When standing or walking for a prolonged amount of time, it is important to be equipped with comfortable shoes. People who work long shifts, especially those shifts that involve constant movement or standing, will quickly find out the differences between a comfortable pair of shoes and a pair of uncomfortable ones. When it comes to work, comfort is much more than just a feature of your shoe. It can have a direct impact on your work, too. In other words, when you feel good, the day seems to be a bit brighter (i.e., birds chirping, best clients ever, spilled coffee on the shirt is not so bad, etc.).

On the other side of the same coin, wearing the wrong pair of shoes can, considerably, reduce your efficiency at work and it’s not just about walking or performing physical tasks. There’s another important factor that takes part in us all when feeling uncomfortable: the psychological factor. It’s this simple; if your shoes are constantly bothering you, you’ll have a hard time concentrating and doing your best. Furthermore, even if you’re able to work in uncomfortable shoes, it’ll seem the day must now require greater effort in nearly everything you try to do.

If you’ve ever owned a pair of uncomfortable shoes, and chances are you have, then you’ll know how annoying they are. Despite the shoes being physically impossible to wear, you’ll be reminded with each new step just how uncomfortable they are. A shoe that doesn’t fit well, or that features the wrong materials becomes hard to ignore. It’s an overwhelming notion to consider a constant thought process about uncomfortable shoes, but unfortunately, most of us have had these kinds of days.

So, what makes a shoe comfortable?

To begin with, the selection of materials is paramount. This is sometimes one of the main flaws of a poorly constructed pair of shoes. They, usually, employ generic materials that offer little-to-no benefits. This causes a chain reaction, per se, for poor comfort, poor overall foot health, and poor performance. Quality shoes, on the other hand, are designed to provide all-day comfort, promote better overall foot health, and increase general performance. Keep in mind, however, that aspects such as arch support and shoe width, of any type of shoe, will depend on the anatomy of your feet.

The lack of cushioning is one of the biggest factors that can, considerably, decrease the comfortability of a shoe. The longer you wear them, the more your heels, ankles, and hips will be exposed to direct load-rate; that is if the shoes have inadequate cushioning and minimal shock absorption.

On the other hand, a shoe that features rich cushioning and absorbing materials make a huge difference in comfort. EVA midsoles, for example, have proven to deliver an extremely efficient support and cushioning system; and ultimately, increases the shoe wearer’s comfort, as a result.

Cushioning and support, aside from being a very influencing factor in comfortability are, also, key points to your performance at work. Something as simple as enhanced support can make a huge difference in the way you walk, the amount of time you can stand, and the after-effects of these two combined.

By acting like your own personal, supportive team, adequate working shoes will noticeably enhance and correct your posture. Shoes do more than just support your feet; they can have a direct impact on your ankles, knees, hips, and even your lower spine. Poor-quality shoes, for example, fail to act as a solid support system. Because of this, a standing posture can place a lot of stress in the areas above.

Having adequate support allows you to have a much more natural posture. This not only stops your working efficiency from decreasing but it, also, has important health benefits in the long term.

Cushioning is, arguably, one of the most important factors of working shoes. Regardless of the type of work you’re doing, it’s paramount to place some protection between your feet and the surface. Cushioning plays a massive role in shock absorption. Shock absorption is not only an attribute needed for sports performance; it’s a feature required in certain working conditions, such as a lot of walking.

It’s a big mistake to assume that there’s no impact or shock during walking. If you’ve ever used a pair of flat shoes for a long and active shift, you know what we’re talking about. Cushioning can be the difference between a comfortable working experience and an uncomfortable one.

Well-cushioned shoes offer great protection for your feet. As natural as walking may seem, it still fatigues your feet, especially zones of high stress such as the arch and the heel. Furthermore, this protection extends even up to the knee and hips, as impact doesn’t stop at your heels. If you’ve ever felt the urgent need of taking your shoes off at work, then you know what a lack of cushioning feels like.

Support and cushioning can do more than bring you comfort. By providing you with physical advantages and improvements, these two features can, and will, boost your efficiency at work. They may not be able to help you move faster or become better at what you do, but they do have a huge impact on your ability to walk and stand. Moreover, they can improve overall foot health, which can result in better performance in the long run.

Lastly, the impact (load-rate) is a factor that accelerates muscular fatigue. The more exposed you are to impact, shock, and muscular stress, the quicker your muscles will become tired; thus, these two features, also, allow you to go through long shifts with considerably less physical effort; or at least, the effort it requires to move actively.

Depending on your work environment, this factor may be less important. Likewise, it can be critical. Even for people who work in fairly ventilated environments, a shoe that lacks breathability can be a pretty big obstacle; especially, in those environments which can become hot (e.g., standing at a stove inside of a kitchen). Furthermore, aside from blocking the flow of air into the shoe, some shoes can make it worse by not allowing heat to exit, either. Typically, these types of shoes are best suited for winter and/or cooler environments.

First off, let’s analyze the importance of breathability in a shoe. Regardless of the kind of work you perform, a completely closed shoe can cause you to retain the heat. Shoes having no mesh or leather upper and lacking ventilation for the circulation of airflow; they are an influencing factor in sweating. The longer your shoes retain heat, the faster and longer you will sweat, as a result. Additionally, heat concentration has multiple other consequences. For instance, it makes your feet much more susceptible to irritation, can increase the chance for a bacterium to grow inside of the shoe, and cause other foot ailments such as athlete’s foot.

