Footwear for uniforms should rank equal in importance with the care you take selecting uniforms for your employees. Uniform footwear not only contributes to the overall uniform look, uniform shoes provide comfort and safety to employees who wear them up to 12 hours a day.

If your employees work in medical occupations, construction, auto service or repair, restaurants, maid service or in jobs where they stand for hours at a time, you must ensure they have the appropriate footwear. When ordering work shoes:

1. Decide whether all your employees will wear the same style work shoes or whether you'll just give them certain options.

2. Know the shoes sizes you want before you start looking, so you can check for availability as you browse.

3. Verify the return policy for websites when you order uniform footwear online.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Ask for on-site uniform footwear fitting before you order online

Because sizes vary slightly from brand to brand, check online or in your local phone book for a mobile on-site shoe sizing service before you order shoes online. Some companies service a very small territory, while others cover several states. If there's not a company providing this service in your area, contact your uniform supplier for assistance in providing work shoes for your employees.

I recommend: If you live in GA, northern FL, eastern AL or SC, contact BootWorksUSA. Touch base with Lehigh Valley Safety Shoes if your company is in eastern PA, NJ, Orange and Rockland Counties in NY, DE, MD or VA. Call Shoes For Crews if you work in the Las Vegas or Orlando, FL area. Michigan Industrial Shoe will send their mobile unit to your door if you're located in MI, northern OH or northern IN.

Provide your employees with comfortable medical uniform shoes

If you need medical shoes, you'll find many selections on websites that sell both medical uniforms and footwear. These websites provide a convenient way to buy a medical uniform and shoes from a single vendor.

I recommend: Check out the latest styles in medical uniform shoes at AllHeart, where you'll find discount prices on their medical uniforms and footwear. Since clogs are hugely popular within the medical industry these days, consider the unisex medical clogs at Uniform Advantage or the Roxie medical shoes at Angels Uniform. If you prefer the stability of an athletic shoe, visit Life Uniform and view their selection of athletic-style shoes.

Purchase safety boots and safety shoes online for your employees

If your employees work around heavy equipment, chemicals or extremely hot liquids, ensure they wear the proper safety shoes that comply with OSHA guidelines.

I recommend: Take a look at the selection of Bates work boots for men at Saf-Gard, if you work in construction or a manufacturing environment. You can find work shoes for ladies at Working Person's Store. If you prefer steel-toed safety shoes to steel-toed boots, buy the ladies slip-on Hush Puppies at Vulcan Safety Shoes or the men's steel-toed athletic shoes at Lehigh Valley Safety Shoes.

Buy uniform footwear for employees that need slip protection

When buying footwear for uniforms, make sure you find slip-resistant shoes if your employees work in a wet environment or in and environment prone to spills.

I recommend: The next time you need a comfortable, casual black shoe to go with your uniforms, consider the men's Mason-Doxon slip-on at Skechers or the women's work shoes at Boot Barn. If a white shoe better suits your needs, look at the slip-resistant SFC Froggz at Shoes For Crews or the Euroclog for women at Server Station.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You can find many great price deals on uniform shoes, but make your first priority shoe quality. With employees standing and walking all day long, they'll wear their shoes out very quickly if the quality is inferior.