I’m in a garage workshop with a concrete floor. After 3 or 4 hours it seems my feet and legs are really tired. I’m wearing Timberland Pro (winter) or Asic walking shoes (summer) – both of which have decent support. The Timberlands don’t have a lot of cushion and the Asics have more.
Any suggestions for a retired guy whose main physical activity is a 20 minute walk or a round of golf?
Note – I was surprised when this topic did not come up when I searched FW for “shoes” or “footwear”
Replies
Get some heavy rubber mats for the spots you spend the most time in, like right in front of your workbench.
Both of those are fine shoes. But they are designed to provide support when your heel hits the ground first, as in walking. You have a couple of options. As mentioned above, floor mats. My wife gave me some mats as a Christmas gift several years ago and I quit caring about which shoes I wore into the shop (also a garage) after that. If you find the idea of mats repulsive, visit your Red Wing shoe store and explain your need. Or, it may not be the shoes, think about compression socks.
There was a thread a while back. Here ‘tis:
https://www.finewoodworking.com/forum/shop-clothing
My knees and hips used to be cranky too (even with mats in front of bench). I made the switch from old Asics to lightweight work boots and I notice the difference. Of course, it could all be in my head. Still, no matter, I’ll take it.
Thanks. I thought I remembered this thread. It turns out I even commented on it!
hi! My shop has a concrete floor as well. I wear a pair of Sketchers work shoes. The are light, breath well, anti-slip and well cushioned. I have back and knee problems and with these on I can be in the shop all day with no discomfort at all.
Basement with concrete floor.
Rubber mats in front of bench and major power tools.
Sneakers, but best thing I ever did for my feet and knees was getting custom inserts for my sneakers. A chiropractor scanned my feet and a few weeks later had the inserts. I get them refreshed every two-ish years.
Mike
Today and from now on it will be mostly the ones on the right.
What are they?
Rated -60 degrees C construction boots, I tested them at -52 and they worked !
Mostly walking/hiker type shoes, sometimes Crocs, never work boots. I also have antifatique mats all over the shop.
Think about orthotics. You may need them and not know it.
Looks like we have a snowboarder in the house!
I do several things to reduce foot/leg fatigue. Foam mats around my workbench, table saw, assembly table. I wear mostly Keen steel toed work boots but have a custom orthotic insert in them. Also use compression socks most of the time.
The heaviest rubber mats are stall mats for horses, sold at farm stores. Cut them with a Sawzall or a jig saw but not with a skill saw because they pinch the blade.
Anti-fatigue mats work for me. Get “real” ones from a commercial supplier like Uline or Grainger. Don’t rely on the cheapies intended for playrooms.
Also, consider investing in one or two comfortable shop stools—with wheels and height-adjustable. I find that 30-40 percent of the things I do, I can do sitting down.
Thanks for all the comments and helpful advice. I have a couple mats but they didn't seem to work for me. I move around a lot and it seemed I spent little time on the mats. Then when I stood on them the added height of the mats made me just bend over more at my bench. Maybe I need to raise my table saw, then raise my assembly table and bench which double as outfeed tables, as well as invest in some more shoes.
I was always more annoyed by mats than helped by them too. Maybe I was doing something wrong, but I just didn't care for them.
Talk to your doctor.
It is quite common for people over 65 and very common for people over 70 to have thinning of the fat layer on the sole of the foot. This makes older feet more susceptible to pain on standing for long periods.
Further, it is also common to develop fallen arches with aging which results in increased pressure on the ball of the foot under the big toe.
Hammering of the toes also occurs with age and this can lead to pressure all along the ball of the foot.
So with a combination of thinning soles, fallen arches and hammer toes being so common, I see a lot of older people with sore feet.
The most effective therapies are usually simple - using a high lift arch support with some padding is pretty much curative in most cases. Cheap at USD 25 or so for a good pair. Trim to fit most shoes. There are also surgical options for hammering and fallen arches, but they are rarely performed in my neck of the woods so I cannot comment on success rates.
Finally, there are a number of conditions which irritate feet (intermetatarsal bursitis, gout, arthritis, Morton's neuroma) which are amenable to very simple interventions such as medication or injections.
Personally, I wear low Merrill hiking shoes for almost everything. They have the right combination of support and grip. I am not handling very heavy or dense objects so a steel toe offers no significant protection. Thick suede is ample to protect from a falling chisel too. About my only footwear rule is that in the shop closed toe shoes and socks are required. No sandals.
I choose to wear something more substantial than athletic shoes, as I've had too many close calls from something sharp falling off the bench top near my feet.
I wear and recommend running shoes from Hoka One One, specifically the Bondi model. They are the most cushioned running shoes on the market--probably 50% thicker than a typical shoe. They are expensive, normally around $150, but if you've priced quality anti-fatigue mats you probably got sticker shock from that, too. I got these shoes for running, and in that capacity they made me feel 5 years younger due to reduced stress on my joints. I find that when they are too broken down for running, they are still plenty cushy for shop use. No steel toe option, so if that's essential for you this is a no-go.
I was told some time ago that investing in shoes is a good play because you can't put mats everywhere, which is certainly true for my budget, and I find vacuuming mats to be a royal pain.
The Bondi shoe does come in all black (rather than the garish colors popular for running shoes right now) as well as a leather version targeted for walking. Also comes in EE width, which was crucial for me.
I also heartily recommend AFS insoles, which may also be marked as ArchFlex System. They come from Sweden and may be sold under the Ortoflex or IceBug brands. Not super easy to find in the US, but worth seeking out. In my work in food service they have been a true lifesaver. They run about $50 a pair, which is pretty typical for the better-quality after-market insoles.
I'm also a fan of Merrill's shoes and boots. They've been the best fitting and longest lasting outside of my old Red Wings. I gave up on cheap shoes decades ago. I'm quite careful about work shoes and boots. I've wrecked my back working in the trades a long time. Footwear makes a huge difference, it's just gotta fit your feet right,
I went with the cheapo Harbor Freight foam tiles when I did up my new shop. They've survived a year of me working in there almost every day and not trying to be too neat or tidy or careful over them. I only did it out of necessity... I was buying a lot of stuff and trying to get back to work after too long without income.
As soon as I wear these out enough to bring them back to the top of the priority list, I will go after the heavier gym type mats. I know the HF ones won't last. But, to be honest, the half inch of cushion still makes a world of difference for me.
But, I'm gonna say it's also 'worker muscles'. I had a knee replacement a couple of years ago... right after a cross country move. I was laid up/out of work for a long time. When I got back to it, it took me a little while to get back in working shape. Nowadays, I don't get sore like I did when I started working again. I've regained a bit of the old flexibility, and a day on my feet doesn't tear me up like it used to, mats or no. So, I might suggest doing more than one round of golf, and definitely more than a single 20 minute walk a week.
I worked in industry for a long time and settled on these for a non-steel toe work boot:
https://www.redwingshoes.com/work/mens/soft-toe/SuperSole-2.0-00606.html
Not cheap, but US made and I've had them resoled at the factory a couple o' times.
I got some 36 x 48 rubber mats designed for horse stalls. They're pretty firm as they're made from recycled tires, but they work great. Much less expensive than "anti fatigue" mats. As a bonus, if you drop a tool, it bounces!
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