Most nurses are prone to strain on their feet, calves, heels, and even on their back and hips as they spend a lot of time on their feet. That's why they prefer wearing shoes that help reduce the tension and pain these body parts feel.
According to New York-based Podiatrist Dr. Howard Freidman, "to keep the pain at bay, choose supportive sneakers or clogs, at least two pairs or one of each. A shoe cushion becomes fully compressed after six hours or so, as per Dr.Friedman. Therefore, having two great pairs allows you to switch halfway through your shift."
Overall Top Pics for Best Shoes For Nurses (Women's Shoes)
Overall, Top Pics Best Shoes for Nurses (Men's Shoes)
When your profession requires that you are on your feet most of the day, running, standing, walking, and more) for hours on the ward or in the ER or operating room, then choosing the most comfortable and supportive shoes is paramount. Being on your feet all day places your lower body parts under a lot of stress. Wearing unsupportive shoes for a long time could develop painful arches, joint pain, and other excruciating problems.
I've highlighted 11 shoes here that would be very good choices for you. Our top choices are first (and listed above). For nurse shoes, check out all the options, you might be surprised with some choices on our list. After much research, we were surprised!
I've also listed a couple of different options to purchase each shoe. Sometimes, you just get a better deal at one place over the other, but those deals aren't always consistently better at one place over the other. Check out all the options and choose what's best for you. That said... Let's get to it.
Our top list for the best shoes for nurses is no other than the Dansko Professional Mule Women’s Clogs (Find the Men’s Dansko Professional Clog here).
Dansko Women's Professional Honey Distressed
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Amazon & Dansko
This footwear is made of leather with a rocker bottom. The base is made with polyurethane to help absorb shock and add comfort while wearing. These shoes are intended this way to protect your back and lower body parts from the stress of standing and walking while on duty.
Dansko Professional Clogs for Men
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Amazon & Dansko
The shoe's versatile design propels the foot forward to prevent the user from moving. It helps maintain energy to ensure your feet feel fresh the entire 12-hour shift—also, the wide two-inch heel adds extra stability.
Dansko Professional Mule Clog's platform is about three-quarters of an inch and two-inch-wide heel for extra stability. The toe of the shoe features a bolstered toe case and a padded instep collar. These shoes are easily cleaned with a damp cloth or sponge to remove any surface dirt.
Dansko is a favorite for many healthcare professionals, not just nurses. They are lightweight, offer good grip on slippery surfaces, and have good support. Although they can take a little to break-in. Make sure you wear at least ankle-length socks when you are breaking them in.
It's also a good idea to protect your heel and even the top of your foot, where the shoe ends with moleskin or a bandaid.
The Hoka Bondi 7 Women's Running Shoes (Men’s Hoka Bondi 7) have several features that make them one of the best shoes for nurses and health care professionals. Considering they're designed to run on hard surfaces, they fit best in the hospital, where nurses constantly rush up and down the hallways to fulfill their duties.
HOKA ONE ONE Bondi 7 Women's Shoes
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Amazon & HOKA
Like the rest of the shoes on our list, Hoka Bondi 5 offers a variety of color combinations. Although they're more expensive than most shoes on our list, their premium features make them stand out from the rest.
HOKA ONE ONE Bondi 7 Men's Shoes
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Amazon & HOKA
Many users claimed that these are the best nursing shoes for plantar fasciitis due to their ComfortFrame upper material and a padded tongue that focuses on the comfort of your top foot more than any other shoe on our list.
The Ortholite Insole also provides extra cushioning for arch support and long-lasting comfort.
HOKA doesn't have the popularity that other shoes on this list have, but they are designed with your feet in mind. As nurse shoes, the fit the bill.
HOKA offers a 30-day, no-questions-asked refund (or exchange). Their shoes are designed with enhanced cushioning and a meticulously-engineered midsole that provides a smooth, soft and efficient ride. Wear these babies for a day and your feet will be in love.
The Neira pro 2 Women’s Crocs offer a more work-appropriate feel for nurse shoes in a hospital, emergency room, or active ward. This synthetic closed-toe shoe with molded footbeds and an enhanced arch support provides nurses with a comfortable shoe that can get them through long shifts.
Crocs Neria Pro II Embellished Women's Clogs
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Amazon & Crocs & Zappos
The clogs come in a variety of colors and patterns thereby allowing nurses to stay stylish and effective while being comfortable. The Neira clogs are non-slip, easy to wash with soap and water, and are easy to dry. Helping you maintain your grip on slippery hospital floors.
These clogs are usually worn by women and have removable footbed liners that can be washed. These closed-toe clogs are excellent to accidental prevent spills from getting onto your skin, which isn't uncommon in a hospital setting.
