Best Scrub Brand and Shoes for New Grads

Knights_RN BSN · Mar 10

Congratulations on your graduation!

FIGS are very popular, but you can get a better pair of scrubs at a better price point (maybe ask for a pair for your graduation to see if you like them!). I personally have been loving Dolan brand and you can try before you buy from their website to see what styles and sizes you prefer. I am also a big fan of the Barco ONE scrubs... they have good mobility!

The only pair of shoes I bought for my shifts that I have loved in the past 6 years are the ON brand. They are a similar price point to the Hokas. But try a half size bigger!

Smwill2901 · Mar 10

Knights_RN BSN said:

Congratulations on your graduation!

FIGS are very popular, but you can get a better pair of scrubs at a better price point (maybe ask for a pair for your graduation to see if you like them!). I personally have been loving Dolan brand and you can try before you buy from their website to see what styles and sizes you prefer. I am also a big fan of the Barco ONE scrubs... they have good mobility!

The only pair of shoes I bought for my shifts that I have loved in the past 6 years are the ON brand. They are a similar price point to the Hokas. But try a half size bigger!

Thank you so much! That is a great idea—I might just add a pair of FIGS to my graduation wishlist to see if I like them. I have not heard of Dolan before, but I will definitely check them out, especially since you can try them first! I appreciate the ON shoe recommendation! I have been looking for something with good support. Do you find them comfortable for long shifts right away, or did you have to break them in?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 13

Scrubs I don't know about -- my employers have mandated where we must order our scrubs from, what style and color we can wear, etc. Good luck if you have an employer like that . . . they are never the most flattering or comfortable.

As far as shoes, buy whatever is most comfortable on *your* feet, your legs and your back. I wore Danskos for years -- there is something to be said for stainless steel arch supports. In my old age, however, bunions and hammer toes have made the Danskos less comfortable. I went to a running store and had my feet X-rayed and analyzed and followed the store's recommendations for shoes. My Brooks Ghost shoes are very comfortable, and I don't have leg or back pain when I wear them. My best friend has a different brand, and she loves hers, too. I have colleagues that wear nothing but Birkenstocks, but they don't have enough cushioning for the concrete floors of the hospital -- not for me anyway.

As far as shoes go, be prepared to spend some real money for shoes, because it's worth it. And when you buy shoes, get two pair and rotate them. It takes more than 24 hours for the innards of the shoe to recover from you walking around in them all day, so if you rotate, both pairs last longer.

Smwill2901 · Mar 13

Ruby Vee said:

Scrubs I don't know about -- my employers have mandated where we must order our scrubs from, what style and color we can wear, etc. Good luck if you have an employer like that . . . they are never the most flattering or comfortable.

As far as shoes, buy whatever is most comfortable on *your* feet, your legs and your back. I wore Danskos for years -- there is something to be said for stainless steel arch supports. In my old age, however, bunions and hammer toes have made the Danskos less comfortable. I went to a running store and had my feet X-rayed and analyzed and followed the store's recommendations for shoes. My Brooks Ghost shoes are very comfortable, and I don't have leg or back pain when I wear them. My best friend has a different brand, and she loves hers, too. I have colleagues that wear nothing but Birkenstocks, but they don't have enough cushioning for the concrete floors of the hospital -- not for me anyway.

As far as shoes go, be prepared to spend some real money for shoes, because it's worth it. And when you buy shoes, get two pair and rotate them. It takes more than 24 hours for the innards of the shoe to recover from you walking around in them all day, so if you rotate, both pairs last longer.

That is a great point about mandated scrubs! For nursing school, I had to order specific scrubs, so I did not get much choice there. But for my CA job, I had the freedom to explore different brands, which was nice. Hopefully, wherever I end up working after graduation will allow some flexibility! And I really appreciate the shoe advice! I had not thought about rotating pairs to help them last longer, but that makes so much sense. I have heard great things about Brooks Ghost shoes, so I will have to check them out. Did you notice a big difference in comfort when switching from Danskos to Brooks?

kat0408 · Apr 17

I am still a student, but I love Danskos. They are so comfortable and I love that if I get something on them, I can wipe them off easily!

Faryal · 2025-04-24T11:32:36Z

Congratulations on your graduation!

Regarding scrubs, I have recently started buying from RMF Scrubs. Their prices are unbeatable, around $10 for the scrub set, which is pretty hard to find these days, and they last long too. I have been using them since a year now and have been happy with the results. Initially had to figure out what size works best for me so ordered two different sizes to check. They also offer embroidery in $3 only which is another reason why I like buying from them.

As for shoes, my search is still on going so can't say much. But after reading this post I think I need to try Brooks Ghost. Considering that I have managed to save so much on scrubs, I can splurge a little on shoes 😄