New Balance Sneakers Took Me Through Italy Without a Single Blister

Several years ago, I found a pair of classic New Balance sneakers on sale at REI. I was on the fence about buying them, but ultimately did. They were light gray, so they went with everything, and I wore them with everything. Since they were a little more tailored, I paired them with a nicer outfit when I was at a work conference. They were also casual enough that they became my go-to concert and festival shoe. I’ve walked a lot of miles and danced a lot of hours in those shoes. But that means they’ve seen better days. So when it was time to review my packing choices for our trip to Italy this spring, I decided it was time for a new pair.

New Balance Women’s 574 Sneaker

As a parent of a 12-year-old with a wide variety of colorful sneakers, I’ve started to think more boldly about my shoe choices. Her pink Adidas with neon green accents make a statement. So when I was perusing the New Balance options, I was drawn to the New Balance Women’s 574 V2 Sea Salt Sneaker. Not only did they look cushy, but they came in a great shade of purple. Is it just me, or does purple feel like a neutral color? I find it coordinates with most things. The reviewers raved about the shoes, so I popped them in my cart.

Because I tend to procrastinate when spending money, I didn’t buy the shoes until a week before we left for vacation. While I wore them to my office once, I didn’t have time to break them in. I needed to pack light for our trip—the three of us planned to bring just two suitcases for our 10-day trip—so I didn’t have room to pack more than one pair of sneakers. I crossed my fingers, packed adhesive bandages and hoped my feet wouldn’t blister in my new shoes.

We hit a few travel snafus on the way there, so I walked and stood in those shoes a lot. When we finally got to Italy, we took some leisurely walks around Prosecco vineyards in Cornegliano, then hopped on a plane to Naples. We went directly to Pompeii and traversed the cobblestone streets for two hours. We took a ferry to Capri and walked all over the island. And on our last day, we visited Ravello, high in the hills above the town of Amalfi and hiked our way back down.

All in all, I walked almost 100,000 steps in those brand-new shoes. Did I get any blisters? Nope. A hot spot? Not a one. The shoes felt like I had worn them all my life. They gently molded to my feet immediately and were super cushiony. They also look fabulous. I felt comfortable wearing them with my linen travel pants, cropped jeans and a long (casual) black dress out to dinner. 

So if you’re looking for a new pair of sneakers that look as great as they feel, I highly recommend popping a pair into your shopping cart. You can thank me later!

Shop More New Balance Sneakers

New Balance Women’s 460 V4 Running Shoe

New Balance Women’s Fuelcell Propel V5

New Balance Men’s Fresh Foam 520 V9

New Balance Men’s Fresh Foam X 860 V14 Running Shoe

New Balance Men’s FuelCell Rebel V4 Running Shoe

At the time of publishing, the price was $130.