
Ask HN: Standing Desk Folks – What shoes do you wear? - morepyplease
I&#x27;ve been using a standing desk for about 6 months now, I&#x27;m inside of the standard BMI healthy range for height&#x2F;weight as a male, and have a CumulusPRO Commmercial grade pad.<p>Not EVERY week, but many times towards the end of the week or some particularly bad standing days where I am not moving around enough I am starting to get some aches and pains in the heel and ball of my foot.<p>I typically wear your standard Vans brand shoe with some Dr Scholl&#x27;s full foot inserts.<p>Today I experimented with wearing some fitness shoes to the office instead since it&#x27;s casual Friday. The difference in comfort is night and day already. I can&#x27;t wear them on a daily basis because they don&#x27;t fit the dress code -- but I am curious what other alternatives I might have M-Th that other people have found success with.<p>Are there any good business casual appropriate shoes that have great support like a fitness shoe?<p>Cheers!
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OWaz
I have a gel mat that is similar to a kitchen standing mat. I forgot what
brand it was but it was less than $35 on Amazon. I stand on that without shoes
and it's very comfortable. I have a National Public stool to sit on when I
need to give my feet a break.

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cyberpanther
another good point, even when you have a standing desk, changing positions is
still key.

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theWold
I wear my hiking boots. I can stand in those things all day. (Vasque is the
brand, but I can't seem to find the exact pair on REI). They are plane
leather, and look decent in a pair of slacks (though I only wear slacks when
my jeans are dirty). Plus they'll last longer than any other business casual
shoe you will ever wear.

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bowlich
+1 for Hiking Boots.

I wear a pair of keens most of the time. If I am standing for a long time then
I switch over to a pair of over-ankle boots -- which I happen to think are
Vasque brand a well -- put a layer of polish on them from time to time and
they'll last for years. My pair is starting to approach a decade of use at
this point.

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gonyea
None at the desk. I have a nice gel floor mat and comfy socks.

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e15ctr0n
This is really the key to comfort at a standing desk.

Order the best gel mat on the market: the Wearwell Ultrasoft Diamond-Plate
Anti-Fatigue And Safety Mat - Black With Yellow Chevron Border.
[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VEF51E0/](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VEF51E0/)

My company was happy to pay for it once I explained the productivity benefits
to them.

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avitzurel
I used a standing desk for a long time (year+).

I recommend minimalist shoes, this will help your feet get stronger, stay away
from anything that has cushion in it.

Lately, I got these: [http://naturalfootgear.com/collections/mens-
shoes/products/l...](http://naturalfootgear.com/collections/mens-
shoes/products/lems-primal-2-black) Can't recommend them enough.

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cyberpanther
No shoes is the best

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ljk
is this just on carpet? doesn't stand for a long period of time without shoes
hurt your heels?

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cyberpanther
i have a thin squishy mat but in the long run it is better for your feet in my
opinion. Shoes often offer too much cushion and thus weaken our feet.

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ljk
> _Shoes often offer too much cushion and thus weaken our feet._

interesting, wasn't there a lawsuit for the vibram five-finger because there
wasn't any actual benefit?

what shoes would you recommend?

