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Thread: Looking for good shoe recommendations

  1. #1

    Looking for good shoe recommendations

    Hello
    Now that my new shop expansion is almost completed, I plan on spending long hours standing on the concrete.
    What shoes work best for comfort and foot health?
    My wife and I talked about mats at each station, but I thought I would try looking for the better shoes first.

    what recommendations from the guys here?

    thanks in advance

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Elmodel, Ga.
    Posts
    798
    Ii like Sketchers. I tried the mat route, but found them to be in the way and did not do much for my feet. The Sketchers I wear are ordinary walking/casual shoes. They do make a work shoe and even steel toed shoes. I'm looking hard at them for my next pair.
    My Dad always told me "Can't Never Could".

    SWE

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Wayland, MA
    Posts
    3,655
    I've been enjoying my Keen boots and "work sneakers" since discovering them a couple years ago. Better selection in wide sizes than many other companies, with a fair number of US-made options. My oldest ones are still going strong.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    6,982
    I spent close to 25 years - give and take - working on my feet in retail, mostly on concrete and/or asphalt tile covered concrete.

    Boots - heavy soled work boots - work the best out of anything.

    Avoid steel toes if you do much bending down. They can try to chop off your toes if they aren't a perfect fit.

    Recently (within the last few years) I've gone over to wearing Sketchers and plopping my ample backside on a bar stool type seat I got from Sears that says 'Craftsman",,,a lot more than I care for.
    Being old sucks. I loved getting old, but, being old flat out sucks.
    My granddad always said, :As one door closes, another opens".
    Wonderful man, terrible cabinet maker...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Lebanon, TN
    Posts
    1,719
    I'm also a Sketchers wearer. They cushion well and are light weight.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    The best shoe may depend on your feet, arches, etc. I had foot pain (plantar fasciitis) and tried many things over the years. What really worked for me are Oofos: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AECHSZ4

    I wear these in the shop on concrete floors, outside around the farm, everywhere, and no more foot pain after years. They are soft, flexible material with good arch support. I think they are like having rubber mats everywhere in the shop.

    I’ve recommended these to several people who said they helped a lot. One guy said they are a miracle, the pain he had for years went away and didn’t come back!

    I’ve followed lots of discussion about footwear and bought several others recommended but they didn’t work for my feet.

    JKJ

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    1,950
    Don't forget to consider your pronation. Some shoes specify which type they are best for, like Asics for example, which can help with comfort. https://www.asics.com/us/en-us/shoe-...SAAEgKnP_D_BwE

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,683
    There actually have been a lot of threads about this and there are a variety of things that folks like and recommend on an individual basis.

    I keep things simple...I wear Sketchers Go-Walk with Dr. Scholl's "custom" inserts that were selected by a measuring device long ago in a Bed, Bath and Beyond store, for additional support. They are extremely lightweight and comfortable. For Me. I honestly cannot wear any kind of "work" shoe/boot and many other kinds of regular shoes. They all make my feet ache and the weight is bothersome, too.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,492
    Blog Entries
    1
    Shoes are so specific to the person but I'll toss in that Merrell MOAB 2 boot and shoe have been real favorites for long hours in the shop. I also use mats; nothing fancy, just the interlocking stuff from Sam's Club.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    As with many others who have posted above, my favorite everyday or in the shop shoe is Sketchers.

    My only point against them is my tendency to build up static. It seems Sketchers seem to produce more of a build up than some other brands like Vans.

    My way of dealing with this is to always carry a metal tape measure and use that to discharge myself before touching anything that might cause a discharge. I discharge through the case, not the tape, DAMHIKT.

    Another observation when grocery shopping indicated some shopping carts will cause more static charge build up more than others. My regular grocery store has about four distinctly different carts. I always pick the ones that cause the least static build up.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Los Angeles, California
    Posts
    961
    I wear what nurses wear, New Balance walking shoes.
    Regards,

    Tom

  12. #12
    I wear New Balance, with roll bar sole. Get them thru foot doctor due to type II diabeties. Custom inserts. Current pair have been worn seven days a week for the last FOUR YEARS. Time for a new pair as soles are wearing out.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2021
    Location
    Central Arkansas
    Posts
    75
    Anther vote for Keen. My shop is all concrete floor except for a mat for the dog.
    BillL

  14. #14
    The shoes I grab when I know I will be on my feet for extra hours are SAS (San Antonio Shoemakers). Easily the most supportive and comfortable shoes I have worn.
    Last edited by Bob Borzelleri; 03-08-2023 at 2:01 AM.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Lancaster, Ohio
    Posts
    1,346
    custom insoles are a big help

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