Long workdays require you to be on your feet a lot, even if you’re seated behind a desk for most of the day. Finding the right pair of work shoes is something that can be easily overlooked, especially with every other thing you have to worry about in life.
However, ending up with the wrong pair of work shoes means that you’ll be enduring consistent discomfort throughout your work days.
If you purchase shoes that are ill-fitting, you might end up feeling a pinching pain that will distract you from producing good results on the job. This nagging pain will also put you in a bad disposition that can hinder your professional relationships. It probably already goes without saying, but finding a good, reliable pair of work shoes will even help boost your mood throughout the dreary workday.
When picking out your go-to work shoes, there are a lot of things that you actually have to consider. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t all just about the fit and fashion of the shoe; there are more things that you should keep in mind when selecting!
Here are few tips on finding the perfect work shoes.
1.CONSIDER THE NATURE OF YOUR WORK
- One of the first things you should assess are the conditions of your day-to-day work.
- One thing you should ask yourself is where do you see yourself most of the day. Are you sitting behind a desk, or working in a field? This will determine the level of comfort and stability you will need from your daily footwear.
- After analysing your daily routine and its demands on your feet, it’s time to factor in its propriety as well. For example, for more formal office set-ups, you may be required to wear heels or sleek flats to complement the corporate setting.
However, if you are faced with a job that requires you to be more physical, you may be requiring something heels can definitely not offer. For heavy-duty environments, work boots may be more appropriate.
2. HOW MUCH SUPPORT DO YOU NEED?
The most common mistake that people make is that they often sacrifice their comfort just to put on a pair of fashionable shoes. While there’s nothing wrong with being both chic and comfortable, the former is more important than the latter.
Don’t be afraid to walk around in potential choices, or even imitate the activity you’ll be doing at work.
3. HOW COMFORTABLE DO YOU NEED TO BE?
Will you be spending most of your time sitting on a comfortable chair, with very limited times that you’ll have to walk? Or will you be on your feet the whole day, walking from area to area? Once you’ve determined this, it’s easy to let common sense and your experience dictate how comfortable your shoes need to be.
- For formal settings, it may be best to opt for kitten heels rather than extremely high pumps. This is because minimal heels provide maximum support and comfort, without sacrificing the formal flair.
- However, for jobs that don’t really have a specific dress code and are geared more towards safety and ease, it’s best to find the most comfortable and long-lasting pair available. This is because if your job is very physically demanding, you’ll need as much respite as you can get.What better to do it with than sensible footwear!
You should also gauge how long you’ll be wearing the shoes. This depends on your work hours, so we recommend to have a shorter break in between the work hours.
4. FASHION MAKES COMPROMISE
- Yes, we do mistake called compromising our comfort which gives an ultimate fashion. We need to consider the comfortability towards the wearing hours of footwear. Which is then making a complete changes of the foot, knee, hip and whole of your body parts.
- Even though it sounds tough to make importance to your comfortless than the fashion but making satisfies of your pain and your body parts makes the fashion goes wrong.
5. FINDING THE RIGHT MATERIAL
- The perfect work footwear is minimalistic, at best. They should be made of durable material with sturdy soles and strong heels, if any. We recommend that you get a classic shade of either black or blue, beige, grey, or brown. Through these neutral colours, you’ll be able to match them with more styles of clothing.
- As for the material, we advise against leatherette, since it does not allow the foot to breathe underneath. No one wants sweaty, smelly feet at the end of a tiring work day!
Think about what their use will be, and how much time you’ll spend in them and especially before choosing a footwear get consultation from physiotherapist podiatrist or orthoptist and get a proper foot examination\test.
With our comprehensive guide, you’ll definitely find the right pair of work shoes for you in no time!
Author
Dr. DURGA SARAVANAN (PT., MSc Sports biomechanics and kinesiology)