Woodshop footwear


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I was listening to an episode of wood whisper offcuts and footwear came up.  I want to let people know my experience...  

 

Merrell Jungle Mocs.... These leather slip ons have been life changing for me.  As I have endured back issues, and had back surgery a number of years ago I found one of the biggest hindrances I had with long stretches in the shop would be lower back pain and foot pain.  I got a recommendation to try out a pair of jungle mocs, and all i have to say is I will never go back to standard sneakers.  If you are looking for a comfortable shoe for in the shop give a pair of jungle mocs a try.  I will say i have tried other makes of shoes from merrell similar to the jungle moc that I found to be more aesthetically pleasing and found I was not as satisfied or comfortable as I am in the standard jungle moc.   

just my two cents! 

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4 minutes ago, drzaius said:

Those look good, but I'd like to find a slip on shoe that has a reinforced toe. I hate the thought of dropping something on my toes, but having tie & untie boots all the time when going between the house & shop is a huge pain.

 I tried the merrell reinforced toe and returned them the next day, it may have been a sizing thing but just warning you they did not compare to the jungle moc.  for now i will just have to sacrifice a little safety for my own comfort i suppose

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I’m a danger ranger who values not getting heat stroke over toe safety.  I wear Chaco Z2s in the shop and love them every minute of it.  Of course, my shop is an uninsulated garage in the swampy heat of Arkansas, so every little bit of breathability helps.  

 

I know its dangerous, and I don’t move the really large stuff without more appropriate safety measures, but for everyday shop work Chacos are my go-to.

 

As for fatigue, the best thing I’ve done was invest about $100 in cheap foam floor tiles from Harbor Freight.  They keep me going for longer, let me kneel without knee pain, and save tools and workpieces from being damaged when I drop them like a doofus.  Can’t recommend foam floor tiles enough!  Their only drawback is that mobile tools sink into them a bit, but it’s not so big a problem as to offset its benefits.

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I've been using a couple pairs from Keen. Most of the time I wear the low cut, but in bad weather I'll use the other pair. I find them very comfortable and were well. Like a lot of others, I suffer from lower back pain. So I added a pair of Dr Scholl's inserts for my weight :(  I also have concrete flooring that I have 3' x 5' anti fatigue mats down  were I stand the most. I also find going for walks helps a lot with the back pain. It tightens up the abs. 

Here's the low cut https://www.keenfootwear.com/p/M-TARGHEE-II-WP.html?dwvar_M-TARGHEE-II-WP_color=1008417&cgid=mens_footwear_shoes  

These are the mid-cut https://www.keenfootwear.com/p/M-DURAND-MID-WP.html?dwvar_M-DURAND-MID-WP_color=1011550&cgid=mens_footwear_boots

There not cheap, but I find them worth the money. Nothing is worse than having the lower back spasms :( 

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I found these to work pretty good.  They are slip on's which works great for my short ventures into the basement shop.  Good support, covered toe and less swamp foot then the Crocs they replaced (Crocs had closed toes to keep the shavings out)

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0092UAOH8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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I wear keen steel toes mostly because i love to use my toes to move heavy things. On my shed build I've been doing most of it barefoot because it's awesome. It should be noted my shop is 63 degrees year round so shoes keep my feet warm. Gotta love basement shops :D

I need to try a pair of Merrell shoes. I love my Keen shoes they have taken away ankle problems i developed from playing hockey. I don't want to abandon but i always hear good things about Merrell.

1 hour ago, Jfitz said:

Well done Amazon....well done....

As long as the naughty Lingerie ads don't come back..... :D

 

 

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  • 3 years later...

The model of the shoes you are wearing is extremely important for your health, posture, and the way you are walking or moving. For example, I always choose my shoes from https://www.tennisshoez.com/marking-vs-non-marking/. I read their reviews since the platform has different categories of shoes reviewed by other people. If I didn't believe before that shoes are very important, after I experienced it, I encourage everyone to invest in shoes while they're young and then to invest in procedures and pain killers while they are old.

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