Which Nursing Shoes Are The Best?

Some nurses swear the most expensive nursing shoes are the only way to go while others say the cheaper shoes work for them to keep their feet from hurting.

Keep in mind while it is great to save money wherever possible, taking excellent care of your feet is the one area where you as a nurse should avoid skimping on if at all possible.  

NIZ says the nursing shoes that stop your feet from hurting, meet your hospital's guidelines and the sale's price is within your budget sound like the winner to us.

It may be a pair of walking / running shoes, Crocs, Birkenstocks, San Antonio Shoes, New Balance Shoes, Sanita and Wallstrom Clogs, MBT, Naot, Quarks, Kumfs, KLOGZ, and CrocsRX.

While there is also a brand of shoe on the market called Z-Coils that are advertised as good for individuals with Plantar Fasciitis, NIZ does not recommend these shoes for medical personnel due to the very dangerous and liable possibility of patient tubings and lines getting caught in the coils. 

What Do We Mean By Meeting Your Hospital's Guidelines For Nursing Shoes?

Listed below are three (3) good examples of shoes that you like to wear but may not be on the approved hospital list for workshoes.

Wearing these types of shoes may cause you serious financial losses in the event that you are injured on the job.

And here in America, the hospital could deny you Workman's Compensation due to you violating hospital policy regarding proper shoe selection: Be Sure That You Know Hospital Policy

Open Toed Shoes - Sharp and contaminated medical devices may strike your feet. Contaminated or corrosive liquids may seep into the holes resulting in serious bodily injury or exposure to disease. 

Shoes With Straps - Improperly using or not even using the heel strap may cause you to trip or walk out of the shoe resulting in an ankle or foot injury. 

Crocs with big holes across the top of shoe - Contaminated or corrosive liquids may seep into the holes resulting in serious bodily injury or exposure to disease. 

What Is The Best Way To Select A Nursing Shoe? 

Before we talk about selecting shoes, keep in mind that going barefoot or wearing improper shoes for the pending activity or job function can hurt the plantar fascia area of the foot. 

Improperly designed shoes that could lead to Plantar Fasciitis could include shoes designed without proper heel support, with thin or stiff soles, without good arch support or manufactured with a flexible shank section. 

Wearing the wrong shoe for the activity or job could be the plantar fascia, the ligament between the front of the heel bone and the base of the toes that helps to support the arch, is damaged and inflamed due to excessivestressing or stretching resulting in you getting the very painful, Plantar Fasciitis.

• If your foot or feet have been hurting, go to a Podiatrist for an examination to ensure that you do not have Plantar Fasciitis. You may be given a prescription for an  orthotics shoe which could be a medical expense covered by your insurance company. 
• Visit a running shoe store that will analyze your gait by putting you on a treadmill. You will be fitted with a shoe that gives you good arch support found in a good lace-up rigid shanked shoe 
• If you wear orthotics or have special medical considerations, NIZ recommends that you consult a medical professional and be fitted by an experienced retailer. A good example is a diabetic needing to wear diabetic shoes. 

Selecting shoes at first glance seems simple for most people but NIZ recommends that nurses take the time to learn how to protect one of a nurse's most important assets, their feet. Injured feet for a nurse can mean significant time away from work due to rehabilitation.

The proper nursing shoes can be an important difference in helping a nurse make it through a twelve or sixteen hour shift without their feet hurting or incurring serious injury.

Know and take care of your feet because they will sure yell and shut down when you are abusing them.