I’m bombarded with questions daily on what type of shoes people should be wearing.  Typically it’s a question of which running shoe they should be wearing.  I could go on and on about shoes, and if you catch me at the right time I sometimes do!  Here’s a question I recently received about what kind of shoe this person should be wearing in the office.

Hi Dr. Nick,

I’ve been looking for a minimalist zero drop running shoe that I can wear to the office. I found the Merrell trail glove 3 that seems to fit the bill except for what I find to be one flaw. It has a very high rigid arch that is very pronounced. I have a low arch and have been working to strengthen my feet. Even though there are not a lot of options that I can find for minimalist office wear, should I avoid these shoes?

Thank you!

I would probably avoid these shoes.  Why?  If the arch feels high, rigid, and pronounced, then it’s probably not the shoe for you. Or anyone for that matter!  Your foot should be able to feel the ground and function freely without a shoe “changing” the way you walk.  More than likely what would happen is the shoe will change the way you walk and stand, and ultimately cause pain.  Not the shoe, but your muscles working harder in response to how your  standing or walking.

What shoe should you choose?  That’s hard for me to answer.  What I can say is that the overwhelming majority of people can all wear the same kind of shoe.  The old paradigm of fitting shoes in response to ones arch type is just that – old and outdated.  Find a shoe that is soft, flexible and lets your foot have room to function the way it was intended.

I tend to wear a lot of different shoes to work given my involvement in the shoe industry.  For dress I gravitate toward the Vivobarefoot Lisbon dress shoes.  I’ve reviewed them here.  Love them. Flat and flexible yet with some style.

Hope this helps!