Need advice on new sensory friendly office shoes

I just started interning and it's my first office job (Yay!) but most of the clothes I feel comfortable wearing are not really office attire. Especially shoes. I have no "appropriate" shoes because shoes have always been a particular source of sensory issues so I wear the same black pair of mesh trainers. I have to commute in a big city so I end up walking a decent amount, and shoes that are tight and/or heavy really mess with my focus.

Do you guys have any advice on how to find comfortable shoes that are at least a bit more office appropriate? Maybe solid clean white sneakers? For reference I'm female.

themeatbridge ,

Question: What are other people wearing? "Office attire" has gotten far more flexible since the pandemic, and was trending towards casual footwear even before that. You could probably wear a nice looking pair of sneakers. I can't speak for women's fashion, but as a guy, I really like the fit and comfort of the Sketchers Go Walks, and they come in wide sizes which is roomier and less distracting for me.

FeatherConstrictor OP ,

Yes I agree, I have been looking around at others' footwear and I do see some sneakers (though nicer cleaner looking ones than the ones I'm wearing, which aren't bad, they're solid black, but the design is very casual and sporty). For this reason I'm thinking I might look for Birkenstock boots and a pair of comfortable white sneakers. I'll look into the go walks, I like the roomier shoes! Thanks :)

themeatbridge ,

Black is much easier to clean than white, but gray or brown are the best if you have to occasionally get dirty. Birkenstocks are also roomy, although I do think the quality has dropped significantly since I was young. I had a pair of sandals that lasted 20 years, but I bought them in the 90s. When I replaced them, the replacements lasted 6 months.

FeatherConstrictor OP ,

Oof 6 months? 😬 That's not a lot considering their cost. Thanks for the feedback

themeatbridge ,

I mean, that's one data point, so take it with a grain of salt.

FeatherConstrictor OP ,

Yeah I always go out and read as many reviews on a product as I can to feel comfortable with my decision, especially for an expensive purchase :)

stembolts ,

Kinda off topic but I hate standard shoes because for whatever reason it's widely accepted that we should not use our whole foot, crush the pinkie toe, and deform the foot for life. I don't get it. No wonder so many people have foot problems later in life.

I wear shoes that allow my toes to spread out completely. Xero is what I use for now but since this is a shoe discussion I'm interested if anyone knows of others. I only wear "barefoot" shoes for reasons above. I don't want the accessory muscles that support my foot to atrophy.

Shoe rant concluded. That said Xero does make some professional shoes I think. I wear some around the house that have no laces and are just black, cozy.

FeatherConstrictor OP ,

I recently watched a YouTube essay about this and completely agree. Luckily my foot isn't wide, so the shoes that I wear as my dailies don't push in my pinkie toe at all even though it doesn't have a particularly wide toe box, just a mix of soft flexible fabric and a slightly bigger size.

The video I watched does recommend a few shoes for people like you, I'd be happy to find it and send it if you'd like :)

stembolts ,

Please do, it seems like every time I commit to a brand the owners say or do something distasteful. In expectation of that, these days I have a habit of exploring in advance. Shoes are one thing one can always use more of.

FeatherConstrictor OP ,

Here's the video: https://youtu.be/Ap990027tOY?si=h3pgJMEwOSf5p-y5

For ease, here's the list of shoes he recommends in the video description. Please note these are all affiliate links for the YouTuber as I've copied them from his description.

Xero: https://xeroshoes.com/go/JAKELEARY
VivoBarefoot: (10% off code JAKEL10 when viewing cart) http://bit.ly/3OQibYD
Tolos (10% off) https://weartolos.com/?ref=JakeLeary
Wildling (handmade): https://fas.st/t/ijBYSq2N
BeLenka (handmade, streetwear sub-brand BareBarics is included here) https://bit.ly/3P2rCUP
Peluva (five toe sneakers that don't look terrible, 10% code JAKELEARY) https://peluva.com/JAKELEARY

Best Price Point non-Amazon:
Saguaro (10% off code JAKELEARY) https://bit.ly/3sgi4gi

Best Price Point made in North America:
Splay (10% off with code LEARY) https://splayshoes.com/?ref=p6ii6mlj

