Having trouble with my feet. Standing and moving about on 150 square feet of cold concrete 6 days a week. (This is retirement?) Bought a pair of walmart specials (Brahman Brand) about a couple of years ago , and my feet have continuously continued to callous and build sore spots. I have thought about Hiking Shoes, Running Shoes etc., but things could get worse with the wrong selection. Money is not an object…as you know no feet…no stand…no woodworking! Would be interested in any inputs on different types of footware that you have used succesfully over the years in a similar environment.
Best regards for a cessation of sore feet,
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Replies
I was on a remodel job a few years back (electrician)
and the flooring guys were putting down some rubber mats that had interlocking edges..
.I don't know the name of the stuff but the HD or Lowes might carry the stuff...
..it has raised bumps on one side about the size of a dollar coin...they reminded me of my building blocks when I was a kid these came in some bright colors and were about 18"sq.
that might be a better solution to the cold concrete
Restaurant supply houses might have the rubber mats. Every kitchen has them.
Since your shop is small you might want to look into the large rubber mats that are sold for barns. They are about 3/4" thick and made from recycled tires and are cheaper than the antifatigue mats sold for the purpose. The disadvantage is it's harder to roll machines over.
Changing foot ware several times a day can make the "dogs" happier too.
And these mats are very heavy and hard to handle. Although I've not tried it, it might be good to cut them in half if you need to move them very often. If they are bent too much while moving they will break in an unregular line.
yep,they would have something too..
..I have seen folks use old conveyor belt in horse stalls as well
I bought mine at an auto parts supply store. Not the cheapest things, but will worth the ease on the feet.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
OK, I found this link
http://www.gilmorekramer.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi
I can't say this is the stuff I saw, but its something to look at
Merrell slides. Very popular in the OR (hard floors)-
http://www.merrell.com/Shop/Gallery.aspx?NavID=FT-TM-SLD
~$65 (US). Often imitated, seldom equaled.
Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
Well, you probably won't be happy to hear this, but the absolute best shoe on the market for impact protection is a brand called Mephisto. The bad news is the cost--they run about $300.00 a pair. Believe me they work.
I have a concrete floor, and work in a 1600 sf space. I have been wearing Rockport walking shoes for years, and also have anti fatigue mats in the heavily traveled areas by both sides of my bench, and in front of my TS.
Jeff
I suffer from tired feet also. I have expensive Ecco shoes on right now. I also have Mephisto, they are OK but not great. I wore Rockports for years, then they started to not feel so great. Any shoe recommendation has to take into account one's age. It used to be that I could wear anything all day and be comfortable. And, more telling, all new shoes felt good to my feet. Nowdays I have to hunt for just the right thing...... what a pain. I'm pushing 60. I work on a concrete floor but it has lots of rubber mats. Some days, my dogs just can't keep from barking. I've been told that hard-soled clogs are the best thing to wear. Anyone have experience with them. I'm tempted to try a pair but they are open at the heel and appear to be sawdust catchalls.
I've worn New Balance 587 running shoes for many years because I am well upwards of 250lbs, and have to put in full days at the shop and play with the kids after. $80 to $100 a pair, but worth every penny. They aren't steel toe obviously, so take care not to drop anything on your feet!
I've been a very happy customer of B A Mason for over twenty years. Excellent comfort, product quality, customer service, and an acceptable price. A pair of shoes for woodshop use might need steel toes for that dropped plywood sheet, etc.
http://www.bamason.com/product.asp?family%5Fid=4986&pf%5Fid=000680
Great question. One for which I also have no answer. I've gone thru a lot of different brands/prices. I am currently wearing Redwing steel toed boots. A requirement where I work. My problem is that I wear a size 12 1/2 or 13 EEEE. Trying to find them on the shelf for me to try on is difficult. There are very few places to go with knowledgable people who actually measure your foot and help you one on one.
I always wear New Balance sneakers outside of work. I believe Dunham is a brand owned by New Balance. They have work shoes, even steel toes. But again finding a place to try 'em on may be tough. I dunno......and I'm gonna need a new pair soon too......
-Paul
Country,
I am on concrete almost all day also. One thing that my doctor recommended, and I have been doing, is to never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. I have a pair of Wolverine work shoes, and a pair of New Balance cross trainers. I alternate them and it makes a big difference. Also have rubber mats in front of most of our equipmen.
Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
My 'cure' was to lay a floor over the concrete with sleepers, foam in between, and ply over. Much, much nicer in the winter. I just wear deck shoes now, but used to wear a variety of 'running' shoes to little benefit. Anytime of year more comfortable, but especially so in the winter.
