FEET WEEK

Nurses Say These Shoes Save Their Feet on 12-Hour Shifts

These ultra-comfy styles won’t make your feet hate you.

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/NBC/HBO

By Theresa HollandUpdated Jul 23, 2026 4:19PM EDT

Somewhere between the pointed-toe stilettos, block-heel boots, and chunky wedges, we forget to take care of the feet that wear them. Trends come and go, but healthy feet never go out of style. Welcome to Feet Week, our series on what to wear and how to care for everything from your ankles to your toes.

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If you’re searching for the most comfortable shoes for standing all day, it’s worth taking recommendations from the people who rarely get to sit down. Along with restaurant servers, hairstylists, and baristas, nurses spend entire shifts on their feet, often logging 12 hours or more on unforgiving hospital floors.

After all, when your job requires thousands of steps, constant movement, endlessly switching back and forth from standing to kneeling, and downright long hours without much downtime, wearing the right pair of shoes isn’t just a nice-to-have for added comfort on the job; it’s essential for helping minimize foot pain, reducing fatigue, and keeping foot aches from creeping into your knees, hips, and back.

Instead of relying solely on customer reviews, we asked several nurses (including surgical and OR nurses!) about which shoes they actually wear through marathon shifts at the hospital and beyond. From super supportive sneakers to ultra-cushioned clogs for the pros, these are the pairs of shoes nurses say keep their feet comfortable, supported, and as pain-free as possible from clock-in to clock-out.