The Neria Pro's weigh only 10 ounces making them ideal for long shifts requiring constant movement. The Neria Pros's have a wide-toe box design, giving your feet ample room to move around and breathe.
Combined with enhanced support and Crocs Lock slip-resistant tread technology, you've got a good pair of work shoes for every shift. Crocs are so versatile, they're known to help people with heel pain, flat feet, bunions, plantar fasciitis and more...
Next on our best shoe for nurses list is the Alegria Women's Classic Clogs. The top part has a leather material and a rubber sole for utmost comfort and stability. It features a low heel that measures around 1.5 inches, while the shoe's platform is around an inch.
Alegria Women's Classic Clog
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Amazon & Alegria & Zappos
The Alegria Classic Clogs come with an adjustable buckle to ensure the most suitable fit for your foot. This shoe is hand-stitched and features unique designs, making them high-quality and long-lasting compared to other brands.
These nurse shoes are highly recommended by other nurses, respiratory therapists, and healthcare professionals who own a pair of them.
The ASICS GT-2000 9 Women's Running Shoes (find the Men’s ASICS GT-2000 9 here) is yet another great pair of running shoes for nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, and people working in the hospital.
ASICS Women's Gt-2000 9 Shoes
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Amazon & ASICS & Zappos
The shoe's padded rubber soles have a good grip and added comfort for working long hours. The gel technology featured in the toe and heel of the interior of the shoes helps with shock absorption while keeping your feet feeling fresh.
ASICS Men's Gt-2000 9 Shoes
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Amazon & ASICS & Zappos
If you work in the hospital looking for running shoes, the Asics GT-2000 is highly recommended.
As the name implies, these are running shoes, but can also be a good stable work shoe for nurses and healthcare workers.
Skechers specializes in comfortable shoes, whether you use them as a nurse shoe, or a walking shoe, Skechers offer a wide variety of styles and patterns, suitable for nurses walking (and sometimes running) an average of 4 to 5 miles each shift.
If you're a medical professional looking for the best nursing shoes for wide feet, Skechers Women's Flex Appeal 2.0 Sneaker is your way to go. It has a stretchy material that even nurses with wide feet can generally fit in every standard size.
Nurses and health care workers who stand all day vouch for this shoe as they can withstand hours on these shoes without hurting their feet by the end of the day.
Skechers Women's Flex Appeal 2.0 Sneakers
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Amazon & Skechers & Zappos
The Skechers Flex Appeal 2.0 is one of my picks for nursing shoes due to its simple and lightweight features - you can barely tell you're wearing any footwear. It has memory foam insoles that add comfort to the shoes.
A comparable Skecher’s memory foam shoe for men is the Skechers Sport Men’s Vigor 2.0
Skechers Sport Men's Vigor 2.0 Trait Memory Foam Sneakers
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Amazon & Skechers & Zappos
The concern of getting your feet hot and sweaty is solved with this shoe because the jersey knit fabric feels almost like a tight t-shirt.
These Skechers feature a Patented Skechers Arch Fit® insole system with podiatrist-certified arch support backed by over 20 years of data and 120,000 unweighted foot scans. The removable insoles help mold to your foot to reduce shock and increase weight dispersion.
Healthcare workers (Nurses) with flat feet or plantar fasciitis, could consider these shoes a good option for your work shoes.
The Brooks Addiction Walker (women's) (check Men’s Brooks Addiction Walker here) offers high comfort and durability that many therapists and doctors recommend.
Brooks Women's Addiction Walker V-Strap 2 Shoes
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Amazon & Brooks & Zappos
It features supportive cushioning and a thick rubber and foam sole, perfect for people with knee, foot, and ankle problems. Since the insoles are adjustable, you can remove them if you opt for orthotics.
Users find Brooks Addiction Walker sustainable due to its low-maintenance feature and slip-resistant outsole. They're perfect for people with knee, foot, and ankle problems.
Brooks Men's Addiction Walker Walking Shoes
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Amazon & Brooks & Zappos
The extra soft cushion secures your feet inside the shoe and adds additional comfort, making it easier for you to move around during the shift. The only downside with this shoe is the lack of style and patterns.
However, if your workplace follows a strict dress code and doesn't allow patterns, this nursing shoe would be an excellent choice, considering it's one of the best sneakers for arch support.
This Nike Revolution 5 Running Shoe,(& the Men’s Nike Revolution 5 Running Shoe) features a dual-density midsole that provides stability, soft cushioning, and arch support and is also lightweight.
Nike Women's Revolution 5 Wide Shoes
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Amazon & Nike & Zappos
Even if you're not running a marathon while on duty, you’ll likely have to dash sometimes as a nurse. Although your job consists mostly of walking and standing, a good running shoe is a great option.