At my old employer the machine shop used rubber pads about the equipment.
What type of shoe you need totally depends on your feet. What works for me (running shoes) may not work for you.
First of all, a question -- do your feet hurt bad when you take that first step out of bed in the morning?????? but then ease up after a few minutes? If the answer is "Yes!" then you almost certainly have plantar fasciitis. Here is one article. They say "heel pain" and yep, that's true, but it can get bad enough that a whole lot more than just your heel hurts (yes, I know from experience).
I buy good running shoes because they provide me with a stable heel, and into them I put either my custom-made orthotics (arch supports) or an OTC type called Super Feet. Dont waste your money on the junk that Dr. Scholls puts out. And by all means, if you get some kind of support and it makes the pain worse, toss 'em. Super Feet are found at the better (read: expensive) shoe stores or maybe sporting goods stores. Physical therapists and chiropracters routinely recommend them. They run about $40.
IMHO, you also need to get some cushioning down on that cement floor. I'm lovin' the rubber-mat squares that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Virtually the whole floor in my shop is covered with these, and they're easy to pull up if need be. Having this soft floor made a world of different to my feet, and the knees when bending down onto them was necessary (assembly, adjusting a tool, whatever).
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
PS, re: shoes. A specific shoe that works well for one person may be awful for another. Certain brands tend to fit narrow feet better, another a wide foot. There are specialty shoe stores (athletic shoes) where the people are trained to fit the a foot with the best shoe brand and model.
Ice is your friend! At the end of the day, sit down and put your dogs on a gel pack or a bag of frozen black-eyed peas (they conform to the foot well). Ten minutes per dog. Do it again before you go to bed, while you're still having alot of trouble.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Let me second the ice recomendation, and provide a tip - take a 1 pint water bottle, fill it with tap water, and freeze it. When your feet are tired, roll the bottom of your foot over the bottle. That was recommended by a foot doctor who treated me for plantar fasciitis (which is NO fun!)
Bob
putting down some floor treatment in the way of rubber mats is probably the best solution, but another idea that may make a big difference is having some custom insoles made for your shoes. Go to a store that specializes in shoes for runners, they can take a mould of your foot and send it out to have the insoles made, the difference is phenomenal.
You have my sympathy.
I was chuggin' along through my life, with nary a foot/shoe problem.
Then in a blink of an eye, everything changed. My feet grew one whole size, and every new shoe I tried made my feet feel miserable. And yes, I checked with my doc, went to a podiatrist -- even spent $400 on a pair of custom orthotic insoles.
Here's a thread where all this was discussed from a couple of years ago, which includes many good recommendations from others who have had foot problems:
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=17956.1
And here's a list of a few things I have learned:
1) The shoes that work great for one person won't necessarily work for you. So brands don't mean spit. You've got to find a brand that works for your particular foot/feet.
2) Forget cheap shoes.
3) Shoes that feel great in the store when you buy them may feel miserable in a two weeks time.
4) You need to get some knowledgeable person to diagnose what's going on with your feet. This can be a foot doc, but it can also be an experienced sales person in a shoe store.
5) I now buy all of my work shoes at REI, for two reasons: first, they usually have somebody (generally the manager, and not the part-time kid who works nights and weekends) who really knows what they're doing; and two, REI will refund your money if you wear the shoes (even for a couple of months) and they don't work out.
6) I buy all my other shoes at Nordstroms -- for the same reason. They charge a fortune, but if the shoes are uncomfortable after 2 months -- or a year -- they will cheerfully refund your $.
Buying these high priced shoes is expensive, but less so than buying six different pairs to find one that is comfortable.
7) For me, the "Super Feet" insoles are terrific (which were first recommended to me by a guy from REI). Now, when I buy a new pair of shoes, I throw out the insoles that come with the shoe and replace them with SF.
Hope all this helps.
********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Edited 2/25/2006 12:42 am by nikkiwood
Have you tried Allen Edmunds for dress shows? I've had good luck with their fit. I have a true 'B' width. Not ultra narrow, but definitely not "medium". I'm pretty sure Nordstroms sells them.
Don't know what euipment you need to regularly move around on the floor. Most of my stuff pretty well stays put, and I've gained great relief from the 24x60 mats sold at Griz here: http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2006/Main/392 (See bott right of page)
They're easy to move, inexpensive and clean easily.
Good luck -
---John
Edited 2/25/2006 12:46 am ET by PJohn
I also swear by Superfeet insoles. Have been using them for years. You also might try a good pair of silk or polypropoline liner socks inside a good pair of cotton/poly hiking socks. Combined with the SF, may just do the trick (with good quality boots)...
