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.

  • dank953@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21·
    8 months ago

    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.

    • FeatherConstrictorOPEnglish
      8·
      8 months ago

      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 ☺️

  • themeatbridge@lemmy.worldEnglish
    14·
    8 months ago

    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.

    • FeatherConstrictorOPEnglish
      6·
      8 months ago

      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@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        8 months ago

        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.

        • FeatherConstrictorOPEnglish
          3·
          8 months ago

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

            • FeatherConstrictorOPEnglish
              1·
              8 months ago

              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@programming.devEnglish
    13·
    8 months ago

    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.

  • Dagwood222@lemm.eeEnglish
    11·
    8 months ago

    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.

    • FeatherConstrictorOPEnglish
      6·
      8 months ago

      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@lemm.eeEnglish
        3·
        8 months ago

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

        Good luck!

  • rowinxavier@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    8 months ago

    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.

    • FeatherConstrictorOPEnglish
      6·
      8 months ago

      Thanks for the suggestion!

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

      • rowinxavier@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        8 months ago

        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.