Shoe Help

[brokenscale]

So between class from 7am to noon and work in the restaurant from 1 to midnight my feet are killing me, i have tried several different shoes and they just arent cutting it. Time to buy a more expensive pair that are going to support me through the day...what brands do you guys use.

[Joe Blowe]

[avaserfi]

I tried about 5 pairs of different shoes designed for kitchen work. I wasn't comfortable in most of them and I actually ended up loving the cheapest of them all, the croc kitchen line. I regularly wear them for 14+ hour days and get home without my feet hurting at all. At less then $30 a pair these things are a steal.

[KatieLoeb]

As someone that's literally standing through their whole shift I have two suggestions.

Born shoes, handmade in Sweden, are the most comfortable line of footwear I've ever found, both for work and play. I find them on eBay or elsewhere online. You can beat the crap out of them and they last longer than they should taking the abuse. Eventually you have to get a new pair. But you'll get your money's worth out of every last pair you buy.

A pair of those Dr. Scholl's inserts that you stand on the mat and have your foot contours diagnosed are a great investment. For about $50 you'll save the cost of a podiatrist visit and the custom insoles at several times the price. These are available at large chain drugstores, Walmart, Walgreen's, Target, etc.

[lame username]

Medical, not culinary (but we steal your shoe ideas all the time). I've made some progress through the expensive, professional shoe trials. Danskos aggravated my plantar fasciitis (though many of my colleagues have them), Klogs were better for me, but not quite padded enough; I finally tried the Merrell Encore Groove Pro and love them -- non-skid tread, good support and cushioning. They are $90 for women and $95 for men, and have a replaceable insole that prolongs their lifespan. Unfortunately, what works for me may not for you, and you can't tell just by trying them on. It took me days to learn my $120 Danskos made me feel like someone was driving an icepick into my heels and then it's too late to return them. Good luck.

[ScoopKW]

Birkenstock black leather kitchen shoes. And ONLY Birks for me. It takes roughly two weeks to get used to having real arch support. Then you'll likely never want another brand.

But break them in AT HOME. Do not wear them in the kitchen until you've gone through the obligatory two weeks of training your feet. Otherwise, you WILL hate me for suggesting Birks.

Because I have large feet, I have to buy mine from online stores in Germany. To keep the shipping from killing me, I'll order five pairs at a time. (Not all for the kitchen -- I have Birk dress shoes, Birk sandals, hiking boots, you name it. Usually I'll buy two pairs of kitchen shoes and three pairs of other styles.)

Even with the pounding I give them in the kitchen, they'll hold up for two years or so.

[Blether]

No-one who's not intimate with your feet is going to be able to come on here and tell you "these are the shoes for you". You need to find a maker building on a last that suits the shape of your feet, and/or concentrates on fit & orthopaedics. There are good suggestions here. Swiss maker MBT is another I've heard good things about.

[catdaddy]

Another vote for Birks....

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I'll put in a vote for Israeli-made Naots with custom-made orthotic inserts.

Visit your podiatrist for the insoles, tell him exactly what's going on, and then find a nice pair of shoes for them to go in. I love Naot simply because they're killer comfy even after 10 hours on your feet.

[Tri2Cook]

I won't make a suggestion because I shouldn't be wearing what I wear and you are unlikely to be able to get away with it where you work... but my feet, legs and lower back never get sore. My plantar fasciitis troubles disappeared completely as well. I will keep an eye on the suggestions you're getting in case someone makes a good case for something I haven't tried yet that is more kitchen-appropriate than what I wear now.

[ScoopKW]

I won't make a suggestion because I shouldn't be wearing what I wear and you are unlikely to be able to get away with it where you work... but my feet, legs and lower back never get sore. My plantar fasciitis troubles disappeared completely as well. I will keep an eye on the suggestions you're getting in case someone makes a good case for something I haven't tried yet that is more kitchen-appropriate than what I wear now.

Fuzzy bunny slippers?

[Tri2Cook]

I won't make a suggestion because I shouldn't be wearing what I wear and you are unlikely to be able to get away with it where you work... but my feet, legs and lower back never get sore. My plantar fasciitis troubles disappeared completely as well. I will keep an eye on the suggestions you're getting in case someone makes a good case for something I haven't tried yet that is more kitchen-appropriate than what I wear now.

Fuzzy bunny slippers?

As awesome as that would be, no.

Fine, I'll take my lumps. I wear Saucony Progrid Rides. Yes, high end cushioning running shoes. I tried all of the usual suspects for appropriate kitchen footwear, even with custom made orthotics, and nothing has come close to the comfort levels I get now. Not allowed in most kitchens, not particularly safe (although I might argue that many of the clogs I see worn don't look much safer), completely unprofessional... but the dogs don't care about all that, they're comfy.

[Darienne]

As someone that's literally standing through their whole shift I have two

A pair of those Dr. Scholl's inserts that you stand on the mat and have your foot contours diagnosed are a great investment. For about $50 you'll save the cost of a podiatrist visit and the custom insoles at several times the price. These are available at large chain drugstores, Walmart, Walgreen's, Target, etc.

KatieLoeb mentioned Dr. Scholl's inserts but there are many varieties. You've got to try the blue gel ones. They saved my feet one fall when we had to walk endlessly on sidewalks pulling our 95 pound dog in a wagon. The pain went away immediately and never came back.

