Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought these shoes for a new job in a laboratory that requires employees to have dedicated steel toed lab shoes. After a brief search, I came across these shoes which looked good. I looked at reviews on Amazon and Zappos, and decided to order my normal size but in the wide width (true to the reviews I had read, the wide-width is a must if your feet sometimes need a bit extra room) from Amazon. They looked good to me because they were the required steel toe, were slip resistant, and hey, they're Sketchers.. a popular shoe brand,,, they should be good, right? The shoes arrived, I tried them on, and ... "Ehhhh... they're ok, but they'll do."
The first day I wore them, I worked only half a day (four hours) in the shoes. After only two hours in the shoes, I felt like I had been standing on my feet for eight hours straight - my heels hurt, my toes hurt, and my knees hurt. My work environment requires me to stand for the majority of the day (the only exception being sitting down to eat my lunch) on concrete flooring; standing, kneeling, crouching, stooping, lifting, etc and moving about in repetitive motions in a small area; pushing/pulling heavy carts down halls; and so on.
These shoes offer no cushioning, no support, and no arch support. After my first week wearing them all day, I NEEDED inserts. So I went to a local athletic shoe store and found some inserts that offered some more cushioning and actual arch support. Those worked fine for a bit, but I needed more. I found additional inserts with extra padding in the heel and in the ball of the foot, which are a god-send. They make the shoes bearable, except now the steel toe is really affecting my toes.
My big toe and pinky toe are perpetually numb now from rubbing against the hard steel and the edge where the steel less-than-seamlessly meets the fabric of the shoe. With the moving around in small areas that I have to do, I put a lot of pressure on my toes (especially my big and pinky toes), moving back and forth quickly reaching from one side to another, which only exacerbates the problem. I will now be looking for a THIRD set of inserts that might add some much-needed cushioning in the toe area.
In addition to all of these comfort issues, the shoes are just overall heavy. They are not composite toe, which means they are heavy. Be prepared to add extra effort into each step you take.
My advice to you: if you're buying these for a job where you are going to be on your feet for long periods of time, do your feet a huge favor and look at Nautilus or Red Wing shoes. Don't even bother to look at these shoes. If you need them for a job where you're going to be sitting down all day, they might be ok, and they do look rather nice if you just want them for style. I will give them that - they look nice and the slip-resistant sole really is slip resistant (although that gets nullified when you're forced to wear slippery disposable hospital booties OVER your slip-resistant shoes).
I regret buying these shoes, and as soon as I'm done working at this job and/or next time I am due a shoe reimbursement, I am throwing these shoes out with no hesitation. It truly was the worst shoe purchase I have ever made (and I'm a woman!).
Click Here to see more reviews about: Skechers for Work Women's Stratum Lace-Up Sneaker
Whatever your work environment, if you're on your feet all day the Skechers Energy–Stratum sneaker is for you. The all-leather upper is durable, with mesh lining for breathability and a steel toe for protection. A heavily-padded tongue, collar, and insole and a stabilizing outsole will comfort and support your foot long after quittin' time.
Click here for more information about Skechers for Work Women's Stratum Lace-Up Sneaker
No comments:
Post a Comment