What Shoes to Wear with Scrubs?

March 6, 2023 Alex Kinejara

Scrubs for nurses and healthcare professionals have evolved quite a bit in the last few decades. From handsome cargo pants to flexible, form-fitting leggings that don’t look or feel all that different from your Lululemons, you’re bound to find a style you love.

But when it comes to the right shoes to rock with your medical scrubs, what stylish shoes with scrubs should you wear? Ideally, work shoes for nurses should be aesthetically pleasing but also comfortable, supportive, and slip-resistant to keep you slip- and ache-free after a long day.

Read on for the different styles and features you should pursue when selecting a nursing shoe to don with your nursing uniform to optimize healthcare fashion, comfort, and efficiency.

Why Is Proper Footwear Important in Healthcare?

First things first: Let’s establish why you shouldn’t just choose any old pair of shoes when it comes to dressing your feet up for work as a healthcare professional (or any kind of professional, for that matter).

Massage therapists, pharmacists, physician assistants, dental hygienists, nurses—these professionals and others spend countless hours on their feet and require ongoing support and comfortable footwear. Here’s why the right shoes are essential for all workers, but particularly those in healthcare who face many common challenges of nursing:

Protection against foot ailments – We might not give a whole lot of thought to our feet until they’re fatigued or aching in pain. But our feet are constantly working on our behalf. Poorly made or ill-fitting shoes may lead to several issues, including bunions, ingrown toenails, hammer toes, calluses, blisters, or corns.

Insurance against pain – Too high of an arch or too loose or tight of a fit may wreak havoc on the 52 bones in your feet. Over time, this can contribute to chronic pain—not just in your feet but also in your hips, knees, and back.

General safety – Shoes that fall short on the quality and fit scale can make you more prone to injuries. Falls, accidents, and exposure to germs, bacteria, and toxins—all are possibilities if your feet aren’t adequately sheltered.

Sound posture – Ample support for your feet naturally encourages improved posture. This is more vital than you realize: Poor posture, as nurses may well know, can lead to a host of health conditions, including chronic inflammatory diseases like arthritis.

Best Shoes to Wear with Scrubs

An environment that requires scrubs also typically requires closed-toed shoes. This is important to shield your feet from injury and keep your feet safe from contaminants and germs (and vice versa).

Not all closed-toed shoes are created equal, though. These common varieties are widely believed to be the most popular choices for shifts that call for a clean pair of scrubs:

#1 Running Shoes

Running shoes are a boon for nurses and other healthcare professionals who aren’t just on their feet for long hours at a time but who also need to perform other physical movements to perform their job.

Running shoes can be a good pair of nursing footwear for those who do a lot of squatting at patients’ bedsides or jogging alongside them in emergency situations.

Alongside their flexible capabilities, running shoes come in a bevy of colors and styles, which helps ensure you’ll discover the pair that suits your personal aesthetic and needs.

What to Look for in Running Shoes

Tick the following off your list to guarantee your comfort and safety when wearing running shoes in a healthcare setting:

Proper fit
Cushioning at the heel
Heel-to-toe-drop
Water-resistant material
Slip-resistant outsoles
Lightweight material

#2 Sneakers

Ask colleagues specifically about stylish shoes to wear with scrubs, and sneakers will inevitably make their way into the conversation as a great medical shoe.

While they’re often used interchangeably with running shoes, sneakers are their own breed; indeed, they were originally designed to be worn between sports. They offer support, yes, but less so than running shoes, which often feature ankle support or thicker cushioning to withstand the impact of your feet on the ground.

Sneakers are ideal for scrub-wearing professionals who may be on their feet for all or part of their shift but primarily standing or walking, as opposed to running down a corridor or up a flight of stairs. (Think: surgical nurses.) Sneakers tend toward the more dressed-up side of athletic shoes, which might be more appropriate in some facilities.

What to Look for in Sneakers

A solid pair of sneakers should feature many of the same traits described above, including an optimal fit and outsoles that will prevent you from taking a spill on potential slippery hospital floors. Further, look for sneakers that:

“Mimic” the shape of your foot, which will help maximize comfort
A long lifespan, which will help minimize how often they’ll need replacing

#3 Clogs

Clogs enter the race for optimal healthcare shoes for being cleanable, comfortable, and slip-resistant.

Clogs are a cinch to clean off—which is great for any nurse who works in an environment where bodily fluids, liquid medications, and more are commonplace—just as they’re a cinch to take on and off. You can pull them on and off with ease to give your feet a breather on breaks or when you’re sitting at your desk managing paperwork.

Further, podiatrists assert that the elevated heels on clogs may diminish pain across your feet and take pressure off your Achilles heel.

What to Look for in Clogs

Search for clogs that possess these traits:

Lightweight material
Shock-absorbing cushioning
Adjustable straps for a customized fit
Breathable materials to help keep your feet cool

#4 The All-in-One Wonder Shoe for Healthcare Workers: Snibbs

Can’t decide between the moveability of running shoes, comfort of sneakers, and ease of clogs? With the all-in-one footwear from Snibbs, you don’t have to.

The answer to what shoes to wear with scrubs? rests with Snibbs. We spent more than three years conducting research to design work shoes for nurses that defy expectations. With custom insoles and incredible support, our non slip work shoes were built to provide you with the same around-the-clock TLC you give your patients.

Check out the collection today and never have to worry about the best shoes to wear with scrubs again because they’ll be in your hands—or, rather, on your feet.

Sources:

Verywell Health. The 9 best scrubs of 2023.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/best-scrubs-4693212

Indeed. 21 jobs that wear scrubs.

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/jobs-that-wear-scrubs

OSF HealthCare. Importance of wearing good shoes.

https://www.osfhealthcare.org/blog/importance-of-wearing-good-shoes/

Healthline. How to keep your feet healthy: tips, exercises, and more.

https://www.healthline.com/health/tips-for-healthy-feet-footwear-hygiene

The GloRun. What is the difference between sneakers and running shoes?

https://www.theglorun.com/difference-between-sneakers-and-running-shoes/

Cleveland Clinic. The health effects of poor posture.