I've had similar problems with sore feet on concrete. For me at least I finally discovered that what I thought should be comfortable - running or other athletic shoes - just didn't have enough support. Later after a hairline fracture in a toe, lots of foot pain and poor recuperation, and numerous visits to a podiatrist I was told to go to an orthotic footwear specialist. Ended up with orthopedic shoes and some pricey custom fitted insole inserts made of carbon fiber. Those felt pretty good for general walking around, but for working on concrete they seemed even worse than the athletic shoes. What ended up working pretty well for me was some RedWing boots. They got loads of support plus for my unheated/uninsulated shop they make versions with 100g Thinsulate that are pretty cozy. The RedWings cost a bit more, but I just got my first pair resoled after 8-9 years and the rest of the boot showed no signs of giving up the ghost anytime soon. I ended up buying a 2nd taller pair with the heavier insulation as well.
If you build it he will come.
I've always been able to wear almost any shoe without foot pain, but standing and walking on concrete started bothering me a couple of years ago. No pain, but it was certainly tiring.
I got some 12"x12" interlocking floor mats from a local hardware store and they're fantastic. I have a 2'x5' mat at my bench and a 2'x2' mat at the saw. I also use two pieces for a kneeling pad since my knees aren't as good as they used to be - lol.
I saw similar pads in Home Depot a few days ago.
Country,
Sorry to hear about your foot issues. My uncle (the Dr.) taught me many years ago to never wear the same shoes two days in a row but, even more important, to always wear wool socks. I've never had a callous...as he said he never did either.
I bought some Dri-cote squares at home depot two winters ago ($1.25 a sq.ft.) and its been great. It's warmer than rubber mats, hence my shins don't get cold anymore and sleeping at night is easier. I was going to buy the electric socks if the Dri-cote was inadequate, didn't need too.
I had the same problem. I wear Reboks a lot but a few hours in the shop and my feet begin to hurt. I went out and purchased a pair of leather boots with thick , soft soles.This helped a lot but they were of the lace type and since I sometimes take breaks and go into the house for a few minutes, I got tired of lacing and unlacing. I then went out and purchased a pair of Justins. They are of the Wellington type that can be slipped on and off quickly and easily and have thick, soft soles. OK in the cool weather but I don't know if they will work in summer. When I taught woodworking in the public schools, I bought a lot of my shoes from B A Mason, approved by the postal service. These are good on concrete. I usually wear this type in a low cut in summer if I am working on concrete. At the present time I have a pair of lowcut Carolina Comforts with steel toes and thick soles for summer. They work quite well.
Edited 2/25/2006 10:53 am ET by wdrite
Variety is the key. I have 4 different pairs that I rotate. I don't really have a method, I just put on which ever pair/style I put on. I have Red wings, Carolina's, Nike, and New Balance.
Don't forget about socks. The cheap cotton socks aren't worth a darn. I buy Wig Wam, or other high quality socks. I only use the socks for 3 or 4 months, and then buy new ones.
My feet are just as important as my hands, and eyes. If any one of the 3 aren't 100% my work will suffer, then my business will suffer. Eventually, I will suffer because I'll be greeting people at the local Wal-Mart.
running/tennis shoes largely fixed my back problems - try them on and buy a pair with good arch support and lots of padding. Work boots don't have enough padding I think. In *addition* I use those floor mats. They come in different quality grades though so pay attention to what you are getting. You're on the right track with this - shoes and mats will dramatically improve your situation.
I've started paying a lot of attention to how my body feels when I'm doing various tasks and then coming up with solutions to make sure I'm working relaxed - it's made a big difference in my energy and it will for you too, just stay with it and take the problem seriously enough to invest the mental energy into solving it. For example, I've set up various work stations so that I can sit for many tasks. Making sure the lighting is right is important too as you can work from the height you want instead of stooping to view things.
I suffered for 2 years when I changed shoes and only recently realized what the problem was - to everyone out there, if you're having back problems, try new shoes and see if that doesn't make a lot of problems go away.
I feel your pain as the saying goes. I have been there in spades. When working -now retired- I was 260# I am still 6'1 1/2" and of a large frame. I managed corporate facilities mgmt./ mgmt support services in a 40 floor NYC building, 30,000 sq.ft. per floor. Long story short, you NEVER sit down. I wore penny loafers, brown, ox blood and black to match the suit. these were not cheap shoes, Churches of England, 130+ in the old days(now out of business-bought out and removed as competition) could be resoled 4+ a dynamite shoe great arch. I HAD CALLUS BETTER THAN ARMOR PLATE! I spent my shower time rasping it off. As the Amish are wont to say "we get too soon old and too late smart"
The problem was many fold . Too much time on my feet on hard surfaces, Dr. Stupids slick surfaced padded sole inserts, my high class slick socks and my weight.
