Shoe Recommendations

Nursing Students General Students

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Hey everyone,

I work as an ACP in a CT ICU and I'm struggling to find a pair of shoes that meet all of my needs. We tend to have a lot of patients on C. diff precautions and I often end up cleaning c.diff poo off of everything, including the floor. Which means I'm getting at least some spores on my shoes. Up until now I've been wearing crocs to work but my knees and feet are starting to hurt and I want some shoes with good support, like Danskos. My question is this: does anyone know a style or brand of shoe that gives good support that can also be sprayed with bleach at the end of the day so I'm not bringing that crap home (we don't have cubbies or lockers so I can't keep my shoes at work)

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

I'm just a student, but I use Danskos for clinical and love them. My feet still hurt a bit after 12 hours (s to be expected) but my knees and lower back feel great. I tried both crocs and running style shoes and they made my feet feel wonderful after 12 hours but left my knees and back in pain. And they are leather so I alcohol swab the top for cleaning and then lysol the bottoms, and every couple shifts I just use a diluted bleach solution in a tub and let the bottoms of the shoes soak for a bit. So far there has been no break down with the shoes at all. If you know about Dansko and dont have them, is it because of cost? (no judgement here because they are damn expensive and I used student grant refunds to get mine) I know the sanita and koi brands are similar style and I think a little less expensive. And my instructor wheres Brookes (sp?) but I dont know the cost. One place you can look is on zulilly.com. Every couple months they put clogs on there. I have seen danskos go for $60. Same with Koi and Sanita. They actually have Sanita and Koi on there right now with some cute styles for around $60-$70 if you know your size. No returns so thats important. And I am in no way affiliated with that site. I just like the deals I find. GL in your shoe hunt.

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Specializes in PICU.

I love my Dansko's. I like the shiny red, black, or blue. Easy to clean.

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Specializes in Psych.

I have z coils and they are a life saver. I developed plantar fasciitis working NOC shifts at a snf. I could barely make it to my front door. I haven't had problems cleaning them but now I'm only private care so I don't do it as much.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I'd recommend a nursing shoe with a leather upper such as Nurse Mates or Cherokee Rockers. These types of shoes can be easily sanitized with a bleach solution at the end of each shift via a thorough wiping. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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Our school requires leather shoes for the reason the TheCommuter mentioned; they don't absorb spores/bacteria and are very easy to clean. Skechers also makes fully leather shoes.

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Specializes in ICU.

I have leather Danskos. Love them. Was on my feet for awhile yesterday and didn't even feel it.

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It's good to hear that the leather is thought not to absorb spores/bacteria. I do have black leather Danskos, but after emailing the company about the safety of bleaching the shoes, they said it would ruin the leather. I was wondering if their patent leather shoes would be better at withstanding daily bleachings but haven't found any info. I highly dislike the look of patent leather, but I also dislike the idea of bringing bugs home on my shoes and infecting my cat or my boyfriend. :) Thanks for the info you guys!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
It's good to hear that the leather is thought not to absorb spores/bacteria. I do have black leather Danskos, but after emailing the company about the safety of bleaching the shoes, they said it would ruin the leather. I was wondering if their patent leather shoes would be better at withstanding daily bleachings but haven't found any info. I highly dislike the look of patent leather, but I also dislike the idea of bringing bugs home on my shoes and infecting my cat or my boyfriend. :) Thanks for the info you guys!

I know of someone who bleaches her white leather upper work shoes all the time without ruining them. With white leather, it is harder to tell that the leather has lost luster.

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I bought Cherokee nursing shoes and really like them. They come in black and white. I've used cavi wipes on them when I'm in the hospital which works fine to clean them. They are soft and comfortable on my feet but also have good support for all day wear.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Have you consulted with your IC nurse about the necessity/process for sanitizing your shoes? There may be alternatives that wouldn't ruin the leather, such as the one mentioned by Cali201. Do you have access to shoe covers?

I swear by Alegria shoes! Price range is similar to Danskos, but I find them much more comfortable - no 'break in' period needed.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

You can use cavicide wipes on the patent leather danskos. I know a nurse who said she had been doing it daily for over a year and her shoes looked great.

But I have found that my feet don't like the patent leather because they have less give than the regular leather.

Just saw HouTx's post...I did recently invest in sone Allegrias. You're right, no break in period.

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