Wearing shoes with good arch support is very important when working in an active job like food service or catering. As employees working in catering are expected to be on their feet for long shifts, they put their feet at risk if they're not wearing the right work shoes. Having arch support is important for protecting the health of your feet and maintaining a positive attitude at work. Sore feet can make anyone irritable.
The shoes you wear for work can have a big impact on you, physically and emotionally. If you have no slip-resistance grip you're more likely to slip or fall at work. Along with slip-resistance, making sure you buy work shoes with good arch support is important to safeguarding the health of your feet.
What is arch support?
Shoes with arch support are designed to give the arch of your feet extra support. As you walk, your feet endure pressure and strain from the hard ground, the force you exert from your movement and the style of the shoe. A support arch helps protect the feet from physical stress.
Some people don't realise the importance of wearing shoes with arch support.
High heels or ballet flats don't offer good arch support
High heel shoes force the feet into an unnatural position and puts incredible stress on the ankle and the ball of the foot. Having too much pressure on the balls of your feet can inflame the bones or even damage the nerves. Putting the feet under too much stress can put you at risk of hairline fractures.
You may think moving to flat or ballet shoes could solve your problems but they offer no arch support at all. They give no support or defence as you walk on hard surfaces which can lead to problems in your knees, hips and back.
How wearing shoes without arch support can impact you at work
In any catering role you're likely expected to be on your feet for long periods of time. Even if you're just walking or standing, your feet are exposed to negative strain.
This is how wearing shoes without any arch support can affect you at work:
Week 1
This is your first week wearing your new shoes, as they're flat you thought they would be appropriate for work. So far, you're not really feeling any discomfort in your shoes, they're new and you're still wearing-them-in.
Week 2
You've started to recognise discomfort at the heel and balls of your feet. It's not a major issue, if you're busy in the kitchen or serving food, you don't really notice it.
Week 3
Your feet ache at the balls of your feet and the heel. Even the ankle is starting to hurt sometimes. After work when you take off your shoes and put on your favourite slippers, the aching discomfort remains.
Week 4
The discomfort has managed to spead up your leg and into your knees. You find it especially uncomfortable when you crouch down and it can sometimes be a real effort to stand up again. Your knees feel stiff and sometimes you get pain in your back.
Week 5
Your back hurts, especially at the lower part of your spine. Picking anything up can be a really uncomfortable task. Now your feet hurt, your knees, your hips and your back is in aching agony. You find it hard to concentrate at work and sometimes you've found the pain has put you in a negative mood. You'd rather be off your feet than concentrating on the job.
This five week timeline describes how you can be physically and emotionally affected by wearing unsupported shoes. Doing well at work can be difficult when your shoes are giving you trouble. Wearing shoes with no arch support can put you at risk of a painful foot condition called plantar fasciitis.
As foot pain can take a long time to heal, it's important to look after your feet and wear the best shoes for work.
How to find the best shoes for your feet
At Shoes For Crews Europe Ltd, you have free access to our Technical Sheet Library. You can see all the features each of our shoes has so you can find the best shoes for your needs. Visit our library: