Shoe Quest

[Josh Bass]

Hi. I'm currently PAing on a 25 day shoot, all bluescreen, and the studio has a concrete floor. My feets hurt like hell after a few hours, and I was wondering what you people do about similar situations.

I got some New Balance sneakers from Academy a while back, 'cause they seemed like a good choice in the store, but alas, they do not do the job after a while.

I've tried on an assload of different things, bought four different pairs that I've subsequently returned to their respective places of purchase, and am pretty much out of ideas.

It's my heels where I really feel it, and it's not the walking around; it's the standing that does it after a while.

I have wider feet than my size would normally be, so I need wider toes, and I need a goodly amount of up and down room in the toe as well.

The ideal thing would seem to be something that's just super soft in the heel area, both on the sole, and inside. Also, not really looking for a sandal, or anything similar. Shoe or boot, if you please. Thanks in advance.

[Michael Wisniewski]

Rockports - go to any hospital, you'll see most of the nurses wearing them.

Otherwise, I'd try a pair of shoes with real heels to take some of the weight off, maybe a pair of Doc Martens or something like that.

[Jack Zhang]

Try the Future Cat Low by Puma. best fit, comfort, best everything! but best of all, it would be great for your DVD crew since people would press pause on their DVD players to see what shoes he were wearing, assuming you have a DVD crew.

reviews below:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/5289580.html

Tip: buy a bigger than normal size and thinner socks

or, get a office chair.

[Richard Alvarez]

JOsh.

Time to start 'gellin'. Get some Dr. Shoals gel inserts.

[Marco Leavitt]

I agree on the Rockports. You need real work shoes. Sneakers are terrible to stand around in all day. I don't know why.

[Josh Bass]

So, let me ask you guys this: are you supposed to just "know it's the one" when you first try 'em on in the store, or what? Most places won't let you give 'em a real test run, so it's either decide and buy then and there, or forget it.

I figure if I try 'em on in the store, and my feet start to hurt worse than they do when I'm wearing my New Balances, then that's no good, but I could be missing something.

Yeah, I'm thinking maybe I should gel. I tried these Super Feet, and they hurt like bastards.

[Matt Stahley]

Earth shoes - http://www.earth.us/comfort.asp

They have a negative heel technology. Will help with leg muscle strain and lower back pain and should help evenly distribute the pressure on the bottoms of your feet.They also have one of the widest toeboxes. They take some getting used to though when you first put them on.

I also like the Clarks Air Movers and also the Wallabees that have a crepe sole.

[Bob Costa]

Go to a really high end shoe store (maybe that fancy mall in Houston Galleria area?) that sells Allen Edmunds or other expensive mens dress shoes (Johnson Murphy also good, but my feet like AE better) . Try on a few pairs different styles and brands, and you will know what a good shoe is supposed to feel like.

THEN, ask them what they have for standing around all day. They may even suggest Rockports if they sell them. Consider spending up to $200. One good pair of shoes like this will last you decade or more, and you just put a new sole on them as needed (AE and JM used to have "refurbish" programs, but I have never worn out a pair of either one. Now that I think about it, my J&M are getting a little thin in the sole, they are my "go to" shoes that get beat up pretty bad).

If $200 is just out of the question, go do it anyway just to learn what good shoes feel like. Then go buy some Rockports ($100-$125?). But REALLY think about it, I never spent more than $50 on a pair until someone talked me into my first pair, Now I never spend less than $150 on dress shoes (casual are about $$80-100 for me). And it is worth every penny, they last longer too. FWIW, I am 310 pounds and wear a 12WW, so my feet do some serious work.

If you need these shoes more than one day in a row, get two pairs (maybe different styles). You should never wear the same pair two days in a row.

Change your socks a couple of times during the day. If you can, take a few minutes to wash your feet and let them dry at lunch.

If you really have a heel/bone issue, get some orthotic inserts (about $125, but you can put them in different shoes). I have seen them made by computer and they are pretty cool. You could also go to a foot doctor, but they will cost more, plus the doctor appointments). Forget about $5 shoals. But I doubt you need orthotics, so save that for last resort.

In fact, I didn't see much good advice here except Rockports (sorry gang, no insults intended). Rockports have some models that are excellent on concrete, just make sure they fit right and get two pairs.

HTH

[Bob Costa]

I just wanted to add that IMHO Rockports are "low-end" shoes, and they are as cheap (cost, construction) as I would consider for this kind of work shoe. Forget about those cheaper knockoffs, and don't ever shop in a department store for shoes again. SOMETIMES you can find top-quality shoes at a "warehouse" store, but stick with top brands and they will still be expensive. Rockports are often available at a shoe warehouse, where they are considered high-end.

[Nate Ford]

i second the clarks. wallabees, or the version with the same sole but a plain oxford top. something trekker maybe?

i know some folks who swear by the earth shoes too.

[Josh Bass]

I believe I tried some Wallabees, at Clarks. The sole is some weird soft rubber type thing, right? They sorta felt good, but there didn't seem to be much cushion on the ball/toe part of the foot, and I could feel it in every step.

Don't wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row? How come? Do they need to time decompress or something?

[Matt Browning]

My wife and her mom are nurses and swear by Dansko shoes. I don't know much about them, and they may be women's only for all I know. Just wanted to contribute here. The clogs that she wears were about 100-120.

[Josh Bass]

I had a pair. Those have some hard ass soles. Is that what I'm supposed to like?

[Bob Costa]

Originally Posted by Josh Bass

Don't wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row? How come? Do they need to time decompress or something?

If you buy $5 all-synthetic shoes, it does not matter. But with any kind of natural material (especially leather), it needs to breathe and dry out well. (Not with a blow dryer or in the oven!!! SLOWLY!!) If not, the material will stiffen up (or sometimes loosen up) and start to be uncomfortable long before it causes blisters. It also seriously degrades the life of the shoe.

Example: If you wear one pair of shoes every day, they might last two months. If you buy two pairs and swap every day, they might last 1-2 years. Remember that "last" is subjective, but they will get shabby looking, stiff, and uncomfortable more quickly even if there are no holes in them.

[Josh Bass]

Ah. Didn't know all that. Thanks.

Regarding Danskos, I heard the same things about 'em, and I tried 'em, found 'em real hard (I guess that's the idea), and being that I wasn't able to try 'em out on set, and had to go by first impressions, returned 'em.

So. . .are your feet supposed to get used a shoe? I don't know if I like that idea, especially with the no-return policy many places have (if you've worn them, of course). I can envision dropping $200 on a shoe, but not unless I either know from first feel that it's perfect, or getting to try it out in the real world.

To you who suggested the dress shoes: are dress shoes really what I want for being in dirty, nasty environments? Seems like I'd want something that wouldn't look to shabby if it got beat up. Unless we're not on the same page with the definition of dress shoes.

Someone else recommended military boots (Marauder II). It's funny: I got some of you guys saying sneakers are horrible, and an electrician on the set I'm working on telling me that's the way to go.