7 Best Shoes For Nurses in 2023

In our search for the best shoe for nurses, we looked for something that goes above and beyond for long hours of continuous walking. From many hours of testing shoes in the lab and on our feet, we found the On Cloud 5 to be the perfect partner for dashing around from one hospital stop to the next or from one room to another. Its finely-tuned cushioning, lightweight build, and secure fit sealed the deal for us.

When we had it on foot, we felt like we could keep going on and on! We tested this further in our lab by pressing our durometer against its midsole. After doing this five times to ensure accuracy, we found that it is 4% firmer than the average midsole. This provides an amazing one-two punch of a sufficiently soft underfoot feel and a sufficiently stable platform for surefooted strides.

Something that also helps for long hours is the On Cloud 5’s lightweight build. Its weight of 8.4 oz (238g) is 9.9% lighter than that of the average shoe, which helps in keeping feet fresh.

Slipping off shoes is something that’s unwelcome, especially for nurses who are already in their groove. The great thing about the On Cloud 5 is that it secures feet well. The On Cloud 5 was able to embrace our feet so well that we never felt any fear of slipping out of it, mostly because of its fully gusseted tongue. If there are any other further concerns with regard to this dimension, the On Cloud 5 comes with tie-able shoelaces that can further improve its lock-in fit.

The On Cloud 5 may be too narrow for some. We measured its toebox width in the upper at 89.5 mm, which is a whole 6.7% narrower than that of the average walking shoe at 95.9 mm. We don’t recommend this shoe for those with wide feet.

After putting nurses walking shoes under scrutiny, we found On Cloudnova as the one with the best in-shoe feel. Even at work, we felt at home in Cloudnova. Moreover, everything about it, from stability to underfoot comfort, is pure stellar!

We felt over the moon with Cloudnova’s amount of cushioning, especially around the heel. When we checked in the lab, we were blown away by the 15.5 mm heel-to-toe drop, which is 48% higher than average. Tired feet love this "support" after hours and hours of standing. Moreover, with Cloudnova, standing on concrete left us pain-free. Instead, we were at ease even after our shift was up. Back in the lab, our durometer displayed a 29.9 HA midsole firmness. We found that this 4% firmer than average midsole submerged our feet to optimum foam for hours of wear.

Constantly bending our feet while walking in Cloudnova didn’t strain us at all – thanks to its 29.9N resistance to bending, which is 2.6% less stiff than average! Our only gripe is the foot ventilation. Although it is moderately breathable, as evidenced by our smoke test, we prefer something with superb airflow for hotter environments. We think this would matter the most for travel or wilderness nurses, so we advise them to seek more breathable pairs than Cloudnova.

Being a nurse is such a back-breaking and feet-killing job. With that being said, we tested for waking shoes that can keep up with the challenge and pressure of being on the feet all day. The one that comfortably conformed to our feet and was an exquisite pleasure for prolonged use is the Skechers GO WALK 6, making it also the best with a sock-like feel.

Thanks to the stretchy upper of the shoe, the material hugged our feet very nicely without feeling so compressed. One of the test results in our lab also established the same thing. We measured the widest section in the toebox and our caliper read 98 mm, which sits around the 97.9 mm standard and gives us enough room for our toes.

GO WALK 6 not only feels sock-like against our feet but also in terms of weight. We got a low weight of 8.78 oz (249g), which is 2.8% when set side by side with the average. Moreover, walking feels effortless with this pair. That is why, we aren’t surprised when it easily caved in when we folded the shoe using our digital force gauge. The tool reflected 12.9N, which means it’s 28.3% more flexible than most walking shoes.

However, this is not something overpronators can wear, especially since we broke down the shoe and there isn’t any stabilizing element inside. We advise nurses with foot issues to seek more supportive pairs of shoes.

We scrutinized walking shoes and the one that absolutely deserved the title of best slip-resistant shoes for nurses is Hoka Bondi SR. Being on our feet all day, standing, walking, and working - these are some of the demands faced by Bondi when we were testing them out. Amazingly enough, Bondi never slowed us down with stumbling accidents and weariness. Instead, we became unstoppable with every work shift!

