Best shoes for clinicals

[Erythropoiesis]

Great suggestions everyone. Keep them coming! This weekend I'll plan on browsing the shoes when I go to buy my scrubs/uniforms for school, as well as some different shoe stores. Hoping I will find something that works without much trial and error!

[ohiobobcat]

I have a couple of pairs of Danskos. I couldn't wear them for an entire 12+ hour shift because my feet hurt in them. I do wear them around town and to my school nurse job (way less standing/walking and shorter shift) I bought supportive sneakers, both New Blanace and Nike when I worked in the hospital. They hurt too. The only shoes that did not hurt my feet were Crocs. They are ugly, but I did not care. They make them with a non-slip sole. My old hospital was pretty strict on dress code, so they had to be white. And my boss spoke to me one day about having the vented Crocs with the holes on the side. "You might get a needle stick, they need to be completely closed." Uhhh, OK? So i had to get the no vent holes Crocs. My feet were sweaty, but still comfortable.

That being said, I think it's hard for other people to tell YOU what kind of shoe to wear. Everybody's feet are different and what may be comfortable for me may not be for you. I was the only one who wore Crocs beyond the initial "Crocs for EVERYONE!!" stage that happened when I first became a nurse.

And it's tough, because trying on a shoe in a shoe store does not give you any idea about how your feet are going to react to being in that shoe for 12+ hours on your feet 98% of the time.

[bathrobemom, LPN]

My Filas with memory foam were awesome until I bought some Sketchers with memory foam. The Sketchers are still completely comfortable at the end of my shift. My feet don't hurt and I feel like I could walk another 5 miles. Don't know if they come in all white or all black though.

As soon as I put both brands of those shoes on I was blown away by how comfortable they were. The Filas were like pillows for my feet.

I don't know if it works that way for everybody else, but I think if shoes are amazing when you try them on, they'll probably be amazing as you wear them. That's how it worked for me anyway. So I would start with trying shoes on in the store.

[bsyrn, ASN, RN]

sketchers or crocs (mercy style, this is a shoe, not a clog)

[MPKH, BSN, RN]

I wear a pair of Skechers with memory foam to work. My feet are happy.

[kp1987]

I have tried a few... I have Danskos but they are kind of heavy. Nike runners are ok but crocs are by far my fav but as someone previously said the ones with no holes make your feet sweat

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I never found a comfortable pair. The older I got, the more tender my feet became. The only thing that worked for me was changing socks and shoes mid-shift and massaging with foot pain relief cream.

Hope you find something that works for you.

[Erythropoiesis]

I've worked jobs that required long hours on my feet and nonstop standing up, sitting back down, moving, bending and squatting (worked in daycare for years). I'm a nanny for twin infants right now so I'm not too heavy on my feet but my Saucony athletic running/hiking shoes have done miracles for me. It's roomy in the toes so I'm not hurting after 9 hours of running around, and I can stick some Dr Scholls inserts in them every 6 months for memory foam comfort and arch support. They're so great. Had them for a little over a year and they've held up through the abuse. Even now with my more laid back job, I hit the gym almost every single night after work and they've held up great. My feet, my back, and my shins never gave me any issues. I wish we weren't restricted to solid white shoes for clinicals, lol. I'd just wear what I have!

[lpn.rn.bsn]

I've tried everything and anything under the sun. The most comfortable shoes to me are pair of 10 $ clogs from Walmart. Here's a link for you.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Faded-Glory-Women-s-Alternate-Closure-Athletic-Sneaker-Wide-Width/34076849?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=34076849&placement_id=irs-106-t1&strategy=PWVUB&visitor_id&category=&client_guid=a92f5e24-eb40-4191-917e-50ada9d9eeca&customer_id_enc&config_id=106&parent_item_id=36067010&parent_anchor_item_id=36067010&guid=e96e880c-d795-4fd8-bf79-d13429c9db65&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

[feelix, RN]

Depends on your feet. They are worth a million dollars.

I would suggest New Balance to anyone on a budget. They work just as fine as specialty shoes. Some of the more expensive clogs with hard toed leather can get pretty painful by end of shift.

If your feet are the deal breaker, then the best shoes are made by SAS They will run you into the $125 range if on sale.

[feelix, RN]

Try SAS

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

What type of shoes would your school's nursing department figureheads want you to wear to clinical rotations? Make sure you obtain the specifications before you purchase shoes that will not meet standards.

I'm asking because both schools that I attended required students to wear white leather shoes to clinical sites.