Hi - I'm new to the site have gotten much needed information about cardiac nursing. I am wondering if any one has suggestions for SHOES. I have started a 12 hour shift job and my feet are killing me. I have Nurse Mates but they aren't cutting it. Thank you...

Wow, no replies yet. There are a lot of nurses on this forum who would probably know a lot more than me but I felt bad that no one had responded yet. For nursing school I used dansko clogs which were awsome, I was just uncordinated and tripped in them a couple times but they seem to make your feet feel so good. I had awsome athletic shoes and tried those out but by about 5 hours of standing on my feet my heels and arches started hurting. So that is when I got my clogs. If you have no trouble walking in heels you shouldn't have trouble walking in clogs. Or maybe its just me that is uncordinated.

Also, if your feet still hurt I guess there is a weird looking shoes with a spring like coil on the heel of the shoe. I think some nurses swear by this shoe, that it makes you feet feel so good. I have no idea what they are called but maybe someone on this forum can tell you.

IF you have good insurance, I would go to a podiatrist and get a cast molding of your feet to have personal orthotics to put in your shoes. These I swear by. They are awsome. No pain after 12 hours on my feet!! Unfortunetely somehow I developed plantar fasciitis which is when the fascia that connects your heel to your arch (I think) is torn. I am in a cast on one leg right now for two weeks and then two weeks on the right later. I might have to have surgery if we cannot get my heels feeling better. I wouldn't worry about getting this though unless you have extreme heel pain. You get this condition when you have been not on your feet for quite a while and then all of a sudden start 5 days a week 8 hours a day on your feet. That can sometimes tear your fascia which is what happened to me. I have it in both feet which is odd. But I consider myself odd anyways.

Well, good luck. I would go the podiatrist route and get a personal fitted orthotic to wear in your shoe. Without insurance it can run like $600! Take care, Curleysue :)

Dansko's are great - but yes I have wiped out on them - and I am not alone. I switched to running shoes (good ones) after a broken ankle to avoid the possibility of another wipe out. ( I wasn't wearing the clogs when I broke my ankle!)

I live in my Dansko's when I'm not working though!

Dansko Professionals both at work & at home. I have rheumatoid & psoriatic arthritis & they are the only ones that have worked for me. I do piddle around in some Bass Pro slip-ons but they aren't suitable for work as they are suede.

Hello and Welcome! :)

I'm moving this thread to the General Nursing Forum. Hopefully more people will share their experiences with their footware. You might also try the search function. Similiar topics were posted and discussed in the past. :)

Good luck! :)

Ted

I have bilateral plantar faciitis. Very crippling when doing 12 hour shifts. The podiatrist suggested foot orthotics. My insurance is crappy. I have run the gamut of every kind of nursing shoe. I now have Birkenstock clogs. They are great. Rarely do I experience sore feet anymore. Also, my doc suggested Spenco insoles. You can find them at most shoe stores. They are great also.

I would like to try Z-Coil shoes but at $200/pair, they're pretty expensive.

DO a search on this board, there are several threads that discuss this issue. My main input is you get what you pay for. Also your standard tennis shoes, running shoes have life to them typically calculated in miles. Based on 3-12 shifts a week it runs about 6 months at the max and then the support pretty much is worn out of them. Basicly you need to find what works for you and keeps your feet, legs and back from being sore and painfull.

One more thing to remember is that uniforms and ect for work are tax deductable- you have to spend a certain amount of your gross income- you would be suprised how much that is

rj:rolleyes:

I've tried numerous shoes. Hated Dansko's. I bought a pair of Birkenstocks and I LOVE them! My feet don't hurt anymore! It takes a week or two for them to be broken in and they are pricey but so worth the cost.

dansko's are awesome. have had the same pair for two years and the tread is still in great shape. looking kinda scuffed now, but they are still supporting my very well. i wear them at work and out of work as well.

Are Danskos suppose to slip in the heal area?

this is so individual! i wear z-coils in the or, and while they are extremely comfortable, i have slipped on our new or floors after the floor has been mopped. not good. i used to wear danskos religiously, but after being on my feet for 10+ hours, the clogs start to feel like a brick under my foot. while i have no foot problems, per se, everyone else in my family has horrible foot problems (bunions, ingrown toenails, plantar fascitis, etc.) i don't want any of it! so, i do see a podiatrist every year or so to get a tune-up/check-up. his best advice is to not buy cheap shoes: plastic wal-mart specials are not the shoes anyone should be wearing, ever. quality leather, steel shanks, no heel over 2 inches, and rubber-y soles are best. i see a lot of folks wearing merrell shoes, and while i don't wear them at work, i wear them around town. there are lots of good buys on these shoes on e-bay!

Someone mentioned croc before, (I think that's right). Said they were great and cheap, too.