Shoe Shopping for an “On Your Feet All Day” Job 

Standing at work all day can be exhausting, especially for your feet. Hard flooring and the wrong shoes or boots don’t help. Your feet are meant for moving, not standing still. If you stand long enough, it can cause permanent damage to your feet.

Choosing the proper footwear can help protect your feet and decrease the discomfort of long periods of standing. Here are a few shoe-buying tips:  

• Buy shoes later in the day, so when you try them on, your feet are swollen and at their largest.  
• Make sure there is room in the front of your shoes for your toes to move around. 
• Don’t buy shoes expecting them to stretch. If they don’t fit well when you buy them, they may never fit.  
• The shoe needs to fit well enough that your foot won’t slide around inside it.  
• If your feet are different sizes, buy shoes that fit the larger foot.  
• Avoid high heels, no matter how good they look or where you work. 
• Avoid pointed shoes.  
• Buy shoes with good arch support.  
• Buy shoes that let your feet breathe.  
• If your feet are consistently uncomfortable, consult your foot and ankle doctor for information about custom-made orthotics or even custom-made shoes.  
• If you need a steel midsole, make sure the shoe is flexible enough to allow the foot to bend.