How Working Retail Makes Your Feet Hurt

warehouse employee standing in aisle and grocery store clerk scanning item

Relieve Foot Pain from Standing All Day with PowerStep®

Warehouse and retail workers are among the most common to suffer from work related foot pain. A busy holiday season with long shifts spent standing on your feet on hard department store floors can easily make your feet hurt, affecting job performance and your life outside of work.

If you want to relieve your foot pain from working retail, PowerStep orthotic insoles can prevent and reduce pain from common foot conditions caused by spending long hours on your feet. Keep reading to learn more about how to stop foot pain from standing all day with PowerStep.

Why do my feet hurt from standing?

Standing for 8 hours a day or more can take a toll on your wellbeing, including your foot health. You're likely to experience tired, aching feet as well as swelling in your feet, ankles, and legs. Often, the reason why your feet hurt from standing at work is an uneven distribution of increased pressure on your feet and lower body.

The longer you stand on your feet without breaks, the more easily you feel fatigued. You might shift your weight, putting uneven pressure on your lower back, hips, knees, and feet. This can negatively affect the alignment of your feet and lower body and put unnecessary stress on the ligaments and tendons of your foot arch and heel, a common cause of plantar fasciitis.

Standing or walking on hard surfaces like tile, linoleum, or concrete floors also puts added stress on your feet. Poor posture, being overweight, and not wearing shoes with proper arch support or shock absorbing cushioning only makes matters worse.

warehouse employee standing in aisle

Foot Pain in the Retail Industry

Foot pain is the number one ailment among American workers with 86 percent of them experiencing aching feet, according to a nationwide survey by Arris Composites. Retail workers spend almost their entire workday standing and have some of the most discomfort compared to other careers.

One common foot problem among retail employees is plantar fasciitis, an overuse injury that causes arch or heel pain. Foot pain from plantar fasciitis and working retail can be reoccurring. People often put off activities like exercising or going out with friends after work for fear of making the pain worse.

Working in retail can be bad for your health when you don’t take the right steps for proper foot care. While some workers choose to see a podiatrist about their pain, only 32 percent report wearing orthotic insoles that provide the proper support and cushion to relieve their pain.

PowerStep Insoles Stop Your Feet from Hurting at Work

If you are struggling with constant foot pain at work, adding an orthotic like PowerStep insoles for plantar fasciitis or PowerStep work insoles can significantly relieve your discomfort. In fact, 90 percent of PowerStep users report having less foot, knee, or back pain within just two weeks.

Our clinical research found PowerStep can improve the working conditions for employees in multiple industries, including retail. According to a report, PowerStep insoles:

  • Improved how long workers could stand, how far they could walk, and their ability to perform specific tasks on the job.
  • Steadily reduced overall pain levels in employees with plantar fasciitis each year.
  • Reduced chronic pain from plantar fasciitis when added to work boots or shoes regardless of the type or amount of work performed.

Orthotic insoles with arch support help evenly distribute pressure on your feet and absorb shock from walking or standing on hard surfaces. PowerStep orthotics were designed to also improve the alignment of your feet and ankles, which can also help reduce knee, hip and back pain.

man placing blue insole into black shoe

What are the best insoles for retail workers?

With PowerStep, you can get back to work and your life without foot pain getting in the way. Our best insoles for standing all day include:

  • PowerStep bridge® insoles: With a customized fit, bridge insoles are the best insole for retail workers. They provide adaptive arch support with slow-recovery memory foam and our own energize foam for increased shock absorption and a cloud-like feel.
  • PowerStep Pinnacle Work insoles: Our insoles for work boots and shoes have a firm yet flexible arch shape with dual-layer cushioning for comfort and support on the job whether you’re a warehouse worker or stock employee. They help stabilize the heel for added security, absorb shock, and teach proper alignment.
  • PowerStep Pinnacle Dress insoles: Because some retailers require workers to wear dress shoes, our dress shoe insoles for work have a supple top cover that conforms to the foot with low profile cushioning, our trust arch support, and a non-slip pad to help hold the insole in place.
  • PowerStep ComfortLast® insoles: If you’re a fan of gel insoles, ComfortLast gel shoe inserts have plush dual-layer cushioning with an added gel heel relief zone to absorb shock and soften impact while standing or walking. Plus, they still offer our contoured arch support.
  • PowerStep Pinnacle® Maxx insoles: Being on your feet for long hours can be especially painful for those with flat feet. These insoles for flat feet are designed to correct overpronation and relieve flat foot pain with firm support, comfortable cushioning, and an angled heel post to stop the heel from rolling.

woman placing blue insole in gray shoe

For severe foot pain that doesn’t go away on its own or stops you from doing the activities you enjoy, consult a podiatrist about treatment options. PowerStep is the #1 podiatrist recommended brand of insoles for preventing and relieving foot pain caused by conditions like plantar fasciitis.

Other Ways to Relieve Foot Pain from Standing

When your feet hurt from standing 8 hours a day or more, you need an effective way to relieve that pain. Along with wearing PowerStep orthotic insoles, other ways to help stop your feet from hurting in retail include:

  • Massaging your feet with your hands or a tennis ball to increase blood flow and reduce pain.
  • Using heat or cold to alleviate swelling and pain with a hot/cold therapy wrap, ice pack, or heating pad.
  • Soaking your feet in warm water with Epsom salts to minimize soreness and improve circulation.
  • Wearing compression socks that help improve circulation to reduce swelling and fatigue.
  • Elevating your feet and legs above the level of your heart to manage swelling and blood flow.
  • Stretching your feet and lower body to relieve tightness, improve flexibility and strengthen ligaments and muscles. Try these stretches for plantar fasciitis.
  • Wearing a night splint for plantar fasciitis to keep the calf muscles and arches of your feet stretched overnight.

Relieve & Prevent Foot Pain with PowerStep Orthotic Insoles

Trying to get through the holiday season, let alone any work shift feels impossible with tired, aching feet. The worse your foot pain gets, the harder it is to enjoy your life outside of work, too. Get the relief you need and put a stop to your foot pain from standing with PowerStep orthotic insoles.

References:

Schukler, A. (2023, March 29). Majority of American Workers Spend Most of the Day on Their Feet (Performance Footwear). ARRIS Composites.

Durak E (2016) The Use of the Power Step Shoe Insert to Manage Plantar Fasciitis Pain in Industrial Workers: A Seven-Year Pilot Report. J Ergonomics 6: 150. doi:10.4172/2165-7556.1000150