Shoes for Rotation

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fsunavybabe

allopathic med student
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This is a serious question/issue. I love my clinic/OR time but I'm not allowed to be in my running sneakers (I even tried the black ones - still a problem apparently) and 'girls semi-dress shoes' generally so far suck - few hours in and I'm hurting - it affects my work, focus and attitude.

So - what have you tried and what worked?
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I have flat ballerina-style leather dress shoes which are very cute and handmade for me. They fit my feet perfectly, no blisters, and cost me only 30$. But of course, you have to move to a developing country, the kind that doesn't even import 48-flavor jelly beans yet, and walk through a bad neighborhood to find the old dude that does this.

BTW I know I'm an MS1 and not doing rotations yet - but shadowing requires dressiness here. :confused:
 
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No one will ever say anything if you wear Danskos, Merrells, etc. Everyone wears em, so even it they are a "more casual" shoe you have strength in numbers. It's also a regional thing though, don't know where you go to school. East coast tends to be more conservative.
 
I'm thinking about this, too. I'm going to try to wear some all black sneakers to the clinic and see if anyone says anything. If they do, I'll have to keep shopping. Men's dress shoes are pretty stiff.

Btw, You aren't allowed to wear casual shoes with your scrubs? That's pretty ridiculous. I know I'm allowed to do that, at least.
 
fsunavybabe said:
This is a serious question/issue. I love my clinic/OR time but I'm not allowed to be in my running sneakers (I even tried the black ones - still a problem apparently) and 'girls semi-dress shoes' generally so far suck - few hours in and I'm hurting - it affects my work, focus and attitude.

So - what have you tried and what worked?
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sketchers makes some shoes that are dressy but still feel like sneakers. I have a pair like that....but I don't know if those would be dressy enough for you...i attached a link for one shoe, but they have tons of different ones on their site

http://www.skechers.com/shoes-and-c...dress_shoes/product/sassies_-_debutantes/blk/
 
Danskos/Sanitas. . . period. I see attendings/residents in all specialties wearing them daily.

They are fugly, but once your feet touch those babies you won't be able to wear regular shoes again.

There are some semi-cute ones out there. I have snake skin full clogs (called Ariel) and some mary-jane type backless ones (called Merrie).
 
If you want comfortable semi-dress shoes, you're going to pay big bucks generally. But for a cheaper alternative, try Naturalizer.

Dansko are now made in China and I find don't run true to size anymore. They are small, instep is too tight, arch not in the right place. A company called Sanita is making the old style Dansko from the original lasts and they fit like the old Danskos.

For a more expensive alternative, Clarks, Beautifeel, and a more expensive italian shoe that starts at $350/pr (let me know if you want the name).
 
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I recommend Merrell's. They are real comfortable, and they can be found for less than 80 dollars/pair. A pair will last you a year. I might switch to Dansko's once I'm a resident, but on a med student budget, Merrell's give you the best bang for your buck.
 
another vote for dankso's

definitely feel great on your feet and can stand all day w/o problems... did take probably 3-4 wks for my feet to get used to them and/or them to get broken in... maybe less time for break in for you cus i was doin mostly oupt stuff at time
 
I don't know if this works for ladies, but I recently bought a nice pair of cowboy boots, and after the first week torturefest that was breaking them in, they are the most comfortable things in the world. There are lots of boots with a plain leather vamp that look very dressy. Of course, this is probably only an option with pants.... :)

edit: the ones I got were Justin's, and they were about $175.
 
nike/cole haan makes a good looking shoe that looks like a dress shoe but has the sole of a running shoe. SAS are real fugly but comfortable. johnson/murphy, bass, bostonian...anything with a good sole should do it
 
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ShyRem said:
Dansko are not made in China and I find don't run true to size anymore. They are small, instep is too tight, arch not in the right place. A company called Sanita is making the old style Dansko from the original lasts and they fit like the old Danskos.
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I actually have Sanitas, so I guess my recommendation skews that way as well.
 
