Ow, ow, ow. My feet really hurt - any shoe recs?

Birkenstocks....

Or their inner soles in other shoes. They feel funny to start with but your feet will thank you!

Roamers desert boots are ace or Palladium Pampa Hi.

Do you have to use one shoe for everything? I use oofos recovery shoes, recommended by SiL who is an ultra-marathon runner, to give my feet a break

I will get in before Ton does,and say...
KEEN
They may look as if you are wearing a pair of ugly pasties on your feet,but if I am standing around all day,their footbed shape really works for me.

Birkenstocks +1 at least for recovery after work.

15,000 steps isn’t that much tbh, so I’d be looking at ASICS or Brooks in a style that is acceptable.

<p style="text-align: left;">Try insoles they can help.</p>
I used to suffer the same as you 12hr shifts, 18,000 steps on a night shift. I always suffered with the company supplied shoes.

Company Resently changed to  uvex safely shoes for us I thought here we go again being crippled by new shoes finding insoles to fit properly.

They are like wearing a pair of slippers! Uvex 1 x-tended Support Safety Shoes - for Men/Women - Grey/Black https://amzn.eu/d/0mUNsOi

I'm a big believer in barefoot shoes. Stronger feet are more resilient feet. However, if you're suffering acutely right now, they are not the answer. Worth looking at once you get past this stage though.

Something with a flexible sole, roomy toebox no heel lift and no toe spring.correcttoes toe spacers are really useful as well.

Love my vivobarefoot, they're my comfiest shoes despite what their sole suggests

I used to get really foot sore typically clocking up.20-30k steps a day ichanging the footbeds in my shoe proved to be a better solution than changing shoes

I put superfeet green insoles into a few different pairs of shoes (including some blundstones)and quickly got really quite marked improvements in terms of comfort and fatigue - counterintuitively they’re supposed to insoles for people with high arches and I’m quite flat footed

but as a bit of a shot in the dark, in terms of buying blind and not knowing what it was I needed to change to make things better, I just seemed to strike lucky first time

The question you should ask is what safety shoes do I need. An old colleagues big toe bears testament to what happens when you drop a couple of stage weights on it. It's not good, he was lucky not to lose it. As it is it's just floppy now, nothing really left of the bone.

The most comfortable ones I've had were actually while working on the bins during the pandemic. 20k a day on hard surfaces sometimes more and carrying heavy boxes of glass due to Brightons third world recycling capabilities

They were Portwest ones and were the one bit of kit I never heard anyone complain about

Some proper custom insoles will really help.  You can put them in any shoe and make them comfy.

I got my feet 3d scanned and some great insoles made (werent cheap though (£300).. but i walk 20-25k+ steps every day.  I generally wear adidas terrex mids but go through them in about 4 months.

What works for me is a 2 ‘step’ solution

Firstly, any of my existing footwear is immediately improved by using Superfeet insoles

Often found half price by searching around. Just like new walking boots, the insoles require breaking in to mould to your foot. After that I have found they last 2 years of regular wear and I don’t notice my feet, which is the clearest sign of no more foot pain

Secondly, if you like the style of your blundstones (cheaply made in China, Aussie brand) my most comfortable shoes are Redback boots which are the same price as blundstones but made in Sydney, from superior grade leather and with hugely supportive cushioning

This Redback boots (blundstone killers) cut in half video was all I needed to try them out

Worn each day for work on a farm, up ladders, livestock, office meetings, and they are, by some margin, the most comfortable boots I have ever owned

EDIT: they do several styles, My redbacks are the safety toe version if that is a consideration for your line of work

fasthaggis
Full Member
I will get in before Ton does,and say…
KEEN
They may look as if you are wearing a pair of ugly pasties on your feet,but if I am standing around all day,their footbed shape really works for me.

this man speaks wisely.
Keen Targhees specifically.

i have advanced osteoarthritis in both feet/ankles/knees.
the keen shoes allow me to walk/move about almost normally.

Get some gel insoles, from Aldi or wherever
I need some arch support too
but for me they make a world of difference, specially wearing workboots and standing up all day

Ecco boots and shoes suit my gibbon feet.
Reall y good arch support, and last for years.

I’m with Onzadog. Work on strengthening your feet and find something you can live with in the interim. The only downside is, that after years of wearing foot shaped footwear with zero drop, wearing standard shoes feels really odd.

