Comfortable Walking Shoes - A Travel Essential

My friends Gene and Sherry are making a pilgrimage. They are doing it the traditional way - on foot. They're walking the Pilgrim Trail from Germany to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, in stages. Naturally, they had a lot to tell me about walking through Europe. Comfortable walking shoes are key, they said.

Like me, Sherry has some problems with her feet, so I asked her how she was holding up on the trail. She showed me her latest pair of Salomon walking shoes and explained that she inserts her Birkenstock Footprints insoles into her shoes before she starts out on the trail. She likes the extra support the Footprints insoles provide.

I'm not walking to Spain - in fact, I'm known for avoiding walking to my own mailbox - but I do like to wear comfortable walking shoes when I travel. Find out how to choose comfortable walking shoes and learn more about Sherry's shoes (and mine) in our top picks for comfortable walking shoes for women.

By the way, the marker in the photo shows pilgrims that they're on the right path to Santiago de Compostela - just 2,000 kilometers to go!

Image © Eugene Behrends; licensed to About.com.