The Best Shoes to Wear for Your Job

Have you started noticing odd little aches and pains in your body that you didn’t have before? Maybe your knees feel sore and your ankles feel stiff in the morning, or worse – the dreaded constant lower back ache? 

Are you relatively young and feel like you shouldn’t be feeling these pains? Chances are, you might be wearing the wrong kinds of shoes. 

Most women wear shoes that are bad for their posture daily. Although options like flats, mules, booties, and heels are very “in” right now, these offer absolutely no support for your body. They flatten out your arches which can cause foot, knee, hip, back, an even neck pain! 

Wearing better shoes can improve your entire life. Here are some suggestions for what shoes to wear based on how mobile you are at work or at home. 

The Social Security Website divides levels of work into heavy, medium, light, and sedentary, as well as what each level of work entails as far as standing/ lifting. Here’s a breakdown of each type of work level and how to know which shoes you should wear for your job.

Highly Mobile Jobs: Healthcare, Service Industry, Retail

If you work a job that requires a lot of walking and carrying, like nursing, stocking/serving at a restaurant, or standing in a store all day, the last thing you want are shoes that don’t support your weight. As a nurse, you’ll regularly be required to lift light to medium loads and push wheelchairs. You can’t do that if you are suffering from back pain from your shoes. 

A nurse is going to require a pair of shoes that meets certain requirements such as comfort, arch support, and stability. You want to make sure they’re slip resistant and have cushioning too. Shoes like these include sturdy tennis shoes with special insoles, or boots with ankle support. 

If you work a rigorous job like plumbing or construction (jobs that require you to carry loads ranging from 25-100lbs multiple times every day), you need to consider boots to protect your feet from falling objects. 

While these might not be the sexiest or most fashion forward options, that’s a small price to pay when you consider a lifetime with your body! 

Medium Mobile Jobs: Stocking Shelves, Cashier, Hostess

A medium-level work job means that you are still standing or lightly walking for 6-8 hours a day, but you won’t have to lift more than 50lbs occasionally. If you work at a grocery store or are expected to restock in a store or restaurant, you may be required to do this. The same suggestion applies as above: get supportive shoes! 

Any situation where you have to lift something heavy necessitates proper footwear. Also, any job that requires you to walk or stand for most of the work day can potentially have a negative impact on your back and posture without the proper footwear. 

Lightly Mobile Jobs: Office Jobs, Teacher 

Light work means that you are still standing for 6-8 hours a day, but only have to lift 10lbs frequently, and 20lbs sometimes. Supportive footwear here is still important due to the amount of time spent standing. But, you can get away with lighter support here, like cute tennis shoes or walking shoes. 

The important part for this type of job is to have better arch support so your arches don’t flatten out during the day. You can even wear a cute ballet flat, as long as you add in an arched insole. 

Sedentary Jobs: Secretary, CSR, Work from Home

A sedentary job is one in which you sit for 6-8 hours a day (which can be bad for your back in and of itself!). You may be required to lift up to 10 lbs occasionally. Proper footwear is not as imperative here, because you are mostly staying off of your feet. 

While it is still important to wear good shoes daily for your overall joint health, you won’t notice any negative impacts of bad footwear as quickly here, simply because you are not on your feet as much. 

Bottom Line

If you spend a lot of time on your feet and lift things often, you need to find a good pair of shoes that will support your body through this lifestyle. Fashion goes out the window when it comes to taking care of your body. 

A good pair of shoes can alleviate many aches and pains. Otherwise, say hello to premature back and joint pain in your late 20s! While a quality pair of tennis shoes can cost a pretty penny, it’ll be less expensive than going to a podiatrist or physical therapist later on down the road.