Xero shoes. Closest thing that I have found to barefoot. Cramming your feet into traditional shoes is perhaps your issue. For me they don't size as wide as Vivobarefoot.

It doesnt sound like you are wearing shoes that fit you.

IMO a shoe that feels like it fits like a glove when you put it on will also be good for all day.

IMO a fairly stiff sole is better for standing on all day rather than a soft trainer. You can get trainers that are stiff underfoot.

I am going to contradict myself here. Get something that isnt too overly constructed and therefore wont allow your foot to breath, but dont get something that wont support your foot.

changing the footbeds in my shoe proved to be a better solution than changing shoes

I was gonna say to get insoles in the first instance.

I've tried quite a few, mainly to deal with plantar fasciitis, and all have been effective and more comfy generally.

As above, arch support soles work well for me, even though (or because?) I'm flat footed.

Another Keen wearer here. Very very comfortable in all sorts of situations. The pasty comment above made me laugh, might use that!

Look after your feet. Gentle filing of hard skin and daily moisturising has helped me enormously.

I have no recommendations (because everyones' feet are different), but I'd want to know if you needed safety footwear or if you could get by with just one pair of non-safety.

Also, if you need safety footwear, why is your workplace no providing it?

The GF has had insoles for the past 20-something years and has, thanks to various yoga teachers, naturopath, hippie type she has met recently, decided to get a pair of barefoot shoes.

All these printed insoles do is provide a sticking plaster and not a long term solution.

Walk barefoot when possible like at home. Stroll along a beach barefoot.

Very few Africans have a weak foot because they haven't had their feet cocooned in synthetic leather and foam from the time they could walk.

^Like to see them try it in a North East winter. They'd prefer foam to pneumonia.

<p style="text-align: center;">Birkenstock, Fitflop, merino socks make a big difference. I had a foot injury and found under armour trainers well sculpted and supportive (and cheap).</p>

^Like to see them try it in a North East winter. They’d prefer foam to pneumonia.

I wear barefoot shoes year round and have never had pneumonia as a result. You can get thermal insoles that are extremely thin

Socks.

Socks make a massive difference too.

Something thicker rather than thinner.  I wear army issue socks when out walking the dog.

Also - check you don't have plantar fasciitis.

This is crippingly painful but can be remedied with various tricks like a massage stick for the footbed.

Feet are quite complex, rather than just a new shoe I'd look to go and see someone who can tell you what the problem is and what options you have to solve it.

I'm in a similar game - but events & touring rather than the single venue of a theatre.

Firstly - a lot of your duties should be requiring you to wear safety footwear, so your employers (unless you're freelance) should be supplying those. I choose my own and just stick them on my company credit card when they need replacing. Either way, they need to fit properly, so don't put up with the cheapest just because they're the cheapest.

Me, I split time between safety boots (I go for composite toecaps as being lighter) with aftermarket sorbothane insoles and lightweight approach shoes (currently Salomon XA Pro 3d) when I'm just lurking around.

Socks are an important part of the system - I'm a fan of Bridgedale walking socks.

...and don't stand when you can sit; don't sit when you can lie down...

How long have you been doing this for? There is a certain amount of conditioning involved, but there is also a level of fatigue that builds up over multiple long back to back calls, which is only alleviated by a proper break.

I'd be looking at socks as well.  For me the answer is thin, you might need to experiment.  I have lots of pairs of thin non-cotton running socks , some Nike, and a lot of thin merino socks.  Thick socks , and I get sore.  Thick cotton, and it's a mess

Thank you people, lots to consider here.

I especially like two bits of advice - from JonEdwards who says 'don't stand when you can sit' (it's the standing, not the walking, that does the damage), and to try insoles first - they might not work, but it's pretty cheap to try.

I don't think I need my feet checked: If I'm out walking all day or going for a run I don't have any problems, it's only on work days when I am standing on my feet for hours.

The advice about safety shoes was interesting as well. My 'official' duties don't include anything dangerous, but I'm often asked - or I do it as there is no-one else around - to do something that probably should have safety equipment. Interesting points.

Thanks also for the info about Redpack boots. I'd never heard of them, but I'll check them when my Blundstones wear out (to be fair to Blundstone I've had them for 6 or 7 years and they're doing ok).

