I have come across a lot of questions on the internet and specifically on Quora about wearing hiking shoes for standing all day. So, is this a good idea?
In short, No! Wearing hiking shoes for standing all day is not a good idea. The main reason for this is that the composition of hiking shoes is suitable for rough terrain. You need some comfortable and flexible shoes for standing all day.
I’ll discuss everything in detail about whether wearing hiking shoes for standing all day is a good idea or not.
Hiking Shoes Have Different Compositions
As I mentioned earlier, hiking shoes are specifically designed for hiking. If you experience wearing hiking shoes casually, you will feel the difference. In my case, hiking shoes gave me not have much of a problem with everyday use, but my feet got tired after a long day of use.
The main reason for this is the bulky material used in making these hiking shoes. You may also disagree with me because there are a lot of hiking shoes that are lightweight. I know about them too, and they contain Polyurethane (PU), which is an extremely lightweight material.
However, I believe that if you go with the lightweight material, you won’t get the required durability. So, every brand manufacture hiking shoes differently. Some are heavy and durable, and others are lightweight but less durable.
On the contrary, if we look at the casual shoes for standing work, they have a different composition. Regular day shoes usually have a different design than hiking shoes. They are lightweight and can withstand a more extended period of standing time.
Benefits of Wearing Hiking Shoes for Standing All Day
I am going to give my honest opinion about why hiking shoes are better than regular shoes. The following are the reasons:
Comfort and Support
No doubt, hiking shoes provide more comfort and support than normal workday shoes. Since hiking shoes are made for hiking on rough terrains, they provide additional support and cushioning.
In my opinion, if you make a decision based on comfort and support, then hiking shoes are definitely better than regular shoes.
I wore both hiking shoes and normal shoes for 8 hours at work. I did the testing with 2 days gap interval. So, if I talk about my hiking shoes experience, in the beginning, it was super comfortable because of cushioning.
On the contrary, normal shoes did not give me enough support and cushioning as the hiking shoes. So, in terms of support and comfort, hiking shoes are good.
Ankle Support
The ankle support hiking shoes gave me was extraordinary as compared to the normal shoes. After standing all day long, I felt the perfect ankle support with the hiking shoes.
On the other hand, normal shoes did not provide that much ankle support. So, if you look for ankle support, I suggest you go with hiking shoes.
Stability
Because of the additional support and cushioning, hiking shoes gave excellent stability to my feet. Another reason for the maximum stability is the inner soles. However, the normal shoes did not provide that much stability.
Drawbacks of Wearing Hiking Shoes for Standing All Day
In the last section, I shared my experience of wearing hiking shoes all day and the benefits it gave me. Now, I am going to share why I do not recommend wearing hiking shoes all day long.
Heavy
No doubt, hiking shoes are much heavier than normal shoes. It is because of the durable material used in the manufacturing of hiking boots. Heaviness is the first thing that made me hate the hiking shoes for standing a long time. It is difficult to move faster with hiking boots.
On the other hand, I could walk as fast as I could using normal shoes. So, it is one of the downsides of wearing hiking shoes on a long work day.
Stiff
Besides heaviness, the other thing I experienced was the stiffness of the hiking shoes. They are way much stiffer than normal day shoes. Again, the main reason behind this is that hiking shoes are suitable for rough trains, so they are made stiff and durable.
I suggest you wear your normal work day shoes if you know that you are going to stand all day.
Not Fashionable
Finally! It is the factor that most of you guys already know about. I also hate the shape and style of hiking shoes. You can’t really do anything about it because they are made for hiking and not for your conference room.
I wrote a complete guide on why hiking shoes look so ugly, so you guys can check it out as well. I also suggested some fashionable hiking shoes that you can buy.
Moreover, I would definitely feel awkward wearing hiking shoes during one of my meetings. The best thing about normal shoes is that you have a lot of options. So, stick with your normal work shoes if you want a stylish look.
So, these are the main reason I suggest you not wear hiking shoes for standing all day.
Are Hiking Shoes Good for Standing All Day – Expert’s Opinion
I came across this video of Brian Hoch, a physical therapist, explaining which shoes are good for standing all day. Let’s have a look:
I would definitely suggest you guys should use Vionic Shoe Insoles if you are going to stand all day at work.
Conclusion
To conclude our discussion of whether hiking shoes are good for standing all day or not, it depends on your working environment. Generally, it is a bad idea to use hiking shoes for standing all day. So, I suggest you should wear your regular working shoes.
