a controversial post

I have never worn them, when in my shop I usuall wear my Teva sandals, except in the 3 weeks of winter we get here in San Diego, then I wear my work boots to keep warm ;o)

-- "You get what you inspect, not what you expect"

Well, I don’t have an authentic pair of Crocs, just a cheap version that I use for the beach to walk on the rocks and the holes allow water to run out.

I like wearing my Dansko hard leather clogs in the wood shop and garden and all over. They have an arch support that helps and if you buy a size larger you can put in an additional foam or rubber insole for added comfort. They are sturdy and if something falls on my foot it won’t penetrate as easily as a soft shoe. Not quite as secure as a steel toe boot, but I have yet to hurt my foot while stumbling and kicking things in the shop. They have a lip on the back of the heel to help keep your foot in place better than open back mules/clogs. I purchased mine from http://www.clogscentral.com (a subsidiary of ShoesCentral.net) as they were discounted and had free shipping. The red cordovo hard leather ones were my choice. http://www.zappos.com is also a good place for shoes, as they have free shipping (and returns) for 364 days from purchase. You can buy several sizes of the same shoe and return them for a full refund and no shipping costs.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

Harbor Freight also has inexpensive foam mats that you can stand on. They are light weight so are easy to pick up and move. They’re not as durable as the heavy rubber, but are cheap and functional. They come 4 in a pack and snap together like a jigsaw puzzle made of foam. About $12./4pcs.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

My wife has several pairs of Crocs and she loves them. She works in retail so she stands all day and she says they really help her do that.
I wear an old pair of Merrill hiking shoes. I have the Superfeet insoles and my feet never get tired in the shop after that. After that experience, I put Superfeet in all my shoes. They are a little pricey but worth it.

Why move the mats? They will be fine, maybe make sure you don’t park with a tire on the mat. The garage I used to work in had several down for years.

-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6453794

You might want to think about garage floor tiles rather than shoes. They are designed for you and the car.
http://www.flexitiles.com/
That link is to one of the more expensive sites but do a search under garage floor tiles and you should get other options. I am going to be covering my basement floor with these this winter as the concrete floor is wearing on my feet and legs.

-- Say what you mean and mean what you say.

My shop has concrete floors and my feet tend to hurt also. I bought many pairs of boots, switched shoes from day to day and nothing seemed to help. Last year I bit the bullet and bought a good pair of Timberine boots. Paid around $130 bucks for them. It really bugged me to pay that much for boots but my feet haven’t hurt since and I will do it again when needed. I must say that these boots have outlasted the cheaper boots I was buying also.
good luck

-- I want to know Gods thoughts....rest are details "A. Einstein"

Hey Jo, yup I wear sneakers or my boots depending on the weather. I bought a mat from woodcraft in Norfolk to put beside my bench were I tend to stand still the most. It is a really good mat and vacuums up well. Ah, I guess I should say cleans up well and stays in place while you do it. very comfortable to stand on. Don’t know about the crocks, but the mat works for me. Oh, I beleive they are on sale right now for about $15.00.

-- Jim Hallada, Chesterfield, VA

Mats are comfortable but if you shop floor is painted they are always sliding around. My feet and ankles ache after a short time in the shop. I’d also like to find a good, comfortable shoe to were in the shop.

-- DaveH - Boise, Idaho - “How hard can it be? It's only wood!”

I have mats in my shop. They work better if they’re fastened down, with double stick tape, etc, and I also have a pair of chukka boots that I take to the shoe repair shop about every six months to be resoled. I have the guy put on the softest vibram sole they make. Since they’re so soft, they only last about 5 or 6 months. I also have good arch supports in my boots. This works for me, although a full 8 or 9 hour day will bring on tired feet.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

Does not sound manly for men but support stockings should be given a try. No one has to know…

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

Crocs are comfortable on your feet, but not so good for your knees/back when standing on a hard floor all day. They offer little if any support. I have pair and love them, I just don’t wear them in the shop too often. I would recommend mats and a good pair of shoes for safety and comfort. In my former life as a chef I wore clogs. They are designed for standing on a hard floor all day and they keep your posture correct. Mats are easy to roll up.

-- NorthWoodsMan

Somewhere I heard about someone who had traced the shape of his shoes onto some anti-fatigue mat, then cut out the shapes and glued them to the bottoms of his shoes.

