Working in the restaurant or bar business is no easy feat. It’s a world that has you covering lots of miles within the confines of your work environment.
Waitressing is a demanding job, to say the least, it involves moving about in circles and zigzags between tables, the kitchen, store, and anywhere you are needed all day long.
A typical shift can take a couple of hours to finish and you do all this standing on your feet.
By the end of a shift, your feet are tired. Waiters and others in their field such as hosts and hostesses, servers, bartenders, cooks should always ensure they have the best shoe option.
With this precaution taken, slips, foot fatigue, back pain, and support problems can be avoided.
Shoes that are recommended for this job role should have important features which are comfort, support, and traction.
| Great Nike shoes for waitressing | Features | Rating |
| Nike men’s air force
|
|
4.3/5 |
| NIKE Women React HYperset Shoe |
|
4.5/5 |
| NIKE Men’s tanjun Sneaker |
|
4.0/5 |
| Nike Men’s Retaliation Sneakers |
|
4.9/5 |
| Â
Nike Women Roshe One Running Shoe
|
|
4.2/5
|
| Nike men’s air Monarch Cross trainer |
|
4.1/5 |
| Nike Men’s Air Pegasus running shoes |
|
4.8/5 |
My top 7 Nike shoes for waitressing
Table of Contents
Nike men’s air force
This high-quality shoe from Nike was manufactured to create safe shoes infused with love, to offer products and services with value for money while improving safety features and technological advancement.
These air force shoes are protective to your feet, they are lightweight and have soft anti-puncture midsoles that protect your sole from puncture by sharp objects such as nails and other harmful objects.
The insoles do enough work to support your natural arch, this makes the foot evenly stressed and comfortable for use.
The unique insole adds more comfort and a better cushioning effect for your feet.
The sole is lightweight and offers a soft cushioning effect and support with its 3D nonslip and wear-resistant sole.
For better and increased comfort the arch supports Footbed adapts and mold to the shape of your feet.
The mesh fabric of the uppers is designed to keep your feet fresh and breathable all day long as you work around the bar or restaurant.
They keep you upright and also fashionable too, their lightweight nature means they are less of a burden and they are perfect after a complete day standing and working on your feet.
Enough room is guaranteed for your toes to wiggle about.
Pros
- Made leather upper
- Rubber sole
- Lightweight, super comfortable
- Total foot protection
- Breathable upper
- Great traction and wear-resistant sole
Cons
- They may run too big
- Quite pricey
NIKE Women React Hyperset Shoe
Amazing footwear with a high slip-resistant design is made efficient with an elastic cuff that is convenient for waitresses to easily take on or slip off.
One amazing feature is the durable knit upper that allows you with a good stretch while you stay up on your feet serving drinks and food, they are secured and breathable, they offer amazing comfort and significant freedom.
Their super lightweight structure offers waitresses a flexible, smooth, and breathable smooth fabric that feels like socks. These shoes offer increased freedom and a comfortable feeling.
The footwear from Nike is made from high-quality rubber that offers the best non-slip and wear-resistant, and grip.
This platform shoes are best suited for waitresses who spend long hours on their feet and walking miles in a four-walled room, they match your attire perfectly and have fit snugly all day without issues.
One feature that helps with support is the air cushion which is shockproof and offers maximum cushioning effect preventing your feet from getting hurt.
The memory foam placed in the insoles molds after the outline of your feet and making you feel like you walking on soft clouds, after a long day on your feet you will feel very relieved.
They are fantastic and perfect for your feet.
Pros
- NIKESKIN overlay on the toe increases durability
- react foam offers responsive cushioning underfoot
- the lateral strap ensures stability
- rubber sole for traction
- light and comfortable
Cons
- Limited selection
- Less arch support
NIKE Men’s tanjun Sneaker
Tanjun is a Japanese word that represents ‘’simplicity’’ and this Nike Tanjun Men shoe is all you need when it comes to streamlined modern design for an all-time trendy look.
It comes with durable leather and a synthetic overlay to suit your needs as a waitress. The rubber outsole ensures you remain stable with its anti-slip properties saving you from falling on slippery floors.
Moving around and performing your duties would be safer in these shoes. They are manufactured to be lightweight and its memory foam sock liner and midsole give you the best of comfort every time you wear them.
As a waiter, you should feel confident with this footwear from NIKE to perform your task easily while remaining cool with its built-in perforations allowing breathability, the lace-up front closure ensures they fit snugly.
The design offers a versatile style that fits with any clothing you decide to pair them with from dresses to denim.
Their design is sleek and trendy, you will be comfortable while you perform your waitress duties offering you good arch support.
One significant feature is the mesh upper; they keep you cool in all hot weather.
Pros
- Rubber sole
- Logo accent on mesh upper
- Lace-up closure for a secure fit
- Fabric lining
- Cushioned Footbed for increased comfort
- Foam injected midsoles for added cushioning
Cons
- Hard outsole
Nike Men’s Retaliation Cross
This retaliation shoe from Nike mixes the lockdown fit of Flywire cables with a unique mesh upper for significant air circulation and flexibility.
As a waitress, you need support when you are on your shift and this footwear comes with a solid rubber outsole that features a training-specific traction pattern trend design, this offers maximum grip on almost all surfaces.
The rubber outsole is highly resistant to wet floors and is designed to prevent slips and falls during your work shift.
The midsole is constructed using memory foam with a sock liner ensuring optimum comfort.
The mesh has perforations for increased breathability making it easy for you to move about, they can last longer and are designed to fulfill work in all occupations.
Pros
- Rubber sole
- The shaft measures a low-top from arch
- Mesh uppers ensure lightweight breathability
- The Flywire cables allow a locked-down fit
- A sandwich mesh tongue provides a snug fit that is comfortable
- Textile and synthetic
Cons
- Others may be comfortable than this
Nike Women Roshe one Running Shoe
Nike brand is a leader in the creation of lifestyle and footwear industry that manufactures and develops ionic footwear that appeals both to men, women, and children alike.
This design is relaxed and features a rugged leather upper with a low profile.
The toe-cap is well-formed for proper protection, rubber outsole is extremely slip-resistant which keeps you firm and steady no matter the challenges you face in your work environment.
These shoes are very safe and manufactured with premium materials, and the toe-cap is steel plated and has a bulletproof midsole.
They come in colorful designs that assure your feet are kept cool and breathable.
It’s extremely lightweight, and easy to move around with, waitressing in this pair of shoes has never been easier.
Pros
- Synthetic sole
- Lightweight and very supportive
- Easy cleaning
- Excellent traction
- Premium materials
Cons
- Lack of air circulation
- No ankle support
Nike men’s air Monarch Cross trainer
You get outstanding comfort and support from this durable leather Nike Monarch Trainer.
You are supported with a lightweight foam midsole when you wear this brand which has its full-length encapsulated Air-sole unit cushions with every step you take.
In its leather upper, there are perforations that stimulate airflow allowing you to remain cool while you work serving drinks and working all day on your feet.
The midsole is created with phylon foam, which combines with Air-sole unit Cushions for comfort and support.
Its traction is assured and optimum giving you to notch grip and support across all surfaces.
You can worry less about its weight because they are slightly lightweight. Have your shift completed in comfort with these high-end sneakers.
They have water-resistant surfaces added with slip-resistant soles to keep you upright while you shuffle in between tables.
Workplace accident is reduced drastically when you have this shoes on, reducing slip hazards, offering lightweight, water-resistant and high traction features.
Pros
- Handcrafted
- Rubber Synthetic sole
- Leather upper overlays
- Foam phylon midsole
- Full-length encapsulated Air-sole unit cushion
Cons
- Reduced support
- Quite noisy
Nike Mens Air Pegasus 35 running shoes
These shoes are as fast as they feel. Complete in the structure is a full-length zoom air unit coupled with special heelwork which provides maximum responsiveness.
The Flywire cable design is snug and fits holding onto your feet securely ensuring your speed and dexterity needed for waitresses.
They are styled great and comfortable, every pair made with the highest quality.
Athletic design is integrated into the structure keeping you afloat when you perform your duties.
These shoes use their features to enhance your daily performance whether you are at work or home.
The fiber has moisture-wicking properties keeping dampness away and foul-smelling bacteria.
The toe box area is alloy supported with enough room and flexibility to move without fatigue, and stress.
Pros
- Reflective heel design
- Rubber sole
- Fly mesh upper structure
- Cushioned midsole with sock liner
Cons
- Size problems
- Very narrow
Podiatrist advice on how to choose the best waitress shoes
A full day’s work for a waitress involves long hours standing on their feet and making about 10,000 steps every work shift.
New York-based podiatrist and founder of Gotham Footcare Dr. Miguel Cunha, advised workers who typically spend a day on their feet to choose shoes that are comfortable, well-sized, supportive, shock-absorbent, and most of all slip-resistant.
To properly identify comfortable shoes, Cunha advises that shoes should be purchased at the close of work when your feet are most swollen.
“If they feel comfortable at the end of the day most likely they will feel comfortable throughout the day,” he explained.
Ensure that the toe box has sufficient to allow your toes to roam freely.
Furthermore, watch out for shoes that have a comfortable footbed that has maximum support in the arch area with memory foam or EVA anti-compression insoles.
“An outsole made of rubber will help alleviate the impact of each step far greater than a shoe with a hard sole.” He added.
Get shoes with arch support
Waitress mostly suffers from a sore foot. This is as a result of wearing shoes that are not supportive according to Cunha;
Our feet naturally pronate i.e.0 to walk with weight pressing on the inside edge of the feet. By wearing unsupportive shoes, we pronate for extended periods of time, which changes the biomechanics and distribution of pressure and weight across.
This imbalance leads to the advancement of hidden foot deformities such as, bunions and hammertoes which results in soreness of the foot and painful conditions such as arch/heel pain, shin splits/posterior tribal tendonitis, and Achilles tendonitis.
If left unchecked, it will progress to back pain and aches.
Workers who spend long hours standing need good arch support, this enables equal distribution of body weight across the plantar( bottom) of the feet.
One simple method of confirming if your shoes have solid arch support according to Cunha is to bend them in half. If they bend then you know it’s the wrong shoes for you.
Buy non-skid shoes
“Waitresses have a high risk of falling when carrying plates and trays because they can see their footsteps. They may slip, trip, or fall over floors that have water spilled on them or food like stews or soup”, he says.
Slipping can lead to severe ankle or leg sprain, fractures among other serious injuries. Always buy slip-resistant work shoes with high traction rubber outsoles.
Find out if the shoes you are buying are also water-resistant and have solid uppers. Common objects can fall on your foot and protective footwear can minimize the risk of injury.
Shoes that have been manufactured using black leather or polyurethane uppers are both waterproof and can be cleaned easily and quickly.
Why do waitresses need slip-resistant shoes?
If your work environment poses a potential risk of falling or slipping due to a smooth or wet floor, slip-resistant shoes are the best bet for you.
Non-slip shoes have special features that make them the best choice. A lot of them are produced using graded rubber for increased traction and designed to remain firm to the surface on the floor.
Their tread usually has deep groves in them for adequately channeling water, mud, and other residues easily.
Non-slip shoes have water-resistant properties that are best for surviving in a wet environment.
How do non-slip shoes for waitressing work?
Non-slip footwear are designed using special rubber materials in their outsole area that is vital in ensuring they have a superior grip on the surface of the floor.
The grooves cut into the thread allow for proper grip to keep you steady at all times. More grooves in the tread mean more assurance in your step from slipping.
These grooves are designed in various patterns and it’s important in making shoes slip-resistant.
As you step out onto a smooth floor, the tread ensures the grip on the floor is good preventing slips from ever occurring.
Another thing is that wet or greasy surfaces become dry when it makes contact with the rubber tread.
The design of the outsole splits water or liquid, parting them sway from your feet as your shoe hits the floor’s surface. This prevents accidents and injuries from occurring.
Does Nike make slip-resistant shoes for workers?
The Nike brand is a leader in making reliable training and leisure footwear.
Nike shoes are not specifically designed for industry workers, restaurants, hospitals.
Most Nike products focus on high-quality sneakers crafted for sports enthusiasts. The traction of footwear produced by them is awesome.
These footwear guarantees proper traction and grip due to its outsole being made of quality rubber.
If you purchase a pair of Nike shoes as a waiter you rest assured they are slip-resistant enough to keep you comfortable, and stable as you shuffle about your duties.
Nike brand offers a lifestyle choice and a great user experience with their products.
We have compiled a list of the best nonslip shoes from Nike that offer proper protection and significant grip and traction.
This minimizes accident risk and falling down in your workplace environment.
Conclusion
Waitressing is done in a high demanding job role. It has you standing up and remaining on your feet for a long period.
This can put a lot of pressure on your feet, leading to various foot-related problems.
To prevent such traumas from happening, proper and adequate shoes must be worn at all times.
Shoes that offer proper protection and comfort are mandatory.
Additionally, this footwear should have high slip-resistant properties and a supportive outsole.
Nike offers shoes that have higher durable uppers and a quality slip-resistant outsole.
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