+1 for orthotics
It's worth the money. Suddenly every shoe (that they can fit in) is the right shoe. Having the wrong foot ware fucks so many things up in the long run.
can you ask for a chair? They should have to give you one if you need it, and for a lot of places that could just mean getting a doctors note that says my feet hurt when I stand too long and I need a stool to work, worked for me when I was a walmart cashier
Super Feet They hurt like a mother fucker for the first week or two but after you adjust they save you so much pain. Like I used to not be able to sleep because of the hip and back pain from standing/walking all day and now the pain is almost nonexistent. They're also relatively cheap and last for a while, like longer then most shoes. Might be helpful to go to a running store or something to have them help you pick the right ones.
I use basic Dr.Scholl's inserts as a fellow cashier and they work fine for me. But I also have a good work-provided standing mat at my register as well
Good question. My go to when I was working retail and we weren't allowed to wear shoes that looked like sneakers was Payless. They had a good "work shoe" line that looked nice but were pretty comfortable for an affordable price. Since Payless closed down, I have no idea where the next best place to go is.
Not sure about dress code issues, I found a few brands of skate shoe worked fairly well. The thick skater soles seemed to do alright for when I was on my feet for 4 to 6 hours throwing freight. Putting my feet through pallets, stepping on broken class and nails and chunks of jagged wood. (While I was a cashier of last resort, I never spent more than an hour up front, so ... you know... grain of salt)
Etnies brand Jameson line is what I've bought personally. Unless you're a vegan, you might want to look for Natural upper instead of Synthetic. I've got a pair of both and the Natural upper has lasted several years with little wear damage while the Synthetic upper started to separate from the sole in a way that made it look like somebody was taking a razor to it. I have found them in the past at Shoebacca.com , Amazon.com and Etnies.com .
The price was a bit steep for me at 40-60 dollars but I put a lot of wear on shoes and these have lasted years. I used to have to buy 2 to 4 pairs of shoes from Walmart or Payless a year when I was working off the farm, so I wound up spending more on "cheap" shoes.
Warning, its been several years since I've bought new ones, so I don't know if their quality still holds up. Don't be afraid to return them if they fall apart immediately.
I've tried a pair of Vans before, but they were canvas upper and while the sole was super thick like the Etnies the upper didn't hold up. I still have them to wear around the yard, but they look more like a pair of dog chew toys now.
