Gone are the days when nurses were expected to wear uniforms consisting of white aprons, little white hats, and uncomfortable white heels.

We know better now!

Which is why nurses prefer comfortable, breathable, and good-looking shoes like Allbirds!

*Disclosure: This article on “are Allbirds good shoes for nurses?” may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. For more info, please see my disclaimer.

Are Allbirds Good Shoes for Nurses and Other Healthcare Professionals?

Allbirds are great shoes for nurses (and other healthcare workers) due to their durability, cozy materials, and relative affordability. They’re flexible, washable, and made with sustainable material, making them an excellent choice for nurses and medical professionals who are on their feet a lot.

What Kind Of Shoes Do Nurses Wear?

Nurses need to wear shoes that are not just comfortable but allow them to stand all day in them and give them added support. Some preferable choices for nurses (besides Allbirds shoes) include:

A pattern you’ll notice with a lot of the shoes nurses prefer are:

  • Shoes with soft insoles
  • Shoes with mesh or breathable fabric
  • Shoes that look good

Allbirds combine the best features of all these shoes, with soft insoles, comfortable and flexible wear, and a variety of color options.

Nurses have to stand on their feet all day, so these features aren’t just preferable, they’re essential for maintaining optimal foot health.

Failing to wear shoes that support the feet or are uncomfortable can lead to a painful condition known as plantar fasciitis.

Since plantar fasciitis is a common issue a nurse will deal with, I’ll briefly discuss it below. I’ll also discuss some other conditions you might deal with if you have bad-fitting shoes.

Skip down below this section if you don’t want to read it.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

a nurse rubbing the bottom of her heel

Plantar fasciitis is a condition where the band of tissue stretching from the heel on the foot to the toes, known as the plantar fascia, becomes inflamed.

This inflammation can lead to incredible amounts of shooting and stabbing pain in the foot.

This pain can come and go and worsen as soon as nurses are standing on the hospital floor. Pain can also be described as dull, depending on how serious or progressed the condition has gotten.

Causes

Although no specific factor causes plantar fasciitis, one in 10 people will develop the condition. Some common risk factors that some nurses can be prone to include:

  • Older age
  • Having a high arch
  • Wearing shows with no support especially on hard floors
  • Being an athlete
  • Working on hard surfaces (looking at you hospital floors)
  • Exercising without stretching out the calves

Of course, one of the most common causes of plantar fasciitis is standing on your feet for long periods, which, unfortunately, is a reality for nurses.

In fact, a recent study showed that nurses could walk almost 4 miles (6 km) and take around 9,000 steps during their shift! Sadly, this still isn’t enough of a motivating factor for many nurses to take care of their feet.

Related: 10 Best Shoes for Nurses that Have Plantar Fasciitis

Allbirds Women’s Tree Runners

A breathable, silky-smooth sneaker made with responsibly sourced eucalyptus tree fiber treads.

Other Conditions

As nurses, it really is essential to get shoes like Allbirds that feel luxurious on your feet and promote foot health, as other conditions that can occur due to wearing uncomfortable shoes include:

  • Athlete’s foot (especially if you’re a nurse that uses a locker room to get into uniform or your hospital’s employee gym)
  • Ingrown toenails
  • Bunions
  • Blisters
  • Heel spurs
  • Foot and ankle instability
  • Corns

The Good News About Allbirds

Fortunately, you don’t have to struggle with plantar fasciitis or other painful conditions due to ill-fitting shoes!

Allbirds provide the following features that can be great not just for nurses but for everyday wear inside and outside the hospital:

1. High-quality Merino Wool

Merino is a type of sheep with super soft wool harvested by ZQ to make Allbirds shoes.

ZQ Merino wool has a soft texture ranging from 12 to 24 microns, making it comfortable to wear all day!

Best of all, every single strand of wool is hand-harvested, ensuring that nurses who wear Allbirds shoes are getting the very best quality in these natural wool shoes.

2. Moisture-wicking

Did you know that there are over 125,000 sweat glands on your feet alone? That’s a lot of sweat!

Unfortunately, for nurses working long hours and walking thousands of steps a day, sweaty feet can lead to some of the conditions we mentioned earlier, such as athletes’ feet and blisters.

Sweaty feet can also make it impossible to get through someone’s shift comfortably.

This is why it’s so important to wear shoes like Allbirds, which have moisture-wicking technology to take sweat away from the skin and leave your feet dry and comfortable. This also helps reduce odors in shoes (thank goodness)!

3. Bouncy Foam

In addition to its fabulous uppers and soft coziness, perhaps the most important part of Allbirds shoes are the soft, bouncy foam midsoles made from cane sugar!

These midsoles allow nurses to reduce the impact on their foot, allowing for more flexibility when running around (literally) during one’s shift.

4. Machine Washable

If you’re a nurse working in a hospital, the reality is you’re constantly being exposed to germs and diseases that stay on your clothes, your scrubs, your phone, and your shoes.

Although it’s easy to put a pair of scrubs into the laundry, how do you make sure your shoes stay hygienic and reduce the risk of contamination once you enter your house?

Well, Allbirds shoes are machine-washable due to their foam and wool construction, meaning nurses can make sure their families stay safe.

Related: How to Clean Your Shoes

5. Sustainability

Finally, it’s not enough that Allbirds makes shoes that are perfect for nurses, but they also make perfect shoes for the environment! Allbirds are made from all eco-friendly materials, including:

  • Sugar-cane foam midsoles
  • Recycled Polyester Laces
  • Castor-bean oil covered insoles that emit less carbon than petroleum-based foam
  • Sustainably and responsibly sourced ZQ Merino wool

Related: How Often Should Nurses Replace Their Shoes?

Get Your Allbirds Today

As a nurse, you can’t have favorite patients, but you can have favorite shoes!

I would recommend Allbirds to nurses looking for high-quality, sustainably sourced shoes that are both fashionable and reasonably priced.

Comment below your favorite shoes, and if you have Allbirds, comment how much you love them!

Have You Read These Articles?

Frequently Asked Questions

Nurses should find sneakers, tennis shoes, and clogs that are comfortable on the feet and will give them support standing for long hours on hard floors.

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