What's the BEST nursing shoes?

[BigCSN]

12 hour shifts! OMG!! All that walking, standing, and sometimes running! I've had Crocs, Regular tennis shoes, Merrell running shoes... the list goes on!!! But what is the BEST nursing shoes to have out there? I've heard nurses talk about "Dancecoes". They look so uncomfortable... Hmm... What are your thoughts?? Experiences??

[Coleebee]

A good quality pair of running shoes

[dee78]

I wear Brooks running shoes. I have a high arch and need lots of support and cushion.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

What works for one may not work for another.

I personally love both Danskos (the XPs!) and Alegria shoes. They are both different; the Danskos are a lot firmer, even the new XP line with (note: slightly) softer footbed. I love them, though. They are very comfortable and are good for my plantar fasciitis. The Alegria shoes have a much softer footbed with a rocker sole, but again, are very comfortable and I love them. They have arch support, maybe not as much as the Danskos but still adequate enough.

Now, are my feet 100% ache-free? No. Your feet will be a little achey regardless once you've been on them for 12+ hours straight. However, I have tried other shoes and my feet felt horrible. Not with the Danskos or Alegrias. I also suggest wearing some support socks, too. They can help with leg fatigue and also help prevent varicose veins

[soreadyRN, BSN, RN]

After all these recommendations I switched shoe to the Danskos and I haven't looked back, I'm tempted to try the Dansko sneaker to alternate with, anyone tried it out?

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

i love Alegria, and Timberline, but i also change shoes each day, probably alternating every other day would be adequate, but by wearing different shoe each day, they last for ever especially alegria, and when i find them at clearance almost 50%off sometimes on their website......helps....i do not ever have foot or shoe odor, by letting them breath a day or so :

[nurgigi]

Dansko nursing clog! Give it a couple of weeks though.. Back and leg pain completely gone

[kp1987]

I have dansko runners type lace up leather all white quite nice- kind of heavy tho but comfy

[babyranee]

Once I started wearing Dansko clogs I never went back to any other shoe. I love them and own about 10 pairs. I wear different one each day to work! They do take a while to get used to and break in, but it is worth it. They dont work for everyone though! At my current job, I am the only nurse who wears them. The rest of the nurses wear different variety of tennis shoes.

For me, they fit best with a thicker sock. Due to painful leg cramps, I now wear knee high compression socks with the clogs. Best decision EVER!!!!

[nursefeet]

The easiest answer is whatever works best for you. But we all need at least a nudge towards a couple top shoes that continue to get high marks and great reviews. Having a combination of durability, safety, and comfort is what every nurse is aiming for. Of course, cost is also an issue. But buying a $125 shoe once every 3 years or a $65 shoe once a year, then you see which one makes sense. Personally I like the Dansko Women’s Professional Tooled Clog. It's classy and comfortable. Buying the best nursing shoes will definitely make your life and long shifts easier each day.

[CrazyGoonRN]

I'v found that my muzino running shoes or brooks running shoes are the most comfortable. My saucony's were ok but nowere near as comfortable as the others. I'v also tried danskos but they killed my feet.

[Just.Blessed.RN, BSN, RN]

Great advice everyone! I'm used to worked 10 to 12 hour shifts in a warehouse on concrete floors in regular Nikes all throughout nursing school, even though I have flat semi wide feet! Now that I'll be in the hospital I wonder if I should change shoes?

[stephanie30]

I am SO glad I found this post. I am not sure if reading this gives me hope or not though. It seems a lot of nurses have foot issues. I am currently a stay at home mom and my feet hurt if I am on them for a few hours. I was really concerned that nursing might be a really bad choice for me long term due to foot pain.

I should be offered a spot in the Medical Laboratory Science program that starts in August. I will be on my feet for that too. I may pass it up and do nursing in January. I am really weighing my options.

I feel like finding a great shoe and maybe seeing a podiatrist is probably something I need to do either way.

There are no good shoe stores around here. I should probably internet search and see where the closest one is. Even if it was an hour away it would be worth it to take care of my feet.

You all gave great suggestions. I especially like when you say I like these shoes because I have this arch, etc.

I have also read that compression socks can make a big difference.

Anyway I just want to say thanks for this post and continuing to add to it!