Amazon Minimal Shoes Under $40
Skaso: https://amzn.to/45p7nWG
Whitin ("view Whitin store" to see other models) https://amzn.to/47q4oiM
Geweo: https://amzn.to/453qB4q

Wide Toebox, Thicker Soles (check the stack height and drop in shoe specs)
Lems: https://bit.ly/3quE2vl
Altra: https://bit.ly/444uvZB
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rYkZda

Amazon Water Shoes Under $30:
$20 with holes: https://amzn.to/4424pqk
$27 no holes: https://amzn.to/3OMOurn
$20 with holes: https://amzn.to/47rizUI

Barefoot Dress Shoes (price: low to high)
Saguaro: https://bit.ly/3OMO9VD
BeLenka (handmade) https://bit.ly/442Gyqn
Xero: https://bit.ly/3YurgcJ
BeLenka (handmade): https://bit.ly/45p6Ofw
Vivo: https://bit.ly/4497y7E

Toddler Shoes:
Amazon (order full size bigger AND remove the insoles) https://amzn.to/47rYpK7
Wildling: https://bit.ly/45obKBC

Handmade Minimal Shoes:
Wildling (Portugal) https://fas.st/t/ijBYSq2N
Ahinsa (Czech) https://ahinsashoes.com/r?id=i1kv05
Softstar (USA) https://bit.ly/45iwE4W

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shuzuko ,

Barefoot shoes for life! I have switched entirely to barefoot shoes - or at least, foot-shaped and zero drop, even if the sole is thicker - and my feet have never been happier.

Some of my favorite brands:

LEMS - good hiking shoes. Nice wide toe box, decently lightweight, don't look too goofy.

Peerko - good all-around. Lots of looks, some casual, some nicer. Definitely avoiding the crunchy outdoor hobo and/or silly clown shoes look.

Designed by Anya - Anya was a barefoot enthusiast who eventually made her own line, with loafers and boots. Cute and comfy femme barefoot shoes.

Vivobarefoot - used to be a little on the crunchy outdoor hobo side, but some of their more recent looks have stepped up their game nicely. I really like their loafers.

Dagwood222 ,

Male.

Look up "uniform supply" or "restaurant supply" stores. I had a job with a uniform and found that police shoes are surprisingly comfortable. Nurse shoes and waiter/waitress shoes are also designed for lots of standing/walking.

As long as the shoes aren't wildly ornamented, most places won't care.

FeatherConstrictor OP ,

I will look those up for sure! And yeah I'll also spend a few more days observing what others in the office are wearing to get a better idea. Thanks!

Dagwood222 ,

Observing and asking questions is always a good idea for a new employee.

Good luck!

dank953 ,

Also remember that could commute in your preferred shoes and change on arrival at the office.
Leaving the dress shoes at the desk is more common than most people realize.

FeatherConstrictor OP ,

That sounds like a great idea in the future if it becomes a possibility! We don't have assigned desks so that's not an option for me; I'd have to carry my shoes in my bag and the extra backpack weight sounds like it'd offset the foot comfort. Thanks for your response ☺️

rowinxavier ,

Start with a look at Birkenstocks. Wide toe super flat shoes with a range of styles. I use their boots and they are good enough for most environments.

FeatherConstrictor OP ,

Thanks for the suggestion!

Are they heavy? Because they do look heavy. I also heard the break-in period is painful?

rowinxavier ,

So I may not be representative of your use case, but I got the steel cap boots for work. I have had bunions before which are caused by pressing in on the side of the big toe, forcing the joint at the side of the ball of the foot to get messed up. When I switched it was a little painful as the toe straightened over time, but it was already sore using other barefoot shoes (Joto soft shoes), so I don't think it was the shoes making the pain.

As for weight, for steel caps absolutely not. The rubber on the bottom is less dense and heavy than other boots so they move more freely and weight less. They are also quite soft for all the top parts so it really is up to you how you tie them and how that applies pressure to your foot. Make them tight and it will feel tight, rerun the laces and you can change where it is tight. I tried using elasticated lace replacements for a while on the lower two pairs of holes and it was good, I ended up using the laces to make it more stable but for normal day comfort I would recommend using elastic lace replacements, much less pressure and no tying of laces.

FeatherConstrictor OP ,

Thank you so much for your in-depth advice and explanation!

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