Orthopedic Shoes??

Nursing Students Male Students

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I am on my second round of clinicals and I desperately need shoes that I can stand in for 12 hrs or more. I am on my 3rd pair of shoes trying to find something that works!! The problem is the "standing in one place". By the end of a 12 hrs shift my feet and lower back are killing me. The shoes I have tried are name brand shoe ie. Nike, NB etc. I am willing to spend quite bit of money if that's what it takes. If I need "custom made" are there any places that somebody has used? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Specializes in PCCN.
I am on my second round of clinicals and I desperately need shoes that I can stand in for 12 hrs or more. I am on my 3rd pair of shoes trying to find something that works!! The problem is the "standing in one place". By the end of a 12 hrs shift my feet and lower back are killing me. The shoes I have tried are name brand shoe ie. Nike NB etc. I am willing to spend quite bit of money if that's what it takes. If I need "custom made" are there any places that somebody has used? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks[/quote']

Athletic shoes are designed for walking, running, training and other dynamic activities. They are not designed to support the foot in a static manner, especially standing on hard floors for long periods. You need a "standing" shoe designed for different different pressure points and extended continuous wear. Ask a pharmacist, or a coworker what they use. In my school the advanced students swear by Dansko, Sanita and Kloggs brands, with a few others preferring Crocs. Another male source of advice would be cooks and chefs who also have to stand for long periods of time. Personally the Dansko and Sanitas arch were too hard, but the Kloggs are so comfortable I have stated wearing them around the house and pretty much any place casual.

Specializes in PCCN.

Or you can go with a good combat boot, if you don't care about fitting in. ;-)

You probably just need some decent insoles with the shoes you already have. Go to the pharmacy store, senior shoe store, or something along those lines to see if you can find specialized insoles and try that before dropping another hundred on a pair of shoes.

I'm gonna order some Dansko's, my buddy is a RN in the OR and he recommends them.

I bought the Timberland nursing shoe from an outlet store and I found them to be very comfortable.

I have bad feet and knees...nothing works better for me than Dansko brand...no longer need inserts

I wear regular ol' Nikes. I recommend buying some Dr. Scholl's insoles and some compression socks. My feet are fine after 12 hours of standing since I started wearing compression socks and insoles.

Specializes in Pain, critical care, administration, med.

I use the ugly old grandma SAS shoes. They are comfortable and no leg aches. If my legs start to ache means new shoes.

out of curiosity, anybody active outside of school?

my issues and what helped:

lower back pain from BJJ/grappling: (do DEADLIFTS)

sore knees from running: (do SQUATS) -BELOW parallel- anything above parallel is detrimental to your health (knees).

i do not get shine splints anymore, either.

make sure you do them the day of clinical, as a warmup. or 2 days prior to clinical for recovery purposes. maybe it isn't the shoe that is the problem.

disclaimer: consult a sports physio, if you have/had prior injuries before attempting what i am suggesting.

I also do a lot of power training including squats and deadlifts, strengthens your core/back as well as improves posture. I wear chucks when training and while at work. Cheap, effective and looks good. I don't believe in gel inserts and other squishy things that may add comfort to your feet, only adds more stress on your spine and joints to compensate for the lack of being planted. Get rid of the heel in your shoes, they do absolutely nothing for you.

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