The solution. Three different quality casual shoes by J&M, Rockport , several leather sneakers, white cotton socks, less time on my feet, I am down to 221# - I dearly miss those "business" dinners at Peter Luger's- and 12 months for it to take effect.
You can do more, get long cushioned floor mats to put in front of all places in your shop where you pace back and forth(bench) or stand (TS/BS/drill press/lathe) while working. I did that for my print shop folks once and they though I saved their lives. I caught a sale (woodcraft ?) once and bought a flock of 10' 3/4" thick beveled edge 4 sides mats for my future shop that are now sitting -getting flat- on my concrete floor after being rolled up for two months in boxes. Good luck, Pat
i work at home depot and walk constanly. i have only been there 4 months but after 2 weeks i began having feet problems. i bought a pair of new balances 476 after some "research" and word of mouth plus the new balance sales person. i will say this my reebok basketball shoes feel/felt much more comfortable but i literally have worn them out. the new balances besides not helping, after only three months of work are falling apart. in addition to all this i have now developed some pretty good back pain. i bought some dr. scholls memory fit witch helped enormously but the shoes for me have been very frustrating. a coworker has the exact same pair and reports the same problems.
That is why I never liked new balance when I ran track. I found Etonic wore much better. But now I'm having trouble even finding them.
I second the idea to switch to New Balance shoes.
For years and years. while working in construction, I wore only Timberland work boots Never had a bit of foot trouble. Each year I would buy a new pair amd kept the previous year's shoes for yard work or snow removal at home . I was always almost 300 pounds, but had not a callous or a corn.
Then, Timberland shoes were made in Taiwan or (some such) and the shoes failed in less than 5 months . At the time, I hadn't known about their switch to offshore manufacturing . Bought another Timberland and THEY were same crummy boots.
A friend, (who worked with me) was wearing New Balance and swore by them. Bought them and never looked back. The best investment ever. They are so comfortable I Recommend them to all my friends.
Steinmetz
Just thought of something else, check out these shoes from a company called Z-Coil. They look pretty strange but I have a couple of friends with severe back problems and they swear by them.
http://www.zcoil.com
Hello: My foot doc recommended a place called "The Next Step" a chain of specialty shoe stores. The proprietor is a bio mechanic or some such. Really knew foot physiology and was a great help, they may have a store in your area. http://www.nextstep.com
Good luck, Duke
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
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Country',
Most of the floors in my shop are concrete, with anti-fatigue mats at different work stations. I've been using cross-training type sneakers that I add a thick gel insole to. Resently I picked up a pair of Nike Monarch cross-trainers to replace my current warn out sneakers. I have to say, that these have been the most comfortable sneakers I bought to use in my shop. The insoles are marked Cushion with some sort of rating scale. I haven't had the need to add an alternate insole for more comfort. Obviously, this is something you need to try on to make sure they are right for you. Here's a link to a web site that carries them (I've never bought from this site, a Google search turned up the result).
http://www.finishline.com/store/catalog/product.jsp?productId=prod470059&categoryId=cat20087
For me, they run a whole size smaller than my measured foot size (I'm an 11 D and am wearing a sz.12).
Adding a heal-only insole support can also help to reduce back fatigue, by rocking your hips forward slightly (better posture).
Dan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.
I work as a automotive collision repair technican (auto bodyman) at a Mercedes Benz dealer and there is concrete floor in the body shop. I've been doing this for 16years now and it found its best to wear Doc Martens workboots. In my case they have to be steel toe. I find the air cushion sole realy helps.
Same issue with me.
Tried various shoes, but nothing ever prevented the tired leg and feet syndrome.
Recently, I was in a Woodcraft store and they had a $30 rubber mat that was on sale for $10 (I think they are 30" x 60"). So I bought 3. What a relief. I put them down where I spend most of my time. I was so impressed, I ordered 6 more. Now they are in front of all my work stations. Man, I can work all day with no problems.
A side benefit - used to be when I dropped a chisel, it had to be reground because of the concret. I have accidently dropped numerous pieces of wood that I had just cut to the perfect miter and of course ruined them because the edge always hits first (Murphy's Law). After the mats, I've since dropped several pieces that have hit the mats and no problem. What a relief.
Dave
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