"A well-cushioned and supportive shoe makes it a perfect choice whether you're running, standing, or walking on your feet for hours," as per spokesperson for the New York State Podiatric Medical Association James Hanna, DPM.
Nike Men's Revolution 5 Wide Shoes
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Amazon & Nike & Zappos
The top part is breathable due to the mesh material. The shoe's partial bottom construction covers the foot to provide a sock-like fit and enhances breathability. The Revolution 5 is available in different colors, so you can choose the right one that matches your scrubs.
Another great choice in clog is the Sanita Cabrio Professional Clog (women’s) (and the Men’s version of the Sanita Pro Cabrio Clog can be found here). Although sneakers keep your feet feeling good, they also have minor drawbacks. "If you're drenched in urine, it goes right through to your foot," states Brittney Wilson, BSN, RN, and founder of The Nerdy Nurse.
Sanita Women's Professional Cabrio Clog
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Amazon & Sanita & Zappos
"Nurses often work in professions with lots of risks for bodily fluids and sharp objects, so leather shoes that's easy to wipe are popular," says Wilson. This clog features a premium Cabrio leather upper that's easily cleaned with a dry cloth.
Sanita Men's Professional Cabrio Clog
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Amazon & Sanita & Zappos
This shoe is easy on your feet due to the toe box's spacious area preventing your feet from being cramped. The padded instep reinforces to keep your foot in the shoe. It also has a shock-absorbing polyurethane sole that's sturdy yet comfortable.
The Sanita Pro Cabrio women’s clog has a protective heel cap to prevent blisters and a slip-resistant rocker bottom sole to move around the hospital safely and conveniently. The Sanita comes in narrow, regular, and wide sizes.
If your job requires you to be up and on your feet for a longer period, your shoe should support the arch, says Bergin. The Keli PRO (sorry guys, Alegria doesn’t make an equivalent men’s version of these clogs!) provides arch support with a removable footbed made of memory foam, cork, and latex. These materials conform to the natural outlines of your foot.
Alegria Women's Keli Professional Shoes
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Amazon & Alegria & Zappos
The tongue is padded for added comfort, plus the outsole is slip-resistant and made to help promote healthy posture—a great way to reduce stress on the muscles and joints.
The upper leather is stain-resistant, ideal for hospital employees who don't want to stain their footwear with "who knows what"... A damp cloth will do the job of cleaning the dirt from the clogs. The shoe also comes in medium and wide widths, including 30 different colors and patterns.
Good nursing shoes that keep you well-grounded are essential if you work in an environment with slippery surfaces.
"A non-slip rubber sole is best when you work as a nurse," says Brittney Wilson. The SoftWalk Grey's Anatomy Miranda's popular name is named after a character on Grey's Anatomy and is specially made for nurses and other health professionals. (Sorry, guys again this brand doesn’t make an equivalent clog for men!)
SoftWalk Women's Miranda Mary Jane Flats
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Amazon & Zappos
The toe box is spacious and bolstered to help protect your feet. The top is leather, making it breathable and easy to clean. The midsole is featherlight and shock-absorbing. The removable footbed also features excellent heel and arch support and is covered in a soft antimicrobial velvet layer. The Miranda comes in various colors and patterns in medium and wide widths.
Nurses need supportive and comfortable shoes as they normally work no less than 12 hours, walking and standing for most of that time. Many nurse shoes available on the market come in various shapes, patterns, and features; therefore, it can be a bit complicated/intimidating to choose the best one that fits your needs.
I've listed 11 here and I really only wanted to choose a few. However, different people do have different sized and shaped feet, therefore, I had to offer a bigger selection to choose from to really do you any justice!
First, let's answer how shoes for nurses should differ from regular footwear and decide if they are worth purchasing.
Unlike ordinary shoes, nursing shoes are worth investing in due to their lightweight and supportive features. They also help reduce back pain, numbness, and other physical stress acquired from spending the whole day working in a pair of low-quality shoes.
There are many types of nursing shoes accessible in the market, and we have considered some of them below:
These are popular shoes used by nurses and other healthcare professionals as it offers comfort and style to the wearer. They come with a spacious front and open back for better ventilation. It also promotes pressure point relief and proper mobility and posture.
Crocs Women's Neria Pro II Clogs
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Amazon & Crocs & Zappos
This shoe is what you need if you're looking for a comfortable pair of nursing shoes that you can quickly put on and take off. This shoe is comfortable and convenient due to the strap design leaving a large portion of the upper foot opened or exposed.
If you work in a bustling environment and find it hard to secure your straps or tie laces, slip-ons would be your perfect choice. These are easy to maintain and clean. This reliable and comfortable pair of nursing shoes are one of the best types of hospital shoes as it provides you with the essential support, comfort, and anti-fatigue.
