SO glad you ordered these. At $33 they are a STEAL!! Seriously. You won't be sorry. I have indeed worn them virtually for the first time on this trip and they are shockingly comfortable. I think my hubby (in regular guy shoes) was more tired than I was after our day of walking! And our walking included a lot of uneven cobblestones near the park, as well as up and down hills and crumbling sidewalks.
However, it is absolutely true they need to be rubber-soled. I wore them a couple of times in our house and I was terrified I might fall on our hardwood floors (one reason I hadn't worn them much before the trip!) and so I had the shoemaker do this before we left. It has made all the difference. I am sure they would not be as comfortable without this precaution.
Zap showed a link for some bottoms you can stick on yourself. Probably not as permanent as what I did, but a good temporary for you in Europe?
If Europe's weather is like ours, it is about to change a bit. It's supposed to cool down quite a bit on the east coast by Sunday. It will still be warmer than usual, but perhaps not the freakish warm it has been so far. But...just so you know...so far my footwear has been these booties, flat sandals, and my running shoes, which look more or less like Cons...not built up runners but black Eccos.
Just to sing their praises a little more, I think these booties could get you through almost anything. I waterproofed mine with suede waterproofing before we left (not that I have needed it thus far). And added the rubber bottoms, as already noted. And I have worn them with bare feet (today, in the heat) and with socks; they work either way for me. With pants and with a dress.
Another great feature of these booties: not only are they super soft, but they are super lightweight. So they are really easy to pack. You could even bring another pair of shoes in a backpack or tote and switch them out during the same day, if so inclined.
Oh--- one tiny thing. I tend to get a corn between my little toe and next toe when I wear booties. I'm not sure why; it's only with booties, and not with any of my other shoes. So when wearing the booties, I put a little silicon toe sock on as a precautionary measure; it has prevented any problem.
Good luck, Rae- I hope these work out for you!!!!!
