For years, I've been traveling with one pair of shoes--my ever loving Rockport Dress in Black.

But now, I'm thinking of taking a second, lightweight pair that won't take up much room or add a lot of weight. The shoe must go with either black or gray Dockers and not look too ridiculous.

Any suggestions?

Today was a packing and gear selection day for me. I decided on a pair of lace-up Rockports, less dressy than some of my other pairs related to the sort of pants I'll be taking. Perusing the Rockport site, what looks NEW and which might be worth your review would be:

<<truWALKzero Men's Slip On $130.00>>

Perhaps there are readers who have already acquired a pair who can provide something more useful than my indirect suggestion; just because I have five pair of other Rockport models, lace-up and slip-on, doesn't mean I am totally qualified to comment on the truWALKzero series. Of course it will be just my luck that they do NOT come in Narrow.

Of COURSE the trueWALKzero doesn't come in Narrow. BUT, two reasonably-priced lighter slip-ons, both a bit dressier, come from Allen Edmonds, their El Paso, and their Lincoln Park, both $175, the latter somewhat dressier, probably can get the heel replaced, doubt it for the El Paso, and I doubt a complete resoling for the Lincoln Park. Good luck!

Funny you should post that. I was just at REI the other day and tried on lightweight shoes. I really liked the Patagonia Maui Smooth (http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/mens-maui-smooth-slip-on?p=78531-0-176). They are very lightweight (6.3oz), super comfortable, and appear to be crushable so they can pack flat. They're not very dressy, but they won't embarrass you around town either. I don't think they'll last forever, but they seem OK. I didn't buy them, as they didn't have my exact size, but am going to a different REI store next week to try on my size. I'll re-post my further thoughts after I buy them.

You might look at the Merrell Barefoot line of shoes. They have four casual shoes that are all about 14 ozs for the pair and at least one ofthem wiuld work well with a pair of Dockers. I have a pair of the Life Reach shoes and they are very crushable and pack well. I pack them when I need a pair of casual shoes that will work with shorts, but I have worn them with jeans instead of a pair of sneakers.

http://www.merrell.com/US/en/Men-Footwear-Shoes-Barefoot

kbob's recommendation is a good one. I got the Maui smooth loafers myself. There is one with a pattern that is very retro also. I did not get it, because I figured it would be harder to clean a pattern than a solid color.

They are very light and easy to pack. The come in flat black, grey, and dark brown.

I posted in another thread that I'm trying out Skechers On the GO Lux in black suede:

http://www.shoebuy.com/skechers-on-the-go-lux/598498/1231163

It weighs 7.5 ounces in size 9 (but I wear size 12.5). It's just $40 at shoebuy.com.

I find the Rockport Eberdon strike a nice balance and are comfortable and light weight.

http://www.amazon.com/Rockport-Mens-Eberdon-Casual-Oxford/dp/B002RS4XTC

How about the Nikes Free in all black - very comfy:

http://www.zappos.com/nike-free-tr-fit-3-black-black-black-black

Patagonia Cardones.

Wow, no offense, but those Nike Frees are some of the ugliest shoes I've seen in a long time! Hopefully they look better in person.

No offense taken. I'm a runner, so I guess I'm used to the look of running shoes. There are so many options out there that I'm sure anyone can find something that they find attractive.

How about a pair of blucher moccasins? Quoddy and Rancourt both make them to order out of Horween leather with gum soles. Light as anything, super comfortable, and somewhere between sneaker and shoe in terms of refinement (i.e. perfect for cafes and museums).

A bit more expensive, but the mass-produced brands aren't close to the same class of comfort. Plus, they can be resoled and will outlive your traveling jones, most likely.

It is not a suggestion for Frank@OBOW, but some lightweight shoes I've heard about and am thinking about checking out (although I would prefer other colours). They're called Portovelo and were developed by a pair of travellers. If I'm near a stockist I take a look... wonder whether I could take a scale a weight them.

http://portovelo.com/about/our_story.htm