I'm not really convinced by the 'Africans don't have foot problems so you should try barefoot' reasoning. When I've been to Africa everyone has been wearing shoes in the city, same as us. Those who are barefoot are not walking on tarmac or concrete or stone, so it's a different issue I think. I would like to try some, but they always seem quite pricey.

Anyway, thanks again. I'm going to try gel insoles, then if that sones't work I 'll have a look at Keens as Ton and his disciples are so evangelical about them.

My personal choice would be 1460 Doc Martens. wore them for years when stage rigging and they never let me down.

The insole molds to your foot, they are flexible, hardwearing and grippy on any surface you'd find in a theatre and also work amazingly well on flat pedals if you're planning on cycling in to work. They last for quite a while too (I'm currently using 2 pairs that are over 10 years old, although neither have ever been near a stage - not done that for decades).

A lot of folks say they need breaking in but I've never found that and they've always been comfortable from day 1.

I find low drop shoes make a huge difference for me, don't need to be barefoot but 4mm or lower drop.

I really like Hoka shoes, they have decent cushioning on the soles and a roll from heal through the midfoot to the toe that helps my fused ankles.  However they make Keen look positively normal.

Standing around was the start of problem feet for me, which I still haven’t got to the bottom of.  Footbeds were my first port of call and I have found SOLE good for being both supportive and readily mouldable to my feet.  They last well too.  Footwear wise, Meindl Respond are my go to for long days on my feet.

Define sore…

sharp pain in a given point or points on the surface which might point to a corn.

generally aching or more internal pain, could be related to posture / gait too so Given you’ve tried quite a few different sorts of shoes it might be worth a visit to a physio whos a biomechanics specialist.

I’m not really convinced by the ‘Africans don’t have foot problems so you should try barefoot’ reasoning. When I’ve been to Africa everyone has been wearing shoes in the city, same as us. Those who are barefoot are not walking on tarmac or concrete or stone, so it’s a different issue I think. I would like to try some, but they always seem quite pricey.

They definitely are pretty expensive. Supply and demand I think. Not many folk wearing minimalist shoes out there. Which is a pity as they’re great and most of my Vivo’s have lasted ages. Best part is you can now send them back for repair or reuse.The majority of shoes are overbuilt to a crazy degree.

I go everywhere with minimalist footwear and go barefoot on all surfaces when weather permits. Never get aches, pains or issues. I’ve been doing it for a long time though.

Is your standing in regular areas?

A few anti fatigue mats dotted around (where they won't cause a trip hazard).

I'm lucky I used to suffer until employer changed the safety shoes they would supply to us.

The days I did suffer I could really feel the difference between bare concrete and standing on a rubber cushioned mat

I use Keen.
i’m heavy and do long shifts at work, sometimes with a fair bit of standing, keen and meindle fit me.

the keens are a little wider.

Another fat footed Keen fan.
12 hour days, 6 miles minimum.

They do a black leather version of the Targhees (the Oxford?) which are superb.
If I have to be a bit more formal I wear Clarks Flexlights in the widest fitting. They last for ages and polish up really nicely.

Crocs. I kid you not. I universally loathed the things until I smashed my ankle to pieces and during the rehabilitation they were the only things I could wear, I got so used to them that they're my first choice of footwear now.

+1 for going to get your feet checked out. A new job for me means I’m doing 15k-20k steps a day and I’ve developed what I think is plantar fasciitis in my left heel (had pf before in same foot but towards toes) so just looking at physios.

Hoka.

There's a good reason every nurse I know wears them,

My feet take a similar pounding to yours. Nearly all my shoes are now made by Ecco. For day to day use like you describe I wear the Track 25,  a leather goretex lined shoe with a good supportive sole, available in shoe or boot.

Caught the end of a R4 just before 18:00 today- sounds like they were taking about shoes & feet as the barefoot style got mentioned a few times. Might be worth looking for on iplayer

An update for anyone still interested:

I got some Scholl insoles, and so far they seem to be doing a good job. My feet are still a little sore at the end of the day, but much better than they were - I'm not in pain when walking the dog in the evening.

I've also followed @JonEdwards advice and tried to sit more often. That's probably helping as well.

Thanks again for all the advice. Next time I buy shoes for work I'll have another look at this thread.