Are you wearing the right shoes for Nursing?
Did you know that there are special shoes made specifically for nurses? If you are a nurse then you probably know this already, but if you are not, you may now be wondering what they’re like?
Nursing shoes above all need to be comfortable. Having sore feet is one of the most common medical complaints by nursing staff in the UK, and with good reason too. Nurses spend all day on their feet during long shifts where they may not get a chance to sit down at all.
What’s more nurse’s shoes also need to be light weight to aid the comfort, and need to be easily disinfected or sometimes even put in an autoclave. (An autoclave is like a big, really hot oven that is used to sterilise things with high pressure saturated steam at over 120°C.) So they can’t melt like most shoes would.
Here are some of the most popular shoes for nurses:
Crocs
For some people, Crocs look a bit weird: over-sized, brightly coloured, full of holes and kind of like something from outer space. But for the initiated, Crocs are a life saver. It’s normally best not to wear a style of Crocs with holes (think about dropped needles), but there is a professional range that has no holes and is ideal for nurses.
Arcopedico
These clog like shoes are, in their standard form, made of woven nylon on top and a PVC injected sole, with all the support bumps you need for all day comfort. Arcopedico also do a medical version which has a more substantial covering, but still has micro holes for ventilation.
Toffeln
Toffeln is a UK based shoe maker that has been designing and making shoes for medical professionals since 1978. Their clogs are designed to provide anatomical support not only for the feet, but for the whole body. Plus they have a big selection of similarly comfort centric trainers too.
Oxypas
Oxypas make shoes especially for different types of professions. They have a huge range of over 300 different styles, including theatre clogs, safety shoes, trainers and things that look a bit like Crocs. The best thing about Oxypas is that they have something for everybody.
Saniway
These shoes are impressive: can be autoclaved up to 134°C, are machine washable, are anti-static, anti-slip, are really comfortable and have lots of correctly positioned support. Plus you can get them in lots of different colours.
Birkenstock
These classic sandals are also very popular amongst many nurses. They are not so easily sterilized (though they do have a model designed just for nurses that are better for this) and may have patients thinking you’re a hippy, but Birkenstocks are popular globally and are well known for their comfort.
Are you a nurse? Is there a different type of shoe you swear by? Leave a comment below and let us know!
Dylan Robertson is a fan of good footwear. He is also very interested in filling nursing jobs in London and care jobs in London.