Nursing sneakers are intended for long-lasting usage. It offers the utmost comfort that a nurse needs during long shifts. This shoe is also ideal for heel pain, flat feet, back pain, or plantar fasciitis.
Skechers Women's Flex Appeal 2.0 Sneakers
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Amazon & Skechers & Zappos
Nurses' responsibilities are necessary and for them to be consistently productive and steadfast depends on the quality of their shoes. Here are a few essential factors to help you pick the best shoes for nurses:
Try to look for comfortable nursing shoes that won't hurt your feet, legs, and back while working and find the appropriate balance between support and flexibility. When you opt for an ultra-soft shoe, they tend to be comfortable at first but eventually hurt your toe by the end of the day.
High-quality nursing shoes should provide comfort, support, and durability to decrease foot, back, and leg pain. Also, consider the shoe's design and material. The best nursing shoes are usually made of rubber or leather. Rubber is the most commonly used material for nursing shoes due to its comfortable and lightweight features. Nursing shoes that are difficult to clean or add extra weight aren't that great, so you might want to skip that.
Skechers Sport Men's Vigor 2.0 Trait Memory Foam Sneakers
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Amazon & Skechers & Zappos
When you work in a hospital, spills and liquids are a common sight. So make sure to get slip-resistant nursing shoes with a good grip to keep you safe while on duty.
A variety of shapes and styles for nursing shoes are available in the market, and they're meant to fit specific types of feet and medical conditions. The most commonly used nursing shoe styles are Crocs, athletic sneakers, clogs, and running shoes. To choose the best one that suits you best, speak to your podiatrist to determine the right nursing shoes for your foot type. Comfort over pretty design matters the most.
Make sure you're choosing a nursing shoe that's not too heavy and clunky; otherwise, your work performance level will reduce. Nurses constantly spend their job on their feet all day, and having a good pair of lightweight nursing shoes adds comfort.
Brooks Women's Addiction Walker V-Strap 2 Shoes
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Amazon & Brooks & Zappos
Maximum Shock Absorption: Look for nursing shoes that support your feet sufficiently to absorb your movement impacts.
Insoles: Great nursing shoes should have a curved exterior to cradle the arch of your foot.
Price: Prices vary depending on the material, pattern, and construction used in the shoes; however, most expensive shoes offer comfort and other beneficial features; that's why you might consider the price according to the benefits they offer.
Nike Women's Revolution 5 Wide Running Shoes
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Amazon & Nike & Zappos
Any choice that a nurse chooses should have arch support. That's a given and every shoe on this list above, have good arch support. That being said, you may also want to consider compression socks. Compression socks can provide your feet and legs that added support on a long shift.
You're a health care professional, you know the benefits of compression socks. I don't think I need to explain all that here.
For long shifts and if you feel tired at the end of a long week, you should consider compression socks as part of your wardrobe...
As a health care worker, having a good pair of shoes can help in the following areas:
Nurses spend most of the day on their feet; wearing reliable and comfortable shoes helps them maintain the right posture. This alleviates the stress on the feet and back while preventing feet and back problems.
A good nursing shoe inhibits accidents due to the shoe's lightweight and anti-slip features. Nurses can perform their duties, including lifting and assisting patients to move from place to place without troubling avoidable circumstances.
A good, comfortable pair of nursing shoes prevents fatigue and leg and back pain, ultimately leading to higher efficiency.
Nike Men's Revolution 5 Wide Running Shoes
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Amazon & Nike & Zappos
Wearing comfortable shoes helps improve speed and durability. Being a nurse is a physically demanding job, and the right footwear is critical to performance.
Alegria Women's Keli Professional Shoes
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Amazon & Alegria & Zappos
Finding the perfect pair of nurse shoes is a trial and error process. Before purchasing a new one, consider how comfortable, stylish, and easy to clean the shoes are, as you’ll be wearing them most of the time!
If you struggle in finding the best pair, try shopping at your local running shoe store to personally try on and choose the ideal shoes for your foot type.
Overall, you want a shoe that provides exceptional support, breathability, a high-quality rubber outsole, and a padded tongue. You might consider the unique and great style of the shoes too. Don’t be scared to try on a variety of styles and brands
As a medical professional, invest in good pair of shoes. It's more than worth it. Considering you’re on your feet way too much to settle on any shoes less than the best!
As I mentioned at the top, I have 3 favorites for women and 3 favorites for me... Here are my Overall best shoes for nurses...
Overall Top Pics for Best Shoes For Nurses (Women's Shoes)
Overall, Top Pics Best Shoes for Nurses (Men's Shoes)
If you have heel pain, plantar fasciitis, flat feet or bunions, then you may want to look at some of my other articles that discuss buying shoes that cover your more specific needs in more detail. Check out the articles below...
