I Stood For Dozens Of Hours To Find The Comfiest Shoes For Being On Your Feet All Day

I took expert advice from Dr. Tulpule and Chrysta Irolla, director of prosthetics and orthotics at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and found the best athletic and dressier options on the market. I spent time testing six pairs while working at a standing desk for most of the day, which I evaluated based on the heel-to-toe drop, arch type, cushioning, and style.

What To Consider

Heel-To-Toe Drop

As Dr. Tulpule said, you want something with a slightly elevated heel, whether it’s a sneaker or dressier shoe, to help take the pressure off your plantar fascia and Achilles tendon, and Irolla agrees. Many active adults have limited ankle range of motion (ROM), which puts stress on the midfoot muscles, Irolla says. To “cheat” that ROM and relieve stress and pressure, she recommends, adding a little bit of heel height—around 10 millimeters—to shift where the range of motion is coming from.

Arch Type

When purchasing shoes for standing all day, you want to look for specific support for your arch type, whether it’s low, medium, or high—similar to running shoes, says Irolla. It’s pretty easy to tell what type of arch you have simply by looking at it from the side in the mirror. If you have no space between the floor and your foot, it’s low, if you have a lot, that’s high, and somewhere in the middle is medium. Irolla notes those with flatter arches are more susceptible to pain, swelling, and discomfort, which makes choosing the right shoe even more crucial. However, as most of the shoes on this list are for medium and higher arches, you can always consider adding an insole if you have low arches, Dr. Tulpule points out.

Cushion

Irolla says cushioning is your friend when it comes to standing all day Look for words like “maximum cushioning” when shopping for athletic shoes, for example, although some dress shoes offer cushion these days, too.

Style

It’s important to consider where you’re going to wear these shoes since sneakers don’t go with everything. Dr. Tulpule counseled a patient who works on Capital Hill, for example, on dressier footwear options. Remember: The key is to avoid completely flat shoes and go for something with a slight wedge or block heel for comfort. We have a couple of options on this list that fit the bill, including the Cole Haan Christyn Penny Loafer and Sorel Joan Now City Loafer.

Irolla agrees that you don’t necessarily have to wear a sneaker, although a sneaker with more compressible foam material will provide more shock absorption, which is particularly important for people with a higher arch.

Size

“The shoe size that you buy should be able to accommodate the swelling that’s going to occur as you progress through your day,” Irolla says. She suggests trying on shoes after your full day of work when they’re more likely to be swollen to ensure you’re getting the right size and also highlights you should have at least a half inch of room between the end of your longest toe and the end of your shoe. Width is important, too: “You should not be able to easily identify where your first toe and your fifth toe are,” she says. “If you can see little bumps where your first and fifth toe are, [the shoe is] too narrow.”

How We Selected

Our team tests a wide range of products and services to provide our readers with reliable, honest, and trustworthy information. It’s our belief that our readers deserve the best, which is why my recommendations have been thoroughly tested and vetted by our own editors.

I’m a Women’s Health contributor, health and fitness writer, and editor with over a decade of experience. I researched and tested several shoes for standing all day approved by experts, in addition to consulting foot health experts and podiatrists to help narrow down the best shoes for standing all day for a wide range of needs.

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