Jolie South said:
I actually have Sanitas, so I guess my recommendation skews that way as well.
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I have a pair of each and I prefer the Danskos. FWIW I have shorter, wider feet than normal.
 
I have wide feet too. But not that short. However, I wear a 39 in every other European shoe I own (and that's ALL I own), and the new Dansko 39 doesn't fit. It's too small. The Sanita 39 fits like all my other 39s. Perhaps I've just tried on 7 pair of mislabeled Danskos, but more likely I just have feet that don't fit the new Dansko lasts.
 
Another vote for Dansko. I LOVE my pair. If you need a professional dress shoe, Ecco's are great too.
 
I really like Privo's which are made by Clarks. Really comfy and there are some that are more dressy.
 
My danskos really hurt at first (I have black mary janes) but now they're super comfortable. The mary janes do look funny on scrubs, and I'll have to invest in a pair of clog danskos... They're ugly, but comfortable. And after 14h in the OR feet >>> eyes.
 
ShyRem said:
I have wide feet too. But not that short. However, I wear a 39 in every other European shoe I own (and that's ALL I own), and the new Dansko 39 doesn't fit. It's too small. The Sanita 39 fits like all my other 39s. Perhaps I've just tried on 7 pair of mislabeled Danskos, but more likely I just have feet that don't fit the new Dansko lasts.
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I completely agree with this. The new Dansko shoes do NOT run true to size. They are also not made in Europe anymore. They're much lower quality now. You can find the original Dansko in some shoe stores now. You will know they are original Dansko's because there is an engraved box around the "Dansko" in the sole. However, Sanita is the new Dansko, as you mentioned above.
 
MBT's really helped my low back and foot pain. This is coming from a guy with several herniated lumbar discs.
 
Does everyone agree that the mary jane type dansko's do not work well with scrubs? It seems everyone has the clogs, but 1) I think they are hideous & 2) I thought the mary jane could go with pants or skirt/dress, so I could have it all in 1 pair of shoes.

Am I wrong? Would it be impossible to wear them in surgery?
 
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LeLu said:
Does everyone agree that the mary jane type dansko's do not work well with scrubs? It seems everyone has the clogs, but 1) I think they are hideous & 2) I thought the mary jane could go with pants or skirt/dress, so I could have it all in 1 pair of shoes.

Am I wrong? Would it be impossible to wear them in surgery?
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The point is to wear completely closed toed shoes on surgery. Otherwise, you need to wear stupid shoe covers which are a PITA to take on and off all the time.

The only time I wear covers is ob/gyn where knee high booties are necessary and even then I wouldn't wear anything but fully protective closed toed shoes underneath.
 
I never cared what my shoes looked like with scrubs. I just wanted ones that were extremely comfortable and fulfilled the requirements of surgical shoes. If you can find that in a stilletto pump then go for it. No one is going to be looking at your shoes other than "does it meet the requirements for surgical shoes"?
 
Oh. Crap. I didn't even THINK of this. It's taken me years to find a comfortable shoe that doesn't jack my hip. I can wear other shoes but if I'm on my feet for more then 3 hours (or walking around for more then about an hour w/o a break) I'm damn near incapacitated.

Thanks for bringing this up..
 
I ended up buying the Dansko "professional" today. The guy at the store said they are more for standing for hours on end - not really for walking. He said if you want a shoe for walking, you should get something with a softer sole. What do you Dansko experts say about this?

So I was thinking they would be great for hospital clerkships, but maybe a comfortable dress shoe would work better for clinics? Anyone have any recommendations for supportive dress shoes? Are people really wearing Dansko clogs in the clinics with dress pants?
 
LeLu said:
I ended up buying the Dansko "professional" today. The guy at the store said they are more for standing for hours on end - not really for walking. He said if you want a shoe for walking, you should get something with a softer sole. What do you Dansko experts say about this?

So I was thinking they would be great for hospital clerkships, but maybe a comfortable dress shoe would work better for clinics? Anyone have any recommendations for supportive dress shoes? Are people really wearing Dansko clogs in the clinics with dress pants?
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Danskos are very good for standing in the OR. I actually like them for general every day clinic/rotation wear as well. I wear my snakeskin and "mary jane" type Sanitas with dress pants. A lot of people do.