As previously mentioned, the humidification of a closed shoe exposes you to the development of bacteria, which at the same time, can bring about bad smells with them. But it doesn’t stop there, as these bacteria, along with the humid environment within your inner shoe, make you a perfect candidate for feet fungi. This is because the bacterium is attracted to damp environments.

The accumulation of heat within a room, such as a kitchen, is already enough of a factor to sometimes decrease your efficiency; let alone, adding to the heat by wearing a shoe with bad breathability features. Generally speaking, the thicker the shoe build, the less breathability it will deliver. This is part of the reason why sports performance shoes feature such a thin design, in general.

Color is equally important. This is, especially, important if your shoes are black, as this color does an excellent job of absorbing heat. This can be great for winter, per se, but not so much under the direct rays of glorious sunshine in midsummer.

Breathability has a role in the comfortability of a shoe, and the quality of a shoe can be directly judged based on its ability to let the air flow through it. Generally, both the upper and footbed are the elements responsible for the breathability of a shoe. By applying materials such as mesh to the upper, the airflow within a shoe can increase considerably. Furthermore, the lack of airflow can mess up even the best of shoes. If your feet become irritated, due to the concentration of heat, your efficiency will decay, regardless of the rest of the features and elements the shoe offers.

When breathability is required, the lack thereof is not an option. As such, we highly recommend looking for shoes which include breathable panels, especially around the most common areas of heat concentration. For maximum efficiency, the panels should be located in the forefoot (just above the toe box), the internal and external curve of the shoe (the sides), and the tongue (lacing area).

Flexibility is the very basis of any motion that involves walking, jumping, or running. The lack of flexibility translates into poor-quality of comfort, improper form, and loss of efficiency, in general. A shoe that doesn’t allow you to properly move around at work is no good, as it will not only be considerably uncomfortable, but it will, also, slow you down.

To deliver a quality build, a shoe must be made with flexible materials. Unlike many people think, flexibility is not something that goes just on the outsole. At first glance, it may look like the place where the most flexing happens, but it’s not the only part of the shoe where flexing is responsible. The upper build materials, for example, play an important role in the flexibility of a shoe. A stiff upper will not only make walking more uncomfortable, but the lack of flexibility may, also, deteriorate the materials when the shoe bends, repeatedly; as it’s nearly impossible to keep the upper from bending along the rest of the shoe. This leads to what is commonly known as a ‘caked surface’ on the upper build.

Performance-wise, flexibility is an important factor when it comes to movement, such as walking. The lack of flexibility not only damages the shoe material but it, also, places unnecessary stress on parts of your feet such as the arch. Our instinctive walk involves the ability for our feet to flex in a natural motion. This flexing, as it were, starts at the forefoot and elevates to the arch. A shoe that lacks flexibility won’t fit into this motion. Also, this lacking will hurt your feet, as they will still try to flex while you walk. If you believe this is something you can avoid or ignore, imagine walking with your feet completely flat and straight without bending them. Aside from looking weird, walking like this places additional stress on your heels. If you’re reading this guide, you’re probably someone who stands a lot; thus, heel stress is the last thing you desire.

Additionally, people who have certain arch conditions suffer the most from shoes that lack flexibility. This is because flexibility is directly related to arch support; the lack of flexibility will, ultimately, result in the lack of arch support. Regardless of the condition, whether it’s high arch or flat foot, the lack of flexibility will considerably enhance the amount of stress on the arch.

The weight of shoes might be something underestimated by people who stand or move a lot at work. This scenario is pretty similar to that of performance scenarios in that the weight difference may not seem like a lot initially. However, the longer you use them, the greater the impact of the weight of the shoe will have on you.

It’s pretty simple; if a shoe weighs an ounce less than another pair of shoes, this is an ounce off of every single motion. While you’re not moving, you won’t even notice the difference. However, after a full shift of walking, standing, and moving around at work, heavier shoes will become your worst enemy. On the other hand, a lighter build will notably enhance long-term comfort, and it will, also, reduce post-work heel and arch pain.

The main factor affecting the weight of a shoe is the materials. Usually, the heaviest element of shoes is the midsole, as it’s the thicker component of a normal shoe. While it’s important for shoes to take a minimalist approach, it’s also important to maintain the quality of the materials. Minimalist materials are lighter but, also, less resistant and durable than thicker materials. They, also, offer less protection.

The upper build, for example, is much lighter when composed of materials such as mesh and nylon. Leather, on the other hand, is heavier but, also, much more protective, generally speaking. Additionally, thin materials lack the density to act as a frame for the shoe.

Because of this, the ideal upper build design relies on a combination of both thin, lightweight materials and other firm materials that provide structure. Alternatively, certain synthesized materials deliver the features of resistant materials in a lightweight manner. We highly recommend looking for materials such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), with properties arguably better than rubber, and in a much lighter approach.

Ethyl-vinyl acetate (EVA) is another popular compound making its way into the shoe industry. This material has a wide variety of uses thanks to its adaptive composure. The foam-like material is widely used by manufacturers for insoles and midsoles, mostly. EVA midsoles are not only much more efficient than the traditional soles but they, also, weigh a lot less.

These synthetic materials are applied in density rather than in volume. This means manufacturers can fit 100g of EVA in a midsole in which they would only be able to fit 60g of traditional rubber. To add more rubber, the midsole would have to be bulkier. EVA, on the other hand, increases density without adding volume to the shoe – also being more effective, as there’s more of the compound present.