Shoe shopping in Rome

May 8, 2023 11:37 AM

I waited too long. None of the shoes I want to buy for walking around Rome’s cobbled streets and Tuscan hillsides are available in my size before I leave tomorrow. Where in Rome could I buy some good shoes for walking around without paying inflated tourist prices? We are staying in the city near the Vatican, where I am sure tourists pay top dollar for every damn thing. Help!
posted by conscious matter to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

Best answer: Sneakers or hiking boots or shoes shoes?
Check airport shops see what kind of footwear they carry.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:44 AM on May 8, 2023

Best answer: Can't personally vouch for these, but they're on lists and seem to have practical shoes/sneakers-- I'd try one of these in your position:
Foot Locker
Angelo Shoes at the Trevi Fountain (Piazza di Trevi, 87/88, 00187 Roma RM, Italy)
Natural Shoes in Trastevere (Via della Lungaretta, 94, 00153 Roma RM, Italy)
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 11:58 AM on May 8, 2023

Best answer: Via Cola di Rienzo is a decent shopping area, close to the Vatican, in Prati. It will have shoes stores at normal prices. I am sure there will some a few blocks to the north too -- which is not touristy. E.g. near Piazza Mazzini.

It's been nearly 20 years since I lived in Rome so your mileage may vary...
posted by NailsTheCat at 12:03 PM on May 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: When I bought shoes in rural Italy (for an unplanned hiking trip when I only had dress shoes) they tried to assure me that women didn't have size 42 (US 10.5) feet, I must be mistaken. They tried to give me US size 6/Euro 37 because that was a size that women wear. Nevermind that I was taller than everyone else in the store.

They did have a couple of pairs of womens sneakers in 42 in the back, but I had to hike in white suede tennis shoes which was suboptimal.
posted by Narrow Harbor at 1:26 PM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have bought lots of shoes in Rome and not experienced extraordinary prices anywhere. Contrariwise, I've gotten quite a few good bargains. People in Europe go to Rome and Italy for good deals on things like shoes, belts and handbags.

If you are from the US, you will probably find prices a bit higher because of VAT, and I don't know how exchange levels are right now.

Since Rome is the capital of Italy and has a huge international population, they are used to people in different sizes, and all the big brands are there. The one thing that might be a bit unusual is that there are not many department stores or big box stores in Rome. So you buy stuff in little shops. And you can barter, if you are up to it.
posted by mumimor at 1:51 PM on May 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: If you're looking for hiking type shoes, I highly recommend a shop near the Vatican called "Outdoor Experience" (Via Sforza Pallavicini, 15/17). It's just off Cola di Rienzo and not far from the Castel Sant'Angelo. Also great if you want to go climbing elsewhere in Italy. If you don't find what you want on Cola di Rienzo, there's lots of shopping on Via del Corso. It's mostly flagship stores and the prices there are not inflated with a tourist tax, at least I didn't seem to see that. They were basically the same that you'd get at like a Nike store in Manhattan or Chicago.
posted by dis_integration at 2:06 PM on May 8, 2023

Best answer: Hey, I had this exact thing happen to me some years back and bought an extremely comfortable pair of Campers, right at the Spanish Steps.

There's also, conveniently, a Clarks now located by the Pantheon. Which is probably even more of a logical choice.

I realize this is not exactly Glamorous Italian Footwear territory, but when in Rome, it is actually handy to have something genuinely comfortable.
posted by thivaia at 3:35 PM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Diemme is my go-to brand of italian wonder shoe, and any store that carries them i expect would have great stuff. looks like they have 2 stockists in rome
posted by wowenthusiast at 9:00 PM on May 8, 2023