Which Shoes Are Best?

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I'm a nursing student who is going to be starting a new position as a Unit Tech in a CCU in a couple of weeks. I'll be working two 12 hour weekend shifts and one 8 hour weeknite shift and I really don't want to have achy, swollen feet!! Does anyone have any suggestions as to which type/brand of shoes are the best? I'd hate to spend $60 or more on shoes only to find out that they hurt my feet. I've heard some good things about Cherokee Rockers RClogz and Birkenstocks Super Birki or Professional Clogs. Any experiences with these or other shoes? Also, which shoes should I avoid? I've heard NurseMates are horrible. My feet thank you :D !!

Valerie :)

I swear by EASY SPIRITS--I can go 16-hour shifts with them. My NEW BALANCE last only 8 hours, and my ASICS GELS can go 12-16 hours, usually 12. I work on a busy MED-SURG floor, and am on my feet constantly. I also wear 6 1/2-7 EE, (Extra wide), and the EASY SPIRITS are easy to find in those sizes. Also EASY SPIRIT has major sales q6-12mo, and can be bought/ordered at greatly reduced prices. Arch supports also help a lot. I have been "floor nursing" for 30 years, and still do not have aching feet at the end of the day. :D

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I swear by EASY SPIRITS--I can go 16-hour shifts with them. My NEW BALANCE last only 8 hours, and my ASICS GELS can go 12-16 hours, usually 12. I work on a busy MED-SURG floor, and am on my feet constantly. I also wear 6 1/2-7 EE, (Extra wide), and the EASY SPIRITS are easy to find in those sizes. Also EASY SPIRIT has major sales q6-12mo, and can be bought/ordered at greatly reduced prices. Arch supports also help a lot. I have been "floor nursing" for 30 years, and still do not have aching feet at the end of the day. :D

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While we're on the topic of shoes, can anyone tell me the amount of miles that are used to determine when the cushioning effect of the soles are done? I saw it somewhere a few years ago when talking about jogger/runners who use their shoes too long and end up with problems. Where I work I got myself and some of my co-workers to wear a pedometer and we averaged a whopping 8 miles per 8 hour shift. It's no wonder about a quarter of us have foot problems. If we can prove that we wear out our shoes faster than the rest of the real world then we may be able to negotiate a shoe allowance from our employer.

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While we're on the topic of shoes, can anyone tell me the amount of miles that are used to determine when the cushioning effect of the soles are done? I saw it somewhere a few years ago when talking about jogger/runners who use their shoes too long and end up with problems. Where I work I got myself and some of my co-workers to wear a pedometer and we averaged a whopping 8 miles per 8 hour shift. It's no wonder about a quarter of us have foot problems. If we can prove that we wear out our shoes faster than the rest of the real world then we may be able to negotiate a shoe allowance from our employer.

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:rolleyes:

I have worn the Cherokee Rockers successfully for 6 years...never a problem with my feet.Recently I have been diagnosed with "plantar fasciitis", at the foot clinic when I startd having terrible pain in one heel. The doc suggested a "cross trainer " type shoe. I bought the New Balance 608 with the ABSOBRZ cushioning. This has kept me on the job, 12 hour shifts, in CVICU, with no carpeting in a large hospital...lots of walking , just to get to my unit from the parking garage.The $60 + shipping from the Penney's catalog was worth it, just to keep on the job ! I plan to buy a second pair.

Good luck on your job.

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:rolleyes:

I have worn the Cherokee Rockers successfully for 6 years...never a problem with my feet.Recently I have been diagnosed with "plantar fasciitis", at the foot clinic when I startd having terrible pain in one heel. The doc suggested a "cross trainer " type shoe. I bought the New Balance 608 with the ABSOBRZ cushioning. This has kept me on the job, 12 hour shifts, in CVICU, with no carpeting in a large hospital...lots of walking , just to get to my unit from the parking garage.The $60 + shipping from the Penney's catalog was worth it, just to keep on the job ! I plan to buy a second pair.

Good luck on your job.

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Specializes in NICU, Informatics.

Ya'll could always wear what I wear to work all night sometimes: combat boots. They truely are really comfortable and give great ankle support, look pretty nifty with scrubs.. don't think they'd look that good with whites tho.... :p

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Specializes in NICU, Informatics.

Ya'll could always wear what I wear to work all night sometimes: combat boots. They truely are really comfortable and give great ankle support, look pretty nifty with scrubs.. don't think they'd look that good with whites tho.... :p

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Birkenstocks!!! they mold to yoru foot shape. they are a lil stiff for about 2 shifts, then they are heaven! I worked full time for 4 yeaars and my birks are still in good shape.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

I've tried a lot of different brands of shoe over the years and have found New Balance 554s (wide, even though my feet really aren't) to be the best. I wore Reebok Walk DMXs for years, but I too found they squeak too much, and they aren't as comfortable as the New Balance I'm wearing now. I tried Saucony walking shoes and they were okay, but not good enough to buy a second pair. And I tried Propet, "the Walking Shoe with the 1,000 Mile Guarantee". They were the most uncomfortable shoes I have ever worn for work, and my heels would ache for days after a single 12-hour shift.

The current wisdom on how frequently to buy new shoes is about every six months if you work full time.:eek:

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My rule is: the shoe MUST be 100% comfortable from the first minute it's on my foot!

Tennies makes my large feet seem enormous and with a skirt I look a bit like Minnie Mouse in white! I have found SAS leather shoes come in "D" width and I can buy a new pair and wear it for 16 hrs with no "break in" time!

I also have painful flair ups of "plantar fachiatis" and have developed a trick for dealing with it! Using 3 inch "foam tape" to wrap around the middle portion of my foot, I start at the base of my toes, two overlapping wraps and ending just past my arch/instep.

I used to have to horrid foot pain the day after working. Since taping my feet, I havent had to take any more Naprosyn!

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Thanks for all the great responses! I ended up getting a pair of New Balance 608 Cross-Trainers. I had to buy a half size smaller than my normal size and get a wide, even though I don't normally need a wide. They are excellent. Well worth the $$!

Also, thanks for the tip about replacing every 6 months!!

Valerie :)

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