-- http://www.north40custom.com -- http://north40studios.etsy.com --

I’ve not used Crocs. I’ve got some steel toed sneaker type shoe. (One too many boards hit the toe). I’ve put down rubber horse mats over the entire floor in my shop. They are about 4 X 6’ or so and cost around $40.00. They are used in horse stalls. Are a very solid rubber about 3/4” thick. I bought some that interlocked that covered a 10’ X 10 area and others that were straight sided. The only time I have movement on them is when I try to roll my planer into a different place.

I’ve also bought a couple of sheets of Advantec OSB type board. They are suppose to be guaranteed for 50 years when used as a sub floor when placed over floor joists. I put them under my table saw because the saw will roll easier on a solid surface than on a moving rubber surface. I’m considering putting them under the planer and pointer for ease of movement. The 3/4” Advantec matches the surface of the rubber mats

I just use the rubber mats in front of the work bench. It also helps when you drop the occasional chisel.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

When I built my shop this year I made sure it was on a wood floor and covered with a reasonable laminate flooring.
I have worked all my life on both concrete and wood floors and can tell you today the difference is very noticeable at the end of the day.
With my new shop I have the advantage of extremely easy clean up with laminate which smooth and kind of pretty and the resilience of a flexible wood floor that yields ever so slightly to my weight.
Add to this the fact that i have always had a decent work stool to spell me off when standing is not imperative and you have the best of all worlds.
Wear whatever you choose on your feet and let the floor design give it up for your joints.
You only live once, enjoy your trip!

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

It’s all about the inserts…

I had a similiar problem working on concrete floors. A trip to a podiatrist helped identify that I needed more arch support than my soft shoes were providing. A couple of inserts for arch support helped immediately, while for the long run, I always replace my factory insoles with the Dr. Scholls work inserts. They run about $15 to $20 a pair, but they last the life of the boots and have saved me from a lot of foot, shin and lower back pain.

Q

-- I don't make sawdust...I produce vast quantities of "Micro Mulch."

I use Dr. Scholls work inserts that are made for working on concrete floors. They made a big difference and I can wear any shoes I want. I buy them at Walmart for $10. I also have rubber work mats in front of machines that I stand at for long periods, such as the drum sander and around my workbench.

-- I don't make mistakes, only design changes....www.dgmwoodworks.com

I’m partial to something with a heel…

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

The concrete never really bothered my feet but would kill my knees and back. Put down some mats and carpet squares by my workbench and that helped a little. The purchase of some Red Wing work boots really helped. Paid about $110 and will do it again when they wear out.

-- Gary, South Central Wisconsin. So much to learn, so little time!

Mot,

To quote the movie Cool Running’s “Whatever’s wrong with you is no small thing..”

:)

-- Chris

Here’s what I use:

Haflinger clogs: http://www.onlineshoes.com/productpage.asp?gen=m&pcid=123708

Vasque Sundowner hiking boot w/ SuperFeet insoles: http://www.vasque.com/products/m-sundownergtx.cfm & http://www.superfeet.com/activity/hiking/Green.aspx

Crocs offer no support, and will umltimately be worse for your legs/back than what you now experience. The most important thing is support. Both of the options above have great arch support and cup the heel very well. For me, this translates to ultimate comfort.

-- Jarrod, Taos, NM http://jzmurphree.wordpress.com/

The footing requirements in my school shop are shoes that secure or fasten some how. Crocs are not approved footwear. They do not offer the stability needed to resist kickback should a tool kick. In other words, your foot could move and the shoe stays put or vise versa.

I wear flip-flops and keep the cars outside.

If you do wear the Crocs, wear socks… everyone I know who wears them says their biggest complaint is that they get sticky on the soles of your feet.

-- There are three kinds of people... those who can count, and those who can't

I wear Crocs, but find that in the shop a good pair of tennis shoes and floor mats covering the entire floor (from Harbour Freight) work the best.

Thanks for all the input. I do think people are misunderstanind the model I’m looking at though. I’m looking for more of a shoe than a sandal. HEre is a link in case anyone is interested.

http://shop.crocs.com/pc-668-0-venture-canvas.aspx?outlet=true

I also had a problem with my feet hurting when I’m on my feet all day in the shop. My x-wife finally solved my problem…...............She limited my shop time to 4 hours !! Now you know why she”s my X. All kidding aside, a good old pair of “tennies” has always been my 1st. choice. I have never had to worry about stepping on any thing sharp, as I always keep my shop floor clean. As for dropping any thing heavy, I learned to move out of the way. I have known many people who have suffered pretty severe unjuries trying to save a piece of equipment or a project from hitting the floor. I have never put my health or well being before a machine !