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Nov 06, 2024

Most Comfortable Work Shoes 2024 - Forbes Vetted

Work shoes should look polished and sleek without causing foot pain. The most comfortable work shoes feature plush cushioning, flexible and breathable materials and support for long days on your feet.

Work shoes should look polished and sleek without causing foot pain. The most comfortable work shoes feature plush cushioning, flexible and breathable materials and support for long days on your feet. Ideally, they should also have grippy, springy soles for commuting—and be good-looking, too.

You shouldn't have to struggle with foot pain on days at the office. The most comfortable work shoes ... [+] for men and women are supportive, springy and stylish.

While work shoes may look a bit different depending on your industry, the secret lies in the subtle details. For example, we love the Cole Haan OriginalGrand 2.0 Oxford for its functional cushioning system, Birdies’ The Starling for its memory foam insole and padding, and Peter Millar’s Drift V2 Sneaker for its lightweight breathability. Read on for all our favorite sensible-yet-stylish pairs for men and women that will make your workday that much better.

Cole Haan

Sizes: 7 to 13 | Colors: 5 total, including Magnet and Light Whiskey | Upper material: Nubuck | Sole material: Rubber

Cole Haan is an expert at creating practical, wear-all-day shoes with a refined look. This sporty pick uses specialized springy sole material—the brand’s Skyweave Cushioning System—that mimics walking on air. The footbed has enhanced arch support, which can help prevent back and joint pain if you’ll be on your feet a lot. This style has functional broguing, too—the perforations provide extra breathability so your feet won’t sweat.

Rothy's

Sizes: 5 to 13 | Colors: 6 total, including Navy Herringbone and Sandstone | Upper material: Thread woven from recycled plastic bottles | Sole material: Rubber

Rothy’s has been creating comfortable, sustainable footwear since 2012, and now this 1.25-inch heel—their first—offers just enough lift to dress up this pair without causing foot or back pain. It features the brand’s proprietary Love Insole with extra cushioning throughout the footbed. Its engineered to have a roomier forefoot, so your toes won’t feel crammed in the toe box, and the added elastic in the fabric flexes with your feet to allow for foot swelling throughout the day. And while it may seem weird to wash your work shoes, if your pair gets scuffed or stinky, you can throw them in the washing machine for a refresh.

Johnston & Murphy

Sizes: 8 to 14 | Colors: 6 total, including Dark Taupe Oiled Nubuck and Black | Upper material: Nubuck or full grain leather | Sole material: Trufoam

This pair is full of thoughtful functional details: It has a contoured memory foam footbed (that can be removed if you want to use your own orthotics) and a flexible foam sole, which gives these an airy, bouncy feel. There’s also an antimicrobial mesh lining that prevent these shoes from getting smelly with lots of wear. Reviewers rave about the quality and affordability, with many purchasers being repeat buyers from the brand.

Vivaia

Sizes: 5 to 13 | Colors: 45 colors and patterns, including Almond and Navy | Upper material: Knit made from plastic bottles | Sole material: Rubber

Vivaia’s flat combines a great shape with smart design for next level comfort. This pair’s square toe is both chic and gives toes extra space, and a cushioned insole provides added arch support. This style is antimicrobial, breathable and machine washable, so not only will they prevent feet from overheating, a quick wash keeps this pair looking like-new. Even better, these flats come in seemingly endless colors so you can find pretty much anything you’re looking for.

Birdies

Sizes: 5 to 12 | Colors: 27 total, including Black and Leopard Print | Upper material: Suede, leather and woven styles | Sole material: Rubber

This shoe has been a customer favorite for nearly a decade, and the latest iteration features a more refined almond shaped toe that looks more modern but still gives toes breathing room. The luxuriously padded pair—it has seven layers of cushion in the footbed—has a satin-like lining that is incredibly soft on the soles of your feet so it feels like you’re putting on cozy indoor/outdoor slippers. The non-slip sole is grippy and flexible for all surfaces, too. Also great: These shoes are comfortable right out of the box and truly require no break-in time.

Marion Parke

Sizes: 35 to 42 | Colors: 6 total, including Black and Koala | Upper material: Leather or suede | Sole material: Leather

Marion Parke was founded by a foot and ankle surgeon, so you know this pair is constructed with foot comfort and health in mind. The shoe’s specialized technology adapts to your foot shape over time and it also centers your heel within the heel of the shoe, which increases stability while you’re standing and walking. As an added bonus, this pick reduces pressure on the ball of the foot and the block heel provides a stable base. All this means that you can look good at work without having to ice your feet when you get home. To note: Some say this pair runs slightly large.

Peter Millar

Sizes: 8 to 15 | Colors: 3 total, including Navy and Gale Grey | Upper material: 90% polyester, 10% nylon | Sole material: Rubber

These shoes are the perfect mix of understated stylishness and lightweight comfort. Overall, these have a plush feel: The tongue is padded, there’s a performance mesh sock liner that allows these to be worn with socks or without, and the lightweight outsole and foam insole offer support without added weight and bulk, making these a great shoe for work travel too. The Drift V2 sneaker comes with traditional laces or T-lock laces so you can make these a slip-on style if you prefer.