True, that is not standing on your feet all day long, but it's a good start. Give them a try. I've used them in all my boots and shoes ever since.

[rotuts]

Crocs are interesting. i wear mine all the time. the little nubbins seem to massge my feets,

maybe those Orange things MB wears are crocs.

I million years ago i began a training program where i pretty much stood in the same spot for about 12 - 14 hours a day. my heels were killing me.

i was told to look into Running shoes, fairly new then and got some saucony's with the most heel padding. saucony only because they seemed to fit better.

made it through that program because of those shoes.

they also would make for you some grade III professional Ted-hose, made to measure.

helped a lot with fatigue too.

good luck!

the Red Crocs are the best!

[KatieLoeb]

As someone that's literally standing through their whole shift I have two

A pair of those Dr. Scholl's inserts that you stand on the mat and have your foot contours diagnosed are a great investment. For about $50 you'll save the cost of a podiatrist visit and the custom insoles at several times the price. These are available at large chain drugstores, Walmart, Walgreen's, Target, etc.

KatieLoeb mentioned Dr. Scholl's inserts but there are many varieties. You've got to try the blue gel ones. They saved my feet one fall when we had to walk endlessly on sidewalks pulling our 95 pound dog in a wagon. The pain went away immediately and never came back.

True, that is not standing on your feet all day long, but it's a good start. Give them a try. I've used them in all my boots and shoes ever since.

The blue gel ones are off the shelf. The ones I'm talking about are the "custom" fitted numbers that read how your weight is distributed on your feet, how high your arches are/aren't, etc. The gel ones are great for walking and non-professional circumstances and they're a lot cheaper, like $8 a pair or so. But for standing on ones feet for 8-10 hours at a stretch, I'm going to stick with the higher grade custom fitted ones.

[Darienne]

The blue gel ones are off the shelf. The ones I'm talking about are the "custom" fitted numbers that read how your weight is distributed on your feet, how high your arches are/aren't, etc. The gel ones are great for walking and non-professional circumstances and they're a lot cheaper, like $8 a pair or so. But for standing on ones feet for 8-10 hours at a stretch, I'm going to stick with the higher grade custom fitted ones.

Thanks for that information.

The gel ones I've always paid about twice as much for and I've never seen the other ones in Canada, although I've seen them advertised on television.

[_john]

I bought the kitchen Crocs because most people said good things about them and because there are no fatigue mats where I work. I really dislike them though. I used to wear Sloggers brand garden clogs with a custom orthopedic insert. Then they changed something about them and they stared wearing through faster and they were quite slippery. The crocs rub on my feet at a point about on inch above my heal where a vein is. Now I have a darkened spot on each foot where they rub. My legs and feet are a lot more sore/tired at the end of the day especially on slower days where I am moving less. Shoes are a very personal thing. Unfortunately you have to find shoes that work for you the hard way. Now I am stuck with shoes I feel like I am obliged to wear out (cost me about $54 in Japan) but dislike.

Edited October 10, 2011 by _john (log)

[HungryC]

Dansko for me, in the lower-heel styles. the Pro clogs are favored by some, but the heel is too high for me & my aching lower back. The women's Arcadia line fits me best: http://www.dansko.com/Womens/Footwear/Collections/Arcadia/

[Mjx]

. . . . Shoes are a very personal thing. . . .

That's the crux of the matter.

A good place to start is with a shoe that you find comfortable in the ordinary run of things (e.g. when you're out shopping for several hours), and look into what else the brand has to offer.

This is what I did when I was working as a massage therapist (7.00 to 22.00, seven days a week). For me, New Balance trainers, augmented with gel insoles, did the trick, because it's a brand that uses a last that works with my foot shape.

The last shape is crucial, and if it is significantly different from the shape of your foot, the shoe is going to give you hell, sooner or later, no matter how much other people may swear by it.

With regard to insoles, I began with a cheap but likely-looking offering, and was prepared to work my way up (pricewise) if necessary, but my first pick worked out fine.

One other thing I found was that lacing the shoe loosely enough to turn it into a slip-on allows your feet to move more in the shoe, and the structure of the foot can do its natural shock-absorbing thing far better. I wouldn't recommend this for those with weak insteps or ankles, however (I'm extremely foot conscious, partly because of an 11-year dance background; almost no other physical discomfort can make me as miserable as even slightly uncomfortable feet, and I'm on my feet a lot).

[JeanneCake]

Birkenstock black leather kitchen shoes. And ONLY Birks for me. It takes roughly two weeks to get used to having real arch support. Then you'll likely never want another brand.

But break them in AT HOME. Do not wear them in the kitchen until you've gone through the obligatory two weeks of training your feet. Otherwise, you WILL hate me for suggesting Birks.

Because I have large feet, I have to buy mine from online stores in Germany. To keep the shipping from killing me, I'll order five pairs at a time. (Not all for the kitchen -- I have Birk dress shoes, Birk sandals, hiking boots, you name it. Usually I'll buy two pairs of kitchen shoes and three pairs of other styles.)

Even with the pounding I give them in the kitchen, they'll hold up for two years or so.

I'm breaking in a pair of Birks, and wishing the cork were more cushioned; I've also got a pair of Klogs, which I am about to start breaking in. I like the cushioning of the Klogs, but I like the width of the Birks; I also bought a pair of Allpros but they are too big and have to go back. Finding the right shoe makes all the difference in this line of work.