List of Best Shoes for Nurses with Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is swelling in the ligament that connects your heel to your toes. It can be caused by flat feet. If you injure it, it becomes painfully swollen. Most common in people between ages 40 and 60, plantar fasciitis can be caused by heel-intensive exercises, obesity, the structure of your foot, the type of shoes you wear, and standing a lot on hard surfaces. Some people describe the pain as a stabbing or lightening sensation. It can range from mild to debilitating, even becoming chronic and impacting your hips and back. This sort of pain is especially disruptive for people who have jobs that keep them on their feet, like nurses and allied health professionals. And we all know it’s hard to be at your best when your feet feel their worst.

Wearing orthotics appropriate shoes can help reduce pain and reduce your risk for injury. They are specially designed to enhance arch support with padding, insoles, grip, shape, and comfort. See why the best shoes for plantar fasciitis made the list below.

Bonus! These shoes are also comfortable and perfect for providing support to pregnant nurses.

1. BALA Twelves

One of the most important features in a shoe for nurses with plantar fasciitis is arch support. BALA includes this and many other features in their best-selling Twelves sneakers.   

Each pair of BALA Twelves has supportive insoles that prevent heel and foot pain while you’re on your feet. They’re also perfect for nurses because they're fluid resistant and easy to clean. In fact, you can throw them right in the washer to get out any dirt and grime that got on them while you were working. Check them out and choose from four different colors to match your work scrubs. 

2. Clove sneakers

Fashion meets functionality in these sneakers by Clove. These super cute shoes feature a comfortable heel pad and twice as much arch support as other sneakers on the market. This makes it one of the best nursing shoes for high arches and a great choice for healthcare workers who are always on the go. 

Choose from 20 different colors among three different styles of the Clove shoe. They’re also easy to wipe down, adding to the great utility they have for nurses. 

3. kizik Athens

Looking for shoes that are great at preventing plantar fasciitis and also super convenient to take on and off? kizik’s Athens shoes are a great choice for nurses. They feature rubber traction pods on the soles, kizik’s custom rabbit foam outsole, and insoles that you can remove for washing. 

These features provide a comfortable wear that is sure to please nurses and other professionals who work on their feet. If that wasn’t enough, you can also put these shoes on hands-free and choose from fifteen different colors!

4. KURU QUANTUM

The founders at KURU developed shoe technology that prevents the fat pad in your heel from flattening when you wear their shoes. Instead, they help improve the way your heels are protected by the fatty tissue on the bottoms of your feet. 

KURU recommends the QUANTUM shoe for people who have plantar fasciitis and other conditions that cause heel pain. The KURUCLOUD midsole also cushions your feet to prevent pain and injury. These features make KURU QUANTUM a great choice for nurses and athletes alike. 

5. OrthoFeet Coral Stretch Knit

Engineering and medical science are the inspiration for OrthoFeet Coral Stretch Knit sneakers. Every pair of OrthoFeet includes their proprietary Ortho-Cushion that molds to your feet with regular wear. This eliminates the need for expensive, time-consuming orthotics that are often recommended by podiatrists. 

OrthoFeet shoes also feature arch support to relieve and prevent plantar fasciitis, cushioned soles, and a stretchy knit upper that hugs and moves with your feet. These are some of the best nurse shoes for orthotics, too. Or, if you’re not ready to spend over $100 on shoes for work, you can check out their plantar fasciitis insoles instead. 

While we will always jump for a comfy pair of shoes, it’s ideal to avoid developing this painful condition in the first place. So before it gets so bad you need surgery, start these habits:

• Stay hydrated
• Get plenty of rest; night splints can help you stretch while you sleep
• Wear good shoes with arch support
• Try to avoid standing on hard surfaces (see if mats can be provided)
• Use athletic tape to support your muscles and ligaments
• Switch from high impact exercises, like running, to low impact options, like swimming.
  

Just because you work on your feet doesn’t mean you need to endure plantar fasciitis or other foot injuries. Nurses deserve quality footwear that protects their feet. We hope you find a pair you like from our list. If you have another shoe you prefer for nurses with plantar fasciitis, we’d love to hear about it. Send us a message so we can check it out ourselves!

Advantis Medical Staffing wants to support you and your hard work by providing you with exclusive discounts and coupon codes on things like compression socks, medical scrubs, nurse shoes, restaurant meals, and more! Sign up on the AdvantisConnect job portal to be automatically enrolled in emails for discounts and career resources.