by Hope
Last night, Beauty and I drove to the outlets about an hour from us. The intention was to find me some good, supportive non-slip work shoes for my part time job at the fast food restaurant. I have two pairs that they provided for me. However, after 6 months, my back is KILLING me.
I am certainly not used to standing for hours and hours on end. Okay, it’s typically 3-6 hours several times a week. But I’ve not done that in over 3 decades. And now I dread going to work there because of the pain I know will come. (Also, the pair that is the most comfortable now smells terrible, but that’s a whole other issue I have to figure out.)
So off to Sketchers we went…
Holy Cow, the cost of Work Shoes
Now I know that Walmart has non-slip shoes. The kids all purchased their fast food job shoes there. But I had heard such good things about the comfort of Sketchers and figured that is what I need to help with my back pain – support and comfort!
When I tell you that I was shocked at the cost of those shoes. My jaw dropped.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for buying quality and willing to pay for it. But in my pretty extensive experience having watched all 5 of my kids work full time jobs over the years that required these shoes…they don’t last. They have to be replaced fairly regularly. And not a single pair was less than $65 and most were $85+.
These jobs pay little more than minimum wage and most workers are part time. For instance, I make between $100-200 every two weeks. Not a lot of money.
My Daughter Pointed It Out
As I proceeded to try some of them on, it was my daughter who pointed it out. “Mom, you are going to spend more on shoes, then you make in two weeks. And you know you will have to replace them in a few months. They get wet and smelly.” (A wise girl, I wonder where she gets that wisdom?! – I’m joking goes, don’t jump on me.)
I thought I found a pair that were $64, but then realized they were not NON-SLIP. So I left empty handed.
We tried three more stores with no luck.
Tough It Out
I’ve reconsidered and decided to tough it out for at least a while longer. I have other things I would prefer to spend that kind of money on. It was nice to get out of the house. But it doesn’t make sense to spend 1/2 of a month’s income on a pair of shoes that I will most likely need to replace by the end of the year.
Maybe some insoles with help? And I’ve got to figure out how to deal with the smell. Ugh!
Hope is a creative, solutions-focused business manager helping clients grow their business and work more efficiently by leveraging expertise in project management, digital marketing, & tech solutions. She’s recently become an empty nester as her 5 foster/adoptive kids have spread their wings. She lives with her 3 dogs in a small town in NE Georgia and prefers the mountains to the beaches any day. She struggles with the travel bug and is doing her best to help each of her kids as their finish schooling and become independent (but it’s hard!) She has run her own consulting company for almost twenty years! Hope began sharing her journey with the BAD community in the Spring of 2015 and feels like she has finally in a place to really focus on making wise financial decisions.
I think that back/foot pain is not something you should just “deal with” to save some money. I bought and continuied to use crappy shoes in my younger years to save money. And all it did was give me some lifelong issues on my feet. Now, I don’t think you need $80+ pair of shoes. Be smart about it. For shoes I usually go to stores to find 1-3 styles that fit well and I like. I take a picture and then hunt for a better deal online over the next week or so. It’s almost always 10-20% cheaper that way.
For all the crap you’ve bought that added to your credit card debt. It’s odd you’d skimp on comfortable shoes to alleviate actual physical pain.
I just don’t want to spend that much on something I know I will have to replace in just a couple of months.
I don’t think I explained myself well in this post.
Good shoes have been expensive for years and if you have money to help your daughter in college, you have money for a comfortable pair of shoes. I like Ecco myself but many people swear by Hoka. Yes, they’re around $125-$150 but the comfort you experience will make up for the cost and they will last a long time.
My walking shoes are Hoka’s and Asics, they last me at least a year by switching shoes every other day for my 3-8 mile daily walks.
I don’t mind paying for quality, but not when I have to replace them in just a couple of months. That is my issue with this.
And they must be non-slip due to nature of the work.
I am a bit alarmed at how little this job pays. I know you love the work but if it causes you pain and pays so little, I wonder if there is something else out there for you to do to bring in extra money.
Yes, $13 per hour is not very much. But I do truly love it, the people I work with, the environment and culture, and most especially is that it forces me out of the house at least 1-2 a week as I am definitely becoming more and more of a recluse.
Not to mention, I get to set my own hours for the most part which is pretty hard to come by with brick and mortar jobs, I’ve found.
Insoles could help, but buying a pair online could also help, and there are a lot between 35-50 dollars. As for the smell, baking soda can help, but you also have to make sure the shoes dry fully and well or they will smell no matter what.
I’m honestly surprised you got shoes provided to start with, seeing as most jobs you’d have to buy that on your own.
I don’t know if all restaurants provide their employees shoes, but this one does provide the first pair.
Insoles might be worth a shot, another thought is to look on youtube for free back pain exercise type videos. Without knowing the specifics of your problems of course a lot of back pain can be helped with core strengthening and stretching, so maybe gentle pilates or yoga are worth a shot (and nothing to buy!)
Now this, is definitely some good advice. And actually something I am trying to add into my daily walking routine.
Not to be rude. but how many hours could you be spending on your feet if you make $100 a week?
I understand this, and compared to those that work these jobs full time, not a lot. But way, way more than I’m used to having worked office jobs for going on 3 decades.
I think this is what leaves us readers frustrated. You need high end quality shoes for the job that helps keep your bills paid – but you cannot afford them right now – meanwhile, you’re extended extra $ to Princess for a whole year of rent. You have to prioritize yourself somehow in healthy ways!
Who said I can’t afford them?
My concern was the cost for something that would cost about 1/6 of what I make from this job before they would need to be replaced.
I am all about buying quality, but the math just doesn’t math to me for this expense.
I spend $100ish on my walking shoes since I do 3-8 miles daily. But those shoes last over a year.
It doesn’t make sense to me to spend almost that much for a job that is part time, and would need to be replaced within a couple of months.
Sorry! I hope you find a solution then that works for you because it’s seemingly impacting your health which sucks.
You should be seeing a podiatrist regularly for diabetic foot exams. Good fitting, supportive shoes are extra important for diabetics as you are higher risk for certain conditions. Please speak with your doctor who treats your diabetes for recommendations.
I always wear sneaker with cotton socks. This prevents smells. Even if it’s 100 degrees, I never forgo socks.
Me, too, when I can wear sneakers.
But these shoes are more dressy so no socks. I’ve even tried the no-shoe socks, but they show.
If you really can’t wear socks, and assuming you aren’t getting a therapeutic insole, there are odor eaters type disposable insoles you can swap out when you need to. But I’m confused, you said sports shoes aren’t allowed but Skechers are?
Skechers has a “work” line for restaurant workers.
But I agree in theory…just know that the dress code says “no athletic shoes”.
The ones I wear are more like loafers due to my “elevated business casual” dress.