I have had plantar fasciitis in the past, so I like Sanitas/Danskos because the arch support is very good. They really stretch out the fascia. I haven't had any heel pain with them. Another thing I like about them is that they make me stand with better posture.
 
I loved my Sanitas, Haflingers and Beautifeels (I know Beautifeel is women's shoes only, Haflinger has men's and women's).

European shoes seem to be made more for walking than American shoes.
 
For uber comfort I like MBTs when I'll be walking alot and danskos when I'll be standing alot. I've worn my MBTs in surgery and it does get difficult to stand in them after a few hours. For dressy days where I'm not going to be on my feet >> 8 hours ballerina flats have been fine too.
 
Slevin said:
I typically wear vibram five fingers. They feel so awesome
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I love my VFF KSOs, but I couldn't imagine wearing them in a hospital. Heck, I know I get enough stares when I run in them, much less standing around in them.
 
Bojangles85 said:
I love my VFF KSOs, but I couldn't imagine wearing them in a hospital. Heck, I know I get enough stares when I run in them, much less standing around in them.
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I'm pretty sure he was kidding. At least I hope.
 
My shoes are Flexible Footwear, not pretty but they are comfortable.
They don't have enough support for walking all day, though, so mine have SuperFeet insoles in them now. These are great insoles, and I've walked/run hundreds of miles in them- they might even make "normal" shoes bearable.

Good luck!
 
LeLu said:
So I was thinking they would be great for hospital clerkships, but maybe a comfortable dress shoe would work better for clinics? Anyone have any recommendations for supportive dress shoes? Are people really wearing Dansko clogs in the clinics with dress pants?
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Try Sofft and Softspots. Both make cute stylish ladies' dress shoes that are also incredibly comfortable. I wear them almost every day with my dresses and skirts on the wards and in clinics. Full-price, they will run you about the same as Danskos, but I have several pairs that I bought on sale at DSW. You just have to keep your eyes open for the good bargains.

I used to be a Dansko clogs devotee when I was a medical student. Used to wear them every day, with scrubs or with slacks for clinic. Unfortunately they don't go with my cute dresses! I still wear the Danskos for call though.
 
Bojangles85 said:
I love my VFF KSOs, but I couldn't imagine wearing them in a hospital. Heck, I know I get enough stares when I run in them, much less standing around in them.
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I actually saw a Radiology RN with VFFs on. I just couldn't imagine wearing those in a hospital though.
 
I have a simple pair of white nike. Noboby ever complained.
 
seattlegas said:
I have a simple pair of white nike. Noboby ever complained.
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The downside to running shoes is that they are made for running, not for standing in an OR or rounding all day. Running shoes kill my back.
 
I wore my sneakers today for an all day training comprised mostly of standing. Mistake. Never again. Sanitas, Haflingers, or nothing.
 
ShyRem said:
I wore my sneakers today for an all day training comprised mostly of standing. Mistake. Never again. Sanitas, Haflingers, or nothing.
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Yeah I see people wearing running shoes on surgery and it just baffles me how they aren't in tears by the end of the day.
 
Jolie South said:
I actually have Sanitas, so I guess my recommendation skews that way as well.
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I just bought Sanitas Professional Clogs. I have heard the that they take some time to break in. I've been wearing them everyday this week and my feet are killing me! When I stand on my feet it feels like I'm standing on a concrete floor barefoot. The ball if my foot is sore to press on. Have others had this problem? Hhow long did it take you to get used to them? Are there any short cuts to breaking them in? Please help!
 
I just got a pair of Dr. Scholl's Work clogs. They have an air-filled insole for support, and they are pretty danged comfortable, even on my wide feet.
 
Earth Shoes makes some nice flat shoes that look like ballerina pumps but you could walk 10 miles and stand for 24 hours. In med school I got some nice flat ballerina pumps with good shock absorption from the JC Penney catalogue for $29 and they lasted for a year. Got them again each year till I caould afford something else.
 
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