In Paris, white tennis shoes and running shoes are worn for a purpose: playing tennis or running. Invest in a pair of neutral-colored, black, brown, or tan walking shoes. Walking shoes are especially designed to be lightweight and supportive, and to fit in the heel but expand in the footbed, so that your toes aren't scrunched after a long day of pounding the pavement. Shop for European brands such as Ecco, Mephisto, Geoxx, or Pikolinos. You'll be surprised by how much more comfortable you'll be walking on cobble-stoned and marble surfaces than you would have been in your favorite pair of Nikes or Reeboks.
Leave your t-shirts, basketball shorts, bright-colored windbreakers, and baseball caps at home. Instead, pack lightweight pants and light button-down shirts. If you can pull it off, skinny pants and jeans and fitted shirts are the norm on Parisian streets. For chilly evenings, wear a sport jacket instead of a sweatshirt or windbreaker. Dress a step up from how you do in the States. In Parisian culture, cafes and stores are often an extension of people's homes. Would you dress sloppily when visiting the home of a new acquaintance? If not, don't do so in Paris.
Since it rarely gets extremely hot in Paris, and since Paris is an urban environment, pack lightweight pants. In summer, Parisian women tend to wear short skirts or sundresses and men wear pants or capris. Unlike in the U.S., you'll rarely notice capri pants on women, but you'll see many men sporting capris. If you'll be spending time in both Paris and sunnier locale, like the south of France, pack a pair of pants that zip off into shorts. You'll have two looks and save on packing space.
