Sneakers vs nursing shoes

[jaylynn06]

So I start clinical very soon and I see many girls in my classroom wearing sneakers and clogs ! My friend who is a nurse already tells me not to wear sneakers your feet sweat and your running around a lot ! Any opinions ??????

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

When I worked in retail and was on my feet for 12 hours a day I started wearing Nike Shox. Haven't worn anything else since. I heard Danskos were good for nursing so I may look into those when I start nursing school. I have narrow feet so Nikes really work for me.

[uneven-teacup]

I just finished nursing school and a lot of the females would wear the clogs because it was a fashion thing. They are easy to wipe down. If you have narrow feet, then Sanita clogs will fit better than Dansko. I will be starting in the ER once I pass boards and plan to wear a dedicated pair of high quality running shoes (Asics) and just never wear them outside the hosptial (infx control). Also, Nike Shox can damage your knees over time.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Your feet aren't like anyone else's. You have to figure out what is most comfortable for YOU. And you may have to spend some money on shoes. I wear Danskos, and have for about 20 years. To me, they're the most comfortable. They ARE expensive, but you can get them 1/3 off at Danskoutlet.com. Some nurses wear Birkenstocks. They find those comfortable -- I find them miserable, but to each his own. There are other brands of sturdy shoes with good support, those are just the ones I'm most familiar with.

Sneakers don't have the arch supports that Dansko does with their stainless steel arch. That may not be important to you when you're young, but when you're older it will be. Wear the stainless steel arches now, so you don't have fallen arches and misaligned knees when you're fifty. (I just had two total knee replacements, which may or may not be related to wearing sneakers at work in my 20s and 30s -- the fallen arches WERE caused by the sneakers, according to my rheumatologist.)

If you must wear sneakers, invest in some good orthotics to support your arches.