Sponsored by Shraks

10 Reasons I Switched to These Slip-Resistant Shoes for 12-Hour Hospital Shifts

Twelve-hour shifts, polished vinyl floors, and a pager setting your pace. Hospital footwear is its own problem, and most of us solve it badly.

I wore running shoes for three years because they were comfortable, until a spill in a hallway taught me what they weren't. Then clogs, which grip until the tread wears flat. Then a real safety shoe that gripped and weighed a ton.

Here's what finally worked.

Heads up: read this before your next set of shifts.
Priya Nair
Ward Nurse, Boston MA

1. A slip-resistant sole for polished floors

1. A slip-resistant sole for polished floors

Polished vinyl plus a hallway spill is how people get hurt on a ward. The Moon's rubber sole is slip resistant, and that was the first box it had to tick.

2. About 15 oz a shoe

2. About 15 oz a shoe

On a twelve-hour shift you walk miles without noticing, and every ounce adds up by the end. The Moon weighs about 15 oz a shoe.

3. A cushioned insole for the last four