When it comes to desiging good, comfortable footwear, there is a lot of science that goes into it. Much more than you'd think at first glance. There are so many different kinds of shoes. And that's because there are so many different kinds of people, requirements, occupations, use cases, etc. Every single profession on this planet has its very own specific needs. The requirements that these professions have, are met by footwear manufacturers, who often spend many thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions into the research & development that is needed to take a profession specific piece of footwear to the market.

Let's have a look at the very hard occupation of nurses. Nurses spend many, many hours on end standing on their feet while they are at the hospital, doing their work and running around from patient to patient to make sure that they are being well taken care of. This is a pretty demanding job, that can play hell on a nurse's feet if he/she doesn't take his/her foot health very seriously. A lot of nurses will have a strong preference for footwear that will help them reduce strain, and thereby pain, on their heels and ankles. For that reason, they need shoes designed for a nurse's feet. These will have the characteristics that a nurse requires.

Nursing Shoe Types

There are a great number of nursing shoes, but they can be roughly divided into 3 categories.

Sneakers

Since nurses are often in a bit of a hurry, it can help to wear sneakers, since these are as close to running shoes as you're ever going to get when it comes to professional hospital footwear. In many cases, a nurse will have to help patients in the Emergency Room (ER), or the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). These departments handle urgent, emergency cases, where sometimes, every single second counts, and screwing up can make the difference between a patient living and a patient dying. In these cases, it can really help a nurse out when he/she has really great grip on the floor. Sneakers and/or tennis shoes for nurses can really help out in these cases.

Slip Ons

Nurses often find themselves running back and forth within various locations within the hospital. This means feet can get sweaty. And due to infection control policies that some hospitals have in place, this might mean that a nurse sometimes has to change her footwear a number of times within a single day. When he/she is wearing slip ons, then this isn't such a big deal. And that is exactly the reason why slip ons have a very big appeal to nurses world wide. They are very easy to put on and take off again. It can save you much time, if you're not a big fan of having to tie and untie laces all day long.

Clogs

Clogs are perhaps some of the most popular kind of footwear among nurses. Dansko and Sanita are the 2 most familiar nursing clog brands. The great thing about clogs is that they have closed toes and a closed heel. This gives a nurse good protection all across her feet, from all angles. Nursing clogs will also offer a nurse's feet lots of room, which means they are comfortable to wear, even for very long periods of time, such as the regular 12 hour shifts that nurses frequently find themselves running. Clogs aren't only suitable for preventing foot health problems that result from standing up for long hours every single day. They can also be used to cure such as problem, if it already exists. More often than not, a foot health problem will require a working person to take the pressure off of the part of the foot that is affected. Roomy nursing shoes can really help a person out!

Materials

The materials that a nursing shoe is made of, are very important. Most nursing footwear will be made of leather, rubber, or a combination of both. Durability is important for nurses, and leather and rubber just so happen to be some of the most durable materials out there. Any nursing shoe made of these materials is sure to last for well over a year, even with high intensity usage. I am assuming that the wearer takes the responsibility of properly maintaining their footwear, which increases a shoe's life span.

Leather and rubber do a great job of keeping spilled fluids out of the shoe, meaning the nurse has a lower chance of slipping. target="_blank">Slip resistant nurse shoes are an essential piece of gear in a professional nurse's utility belt!

About the Author Brian

Hello, I'm Cindy. I’m a super duper mega hiking enthusiast, with a love for everything that has to do with outdoors, hiking, gear, footwear and more.

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