We weartested Bondi on various surfaces and we noticed that it’s especially grippy on polished floors. We then justified this in our lab using our durometer. We pushed it against the outsole and it flashed 73.1 HC, which is 3.7% softer than average. This implied that the outsole latches onto smooth surfaces powerfully.

After 12 hours of wear, we remained as comfortable as we felt on hour one. In our lab, we inspected the midsole and once again used our durometer to know its level of hardness. Our tool recorded 20.4 HA, which is much softer than average by 27.7%. In our walks, this translated to a lovely underfoot plushness all throughout the day.

Another perk is the waterproofness of Bondi. We observed its upper under our microscope and discovered that no ventilation hole was present. While this afforded us moisture-free feet, it didn’t save us from being sweaty as it isn’t breathable. Therefore, we do not recommend wearing this shoe during humid weather.

Frequent overtime and spending long hours on foot is no joke, which is why we tested walking shoes for the nurses out there to try. The pair that left the strongest impression with budget considered is the Skechers Summits. For an economical price of $65, which is 26.6% more competitive than most, this is totally a can’t-miss offer as it kept our feet at ease even after wearing it for an entire day.

One less thing to worry about in Summits is having to carry a load on the feet. Substantiating this is our digital scale, which shows that the shoe bears a weight of 6.95 oz (197g). Being 23% lighter, this made walking a delight.

Speaking of delightful walks, we never have to force our heel-to-toe shifts in Summits, on account of its pliability. In our lab, we tested the shoe’s flexibility and found that it effortlessly yielded with a 6.6N force. This is 63.3% lower than the average, signifying that it’s also 63.3% more flexible.

The bad news is because of this, we couldn’t recommend this to nurses who need extra supportive shoes. Additionally, we observed that this shoe did not have torsional resistance when we twisted it, which indicated an absence of rigidity for support. We suggest searching for other bolstering pairs if you strictly require stability.

In our quest for the lightweight and prime walking shoe for nurses, Skechers GOwalk Joy rules without contest. It is exceptionally well-suited for extended hours of duty and constant roaming because of its deluxe level of cushioning despite its imperceptible weight.

The reading on our digital scale upon which we set the Gowalk Joy on it is 6.17 oz (175g). Being 31.7% lower than the average weight of walking shoes, we certainly felt liberated from any slowing down and burden during our walks. Even so, the foam still felt packed and cushiony. We corroborated this by gauging the stack height with our caliper. The heel is 32.7 mm and the forefoot is 23.2 mm, beating their averages by 4.5% and 10.5% and accommodating us with fantastic comfort.

The indisputable plushness of the shoe also manifested when we pressed our durometer to the midsole. It revealed a 19.4 HC value, which implied that it’s 23% softer than the others. However, for nurses whose feet tend to easily sweat, we can’t promise that there will be no moisture buildup in Gowalk Joy, especially since it didn’t perform well in our breathability test. With the shoe injected with smoke, we closely monitored and assessed the smoke that vented out of the upper, which we then quantified to be 2/5. Our advice? Go for pairs with more ventilation holes.

Skechers Arch Fit surpassed all the other shoes we have tested when it comes to being the greatest arch-supportive nurse walking shoe. Foot pain and weariness are two fewer problems for nurses with this shoe because of its bolstering cushioning, as well as pliable construction. No need to worry about slick surface accidents, too!

This shoe literally embodied its name, Arch Fit, cradling our feet and wonderfully conforming to their arch and form. What we also love about this is the insole’s plushness that leaves us comfortable even for hours of walking and standing. 

We also discovered that non-stop walks during shifts wouldn’t be a straining experience with Arch Fit because it seamlessly bends with our feet while striding. And in the matter of working on tiled slippery floors, we found this shoe to be sticky as hell. 

However, we thought that the only thing that would possibly slow down nurses in this pair is its laces that quickly get untied. We suggest double-tying the shoestrings to be sure, or just replacing the laces altogether.