Weihnachtsmarkt Shoe Tips

This is way late, and I intended to publish this sooner, but it turns out I lost track of time and didn't get it out the door before the Christmas markets ended in Germany. Despite that, hopefully this will be useful to people for next year, because I think these tips will stand the test of time.

Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) Shoe Tip #1: Girls (and guys, in case the male foot fashion world eventually goes this way in some bizarro world) should not come to the market in spikey-heeled footwear. That is, no stilletto heels. Why? Well, you see, many German market squares, the traditional location for the Weihnachtsmarkt, are cobblestoned. I saw several girls this year lose shoes when the spikey heel wedged between two (or possibly more) cobblestones. In one case, a third party was required to extract the foot. So, just wear something flat on the bottom. It will help after a couple Gluehweins anyway.

Tip #2: Speaking of Gluehwein, one should avoid wearing those brand new, sparking white sneakers to the Weihnachtsmarkt. It is inevitable that someone will bump into you or your Gluehwein mug, and spill its contents onto your sparkling white shoes. Unless you like purple splatters on your shoes, then avoid white shoes. In fact, black rubber boots are probably the most practical. They don't show stains, they won't get stuck in the cobblestones and they protect you from the snow.

There you have it. Two important footwear tips to improve your Weihnactsmarkt experience. Chances are, I'll forget them by next year.