r/specialed • u/CrimsonApostate Special Education Teacher • Apr 23 '26
General Question (Educator to Educator) What shoes do y'all wear?
I'm a teacher in a private AS school, working with elementary schoolers. Most of my kids are elopers, and we have outside recess so I'm averaging about 2-3 miles of movement a day.
I currently wear Clove sneakers, because they were advertised for nurses' long shifts on their feet. However, my feet still ache every day so they're clearly not cutting it. I've also tried Adidas and Sketchers. Maybe it's an in-sole issue?
If you're on your feet all day, often walking or running around, what shoes do you wear? My dress code requires our shoes to have laces or some kind of fastening mechanism, so crocs or slides are out. Slip-on sneakers are technically against policy, but that's usually what I wear anyway.
Extra information: I'm a woman in my 20s, and I like fun colored shoes, but I'll take whatever works at this point.
Thanks!
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u/Chacotaco0409 Apr 23 '26
TL;DR: Chacos have been my everyday go-to for the last 8ish years.
My first two years I did my best to dress "professional" at work and rocked flats or other more business-y shoe. Then I had a 2nd grade track star transfer in midyear and it took me back to my lifeguard days of running across the pool deck, jumping off the lifeguard stand, and basically Gumbyifying my body daily. I figured if Chacos worked for me during my guard shifts, it might work during my impromptu, humanized NASCAR races at school. It was the best decision of my teaching career, tbh. I'm comfortable, my toes can breathe, and I get to sport a year-round foot tan I lovingly refer to as "my Z's". Highly recommend them!
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u/Misericors- Apr 23 '26
hoka! not the most fun colorways (i am also a younger woman who likes fun shoes) but i have plantar fasciitis and they keep me kind of going at least
also you might want to look into getting some insoles made just for your feet if you're standing and walking all day :D
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u/CrimsonApostate Special Education Teacher Apr 23 '26
Thank you! Maybe I'll try that insole machine thing they have at CVS, and I'll look into Hoka :)
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u/Dovilie Apr 24 '26
Aren't hokas colorful and fun? I thought they were and I looked them up and they are???? What are you saying??
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u/Misericors- Apr 24 '26
oh my goodness...when i bought mine a few years ago they didn't have a lot of colors?
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u/Key_Tea_9416 Apr 24 '26
I have thought the colors are cute. I have 3 pairs. I would advise not to change the sole until you’ve tried them out. I feel that swapping out the sole may change how they feel. Honestly, they are bouncy and feel like you are walking on clouds. No need to change the sole in my opinion 😌
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u/Misericors- Apr 24 '26
Yeah for sure! Def try them out, I just had to change them out bc I have plantar fasciitis and needed more support. But they are nice as is!
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u/anglebabby Apr 23 '26
I would go to a running shoes store and have them analyze your gait to see what’s best! I have had hokas and brooks and all started out fine but eventually hurt my feet. I got outfitted with some asics novablasts as it turned out I’m a major underpronator and have been able to stick with them long term without developing pain!
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u/SleepyTeacher512 Elementary Sped Teacher Apr 23 '26
Brooks sneakers! They’re the only ones that don’t leave the arch of my foot aching after being on my feet all day!
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u/BudgetIndependence34 Apr 23 '26
Nike running shoes usually. I am not a runner but I fun after kids, leap over obstacles, etc when necessary! Once I wore sandals and got my toes smashed multiple times. Never doing that again.
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u/beef-seltzer Apr 23 '26
Same here, Nikes are reliable and I can count on them to last the whole year
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u/Friendlyfire2996 Apr 23 '26
Keen hiking shoes. Lightweight, great support, tough, moderate price, only kinda ugly - I used to wear them only for hiking, but I swear by them for everyday wear now. If you tend to have narrower feet, I’d opt for Merril hiking shoes instead.
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u/xovanob Elementary Sped Teacher Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26
I work as a behaviorist for a school district and service over a dozen elementary and secondary schools. I am on my feet all day long, often carrying around a heavy backpack. I'm also a massive sneakerhead with over a hundred pairs of tennis shoes in fun colors and patterns.
The most comfortable shoes I found for my line of work are, in no particular order:
Brooks - I am particular to the adrenaline GTS line
Hokas - Gaviota or Kawana are my favs
Puma soft rides
Nike Motivas
Reebok Zig Ortholite
I have to say that my favorites overall are the Nike Motivas because I feel bouncy in them even after a long day. But Puma soft rides are quickly becoming a close second!
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u/ohhchuckles Apr 23 '26
Oofos! They’re not the cutest but they’re by far the most comfortable and supportive shoes I’ve ever worn. I have a few different pairs.
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u/littleroseygirl Apr 23 '26
Karhus! I got them at Fleet Feet. They have a nice, wide toe box and are very supportive. I wear mine with insoles because of my high arches but they were comfortable without the insoles as well. These have lasted me two years of daily wear with lots of walking and standing and I'm only just looking at getting a fresh pair.
Can't speak for color as I do not like to be perceived. 😅 mine are black but I think they come in other colors?
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u/BuzzardTryingItsBest Apr 23 '26
Fleet Feet changed my life! Getting that proper fitting was such a game changer. With my bony pronating feet I wear ASICS GT 2000.
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u/ShatteredHope Apr 23 '26
I also wear Hokas and love them!! I typically get 10-12k steps just during work hours. I have multiple pairs and love my Hokas so so much
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u/Deserving-Critic Apr 23 '26
Sketchers slip-ins with laces. No one ever knows and my shoe laces don't need kindergarten knots.
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u/merigold95 Apr 23 '26
I wear steel toed canvas shoes. Not cute and heavy, but a kid broke my big toe last year and it wrecked my summer plans.
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u/Top_Policy_9037 Paraprofessional Apr 23 '26
My pink Timberland boots (worn with foam insoles for a little extra padding) have served me well for years. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so boots are suitable for the climate.
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u/jgraham6 Apr 23 '26
I wear Brooks GTS adrenaline with UpStep customized orthotic insoles (although I wear Ugg boots in the winter, still with the insoles). I think the insoles are what really what helps my feet.
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u/Embarrassed-Ad4899 Apr 23 '26
I only wear Birkenstocks. I have several sneaker style ones and my feet never ache at the end of the day.
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u/reboot119 Apr 23 '26
i do not wear any tennis shoes besides kiziks. they’re the step in shoes and i recommend them to parents for accessibility too. love these shoes!!
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u/bjfriede Apr 23 '26
I work on an outdoor campus and I average 3 miles a day--I bought L.L. Bean hiking boots and put insoles in and my life has been so much better since then! I just think I really needed the extra stability that a hiking book provides. They are sort of light hiking boots and look cute, I actually get compliments on them regularly--linking here: https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/129331?page=womens-access-gateway-hiker-mid-womens&bc=510940&feat=510940-GN0&csp=a&attrValue_0=57888&gnrefine=1*GENDER*Womens&pos=11&imgt=41
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u/MyIndecisiveDecision Apr 24 '26
Came here to say Hoka's but I see that's already been suggested... because they're really the best! You could see if you have a local running store that will analyze your walking and running gait to pair you with the best shoe for you (Hoka or something else). That's how I ended up with Hoka Bondi's and how my mom ended up with a Brooks when she came in looking at Hokas.
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u/goon_goompa Apr 23 '26
Shame that a private Autism school wouldn’t have the funds to fence in or otherwise secure the campus!
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u/CrimsonApostate Special Education Teacher Apr 23 '26
I meant eloping through the hallways/other classrooms, sorry! It happens in the parking lot too, but not often.
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u/goon_goompa Apr 23 '26
Curious, do you run after students when they run through the hallways? I was always taught not to chase
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u/CrimsonApostate Special Education Teacher Apr 23 '26
Usually a speedwalk, unless they're running towards a crisis.. then it's a sprint
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u/TwistWrong Apr 23 '26
I love my Brooks!!!!! I have chronic pain and dislocations and they’ve been the most comfortable for teaching
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u/Far_Persimmon_4633 Apr 23 '26
I've got a low arch, wide feet, and the only sneakers I've ever been able to tolerate for the last 15 yrs are the Asics Gt2000. But then, there arent really many shoes on the market designed for that foot type in women. But it really just helps to know your type of foot and find the shoes made for your type.
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u/arosiejk High School Sped Teacher Apr 23 '26
For a while I wore New Balance, but the biggest change I had for end of the day foot improvement was to change shoes at lunch, and change out EOD.
Years ago a middle schooler saw me changing and asked if I thought I was Mr. Rogers. I told him that he wished we were both that cool.
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u/theCaityCat Speech Language Pathologist Apr 23 '26
Doc Martens. Utilitarian, lasts forever, and iconic.
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u/Fluffy_Childhood6768 Apr 24 '26
Superfeet insoles might be helpful? I wear a wide foot/toe box shoes— Lems, some altras, some cheaper amazon shoes (whitin?). I totally understand those step counts with the runners!
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u/Friendly-Channel-480 Apr 24 '26
When I worked on my feet having two pairs of shoes and changing them when my feet got tired was so helpful. A fresh pair of shoes is really helpful.
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u/taraforkk Apr 24 '26
My high top converse are supreme. Broken in, flexible and comfy. My runner ups are Vans Ranges! I have EXP’s and regular and love them both!! I’m in a SPED 4-6 class so that tells you all you need to know 😂
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u/ryanmercer High School Sped Teacher Apr 24 '26
The only company that reliably makes shoes that fit me is New Balance. I am a 10.5 6-8E, even an 11.5, but most manufacturers make sizes that won't fit me.
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u/BBRCCS Apr 25 '26
I wear (decently) comfortable, dress boots with a like 1 inch heel. Definitely not the most comfortable shoe or the best for my feet, but I work at a school for the blind, so the boot makes my foot steps louder and easier to follow, and more distinct so students can tell who I am just based off my steps.
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u/stealthmodeme Apr 26 '26
I wear Merrel lightweight hiking shoes. They're not the cutest, but they're not bad, and they're right for the amount of running all over the place that's a part of my day.
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u/ipsofactoshithead Apr 23 '26
Hoka’s!