and shirt also If I had to stay home and meet none all day. Of course I can speak for myself...not sure the others. Anyway I think the dress code is not imposed from outside, people dress well to feel well.

This discussion is funny cause just the other day I was discussing about the habit here in London to wear flip flops/sneakers on the way to the office and then switch to high heels in the office. My british female colleagues would say that "heels are too uncomfortable to walk" while my italian girlfriends would say that they "would rather wear shorter heels, but never ever flip flops under a business dress". Point of views!

I totally agree on Naples but that's an exception. In Naples the "lower class" is so LOW that the professionals of the middle-class stick to their Posillipo and Vomero neighbourhoods, private schools etc and would never mix with the people from the "quartieri". But in most of Italy it is different, the son of the plumber and the son of the lawyer go to the same school and their parents are likely to dine together. Italy is more "socialist", like France.

BTW I think teenagers in Italy, especially in the big cities, are very poorly dressed, more and more so. Globalisation?

I agree the caste system is less obvious than over here, but that doesn't mean there is no class system. It's just more subtle, and I don't think this is unique to Naples. Maybe your parents are happy that you have friends from all social groups, but I don't think they'd be so happy if you were to marry a builder, or a Senegalese immigrant. Logical perhaps - if you've been to university and studied philosophy, you're just not going to find much to talk about with someone who didn't go to school really after 14.

I think Italians are obsessed with image. By that I don't necessarily mean designer labels - it could be the opposite. But the packaging is important. I like that - it's funny! But I don't feel any need to join in personally, tho I love the clothes and always buy stuff (also because I can't get any jeans my size in lardy old England). But if some well-dressed fashion victim looks down at my flip flops, that's their problem, not mine. Not many people would admit to "dressing up for others" - we dress to make ourselves feel good. But I think there are strong social constraints on an unconscious level. No one in Italy pops out, even just to buy some milk, in the scruffy clothes they wear at home.