Hi Folks,
My workshop/garage has a cement floor.
After two hours or so using running shoes my feet start to ache, despite orthotics. (Approaching 70 does not help, I suppose).
Any recomendations for suitable footwear?
Thanks, Gary
Wood floor ?
I have the same feet issue. I think spring boards in teh isles would be the item.
Mart> Hi Folks,
There are some rubber mats that you can buy that soften the floor for old feet.
Wait still Swingman checks in, he is my resident shoe guru.
Last time I think it was Rockport, but let him confirm.
Lew
At 6'2 and 280, my poor flat feet take a real beating. I am on them all day on job sites, climbing ladders, working on roofs, hanging doors, all the normal crap a remodel/repair contractor does.
I buy the Timberland hikers they have at my local sporting goods stores. They are similar to this:
My feet are so flat that footprints of my naked foot look like Donald Duck's. I have had problems with footwear my entire life.
I take those lightweight boots and put some memory foam inserts (the ones with the little arches) over the inserts in the boots. Wearing them while working on concrete I have no problems with my feet all day long. They have just enough support at the ankle to keep my foot lined up when walking, and enough padding in the shoe to keep my arch up (well... as much as possible).
Even with my tool bags on all day my feet or back don't hurt.
I haven't owned but a couple of pairs of tennis shoes that were as comfortable as this arrangement. Boots were $69, and the insoles were $12. They even let me try them out in the store.
As always, just my 0.02.
Robert
Yup, Rockies and DrMartin work boots for me. Picked up 3 pair of Rockports for $ 100.00 at a factory outlet store (Birch Run, Highway
75 between Flint and Saginaw MI. The Docs I have to wear when handling a 400 pound slab of quartz..steel toes, dontchaknow and super lateral ankle support.
Yup, Rockies and DrMartin work boots for me. Picked up 3 pair of Rockports for $ 100.00 at a factory outlet store (Birch Run, Highway
75 between Flint and Saginaw MI. The Docs I have to wear when handling a 400 pound slab of quartz..steel toes, dontchaknow and super lateral ankle support.------------------------------------------------------------------------ an old lady was installing some wooden slat type mats in a butchers shop in the places where she stood the most. (to get some height for her feet away from the floor)
she said it was the *coldness* (rather than the hardness) of the cement floor that was causing the aches.
Combat boots, believe it or not -- most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. Next choice would be Rockports. And get some rubber floor mats.
This - and back trouble - were occupational hazards for dentists. About 30 years ago, the whole practice of dentistry changed with a new model of treatment.
The patient chair was lowered and the dentist sat on a stool.
A couple of stools may be the answer to your problem. Just getting off your feet and onto your butt for a short while will make a big difference.
Rock ports have been my shoe of choice since 1987, I worked 8 hour days in a concrete floor warehouse.
Now I do a lot of working on concrete floors, not as much but do a lot of walking on concrete streets.
Over the years I have learned,
About $89 at Academy.
I once suffered the same problem. I worked as a machinist and had just bought a new pair of pricey running shoes. The first day I wore them to work was sheer torture, foot muscles hurting in every direction. I realized these shoes were too soft and while providing a nice soft footbed to reduce impact during running, they provided almost no support while standing. I went back to my old steel toe oxfords with the Doc Martin style thick rubber sole. Whatta relief!
Lotta options on the web. Google for shoes standing:
I have a horse mat at my workbench. Got it at the local feed store. Much cheaper than purpose-built mats for woodshops. It's very dense, but I can really notice the difference between the concrete and the mat.
The only downside is that the slightly rough surface makes it a bit more difficult to sweep up fine shavings.
Both issues probably related to Rockport having moved their manufacturing from the U.S. to China.
Probably but the reason for the shoes leaking is that the tongue is not sewn completely down both sides of the lace flaps as normal water proof shoes are. I thought surely that the first pair was a QC issue but the new replacements which were also XCS water proof shoes had no webbing at all between the tongue and the lace flaps. The last pair were literally sewn together like regular shoes. I could tell they were going to leak before I laced them up.
Yeah, I used to work standing on tiled floors all day and rubber mats DO make a big difference. They're better than any soft shoes.
I suffer from plantar faciitus (don't trust my spelling) and heel spurs. I use Aliner orthotics, but can do all right without them if I have the right shoes/boots.
Before you buy any shoe, grab the toe and the heel and bend the toe upward. If anything moves in the arch area of the shoe, DO NOT buy it. The shoe should bend or flex at the ball of the foot, Even good brands need to be checked from model to model. New Balance, Rockport, some models of Nevados tend to work for me.
Mine, too. I got those 2x2 inter-locking rubber mat sections from Big Lots & HFT when on sale for $2 per 2x2 section or < .50/ft.
You can also look at Stall Mats from Tractor Supply (or similar farm products outlets) but they are much pricier and thicker and heavier.
I made the inter-locking mats into a "runner" of sorts that provided a soft spot at every tool I was likely to find myself standing at/near for any length of time.
I'm 63+ and have bad foot and no orthopedics.
That is the exact boot I was looking for when I posted the link, but never did find the exact model. These are the boots I wear most of the time. I love 'em.
Robert
shoe/boot
That is the exact boot I was looking for when I posted the link, but never did find the exact model. These are the boots I wear most of the time. I love 'em.
Robert
Great Minds! ;~) Where are you buying yours?
But uh, ,,,,, ,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,, K Boop ??????? LOL
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