Your tolerance to standing will increase the longer you have a standing desk. Great! If your posture is correct and you frequently take breaks/change your stance then you might have noticed that some niggling back pains and wrist aches are a thing of the past. However you may start to notice your feet are starting to become the weak link… Or maybe you have been standing for a while, but back problems are no better, even worse? Again, it could be your feet letting the side down. Footwear becomes all the more important when you increase the time spent on your feet.
Check out why I think the Adidas Adilette Slip-On Slides are the best choice, and even negate the need for an anti-fatigue standing-desk mat here.
If you work at home, are you standing at your desk in your comfy slippers or with no shoes at all? If you work in an office, do you wear dress shoes? Dr. Andrew Elkwood says that your “weight is meant to be distributed along your footprint. Anything that changes that isn’t good.” Dr. Leo Rozmaryn says that “a firm sole is best”, even if you can’t wear a supportive pair of trainers in the work place, the key this is to have a “good cushion inside and significant arch support”, which can be achieved by “putting gel foam shoe inserts into an existing shoe”.
Footwear tips when at your sit/stand desk
- Wear shoes with a firm sole, ideally trainers.
- If you are experiencing pain, but have a strict workplace dress code, ask your employer if you can wear some alternative shoes whilst at your work space.
- If working at home, have some supportive shoes for inside, rather than going bear foot.
- Avoid footwear that hurts your feet during an average day (like high heels).
Another option could be the standing mat, we will look more into that next time!