Cole Haan

Sizes: 5 to 11 | Colors: 9 total, including Black/Optic White and White/Dove | Upper material: Leather | Sole material: Rubber

Admittedly, there are other sneaker styles with this sleek, office-ready look, but they’re made without the same comfort-driven design. This pair has a soft and flexible leather upper, an extra cushioned foam footbed, heel padding that cradles your foot and they’re intentionally constructed with lightweight-yet-responsive EVA foam that will keep your stride springy and won’t weigh you down.

Amberjack

Sizes: 7 to 15 | Colors: 11 total, including Chestnut and Slate | Upper material: Leather or suede | Sole material: TPU outsole

While some loafers can be rigid, these have a sneaker-like feel due to their flexibility and cushioning. This pair has heat-activated arch support, which means that the midsole will mold to your feet with wear, and a sheepskin lining so they’re soft even without socks. The durable sole also provides stability and the suede pairs are even water-resistant.

Vionic

Sizes: 5 to 13 | Colors: 18 total, including Camel Leather and Dark Blue Suede | Upper material: Leather or suede | Sole material: Rubber

Vionic shoes are designed with your biomechanics and foot health in mind. The thoughtful technology on this shoe provides arch-hugging support, greater stability due to a deeper heel cup, shock absorptive cushioning and the flexible outsole enhances both comfort and movement. These shoes also feature an unlined, deconstructed upper that can be squished down so that they pack well for travel.

Allen Edmonds

Sizes: 5 to 16 | Colors: 9 total, including Coffee Brown and Mahogany | Upper material: Calfskin leather | Sole material: Leather

A customer favorite since 1982, this classic pair looks great paired with crisp suits and slacks. Cork insoles mold to the shape of your foot and provide cushion when standing or commuting, and the lacing system can also be adjusted to accommodate for foot swelling throughout the day. Reviewers also say the leather breaks in nicely, so you don’t have an overly stiff shoe that gives you blisters.

Huckberry

Sizes: 7 to 15 | Colors: 5 total, including Stone and Tan | Upper material: Leather or suede | Sole material: Rubber crepe

Luxury Italian shoemaker Astorflex has been making shoes since 1820, so it’s clear they’re doing a lot of things right. This is a great work boot that also transitions to weekends. Cut from leather that’s soft but sturdy, these develop a rich patina with time. They have an ergonomic footbed, the stretchy gores make them an easy-on, easy-off shoe, and most colors come with a springy crepe outsole that absorbs impact.

Wolf & Shepherd

Sizes: 6 to 15 | Colors: 5 total, including Navy and Black | Upper material: Knit mesh (although the Crossover comes in leather) | Sole material: Rubber

Knit upper shoes are almost always comfortable, but some can skew too casual for work. This pair is sleek and refined, with leather detailing, clean lines and they come in work-appropriate colors. It has a cushioned EVA midsole and removable memory foam footbed so feet and joints won’t get fatigued, and the thermal rubber outsole provides grip and stability.

Kizik

Sizes: 5 to 13 | Colors: 10 total, including Black and Grey | Upper material: Knit mesh | Sole material: Rubber

If you spend lots of time on your feet—whether you’re with patients, walking to meetings or spending time at a job site—you want something that looks polished but feels like a walking shoe. This style has a bouncy Rabbit Foam outsole, generous ankle padding, breathable knit upper and a roomy toe box that allows toes to splay comfortably. The insoles are removable and washable, too.

At Forbes Vetted, our fashion editors invest a lot of time researching, testing and reporting on men’s and women’s footwear, and comfort is pretty much always a priority. That, of course, and style. When it comes to men’s shoes, we’ve written about everything from the best casual shoes for men to the best loafers for men. With regard to women’s shoes, we have covered topics such as the best Chelsea boots for women and best work flats.

When selecting the most comfortable shoes for the office, we started with a broad selection of styles for men and women that we narrowed down based on specific criteria.

It sounds obvious, but in general, the more support and padding, the more comfortable the shoe. Look for styles with a cushy midsole and support at the arch—like Vionic’s Uptown Loafer (women’s) or Amberjack’s The Loafer (men’s)—to prevent your ankles from collapsing inward. For the most part, work shoes that have a slight lift at the heel will tend to be most comfortable— flat shoes can be tough on your back and don’t provide a lot of shock absorption when your heel strikes the ground.

Leather has a refined look, like on Allen Edmonds’ Park Avenue Cap Toe Oxford Dress Shoe (men’s), but rubber soles will always win for comfort because they provide extra spring and added traction on a variety of surfaces, from slick tile to pavement.

Leather and suede almost always look elevated for the office dressing. Go for soft, supple leathers that will stretch slightly to accommodate feet but won’t be too slouchy. Mesh and knit uppers—like those on the Kizik Lima (women’s), Peter Millar Drift V2 Sneaker (men’s) and Wolf & Shepherd SwiftKnit Derby (men’s)—are incredibly breathable, which can be particularly helpful if your feet sweat. Plus, in many cases they are washable. The only issue with these mesh and knit, though, is that they don’t tend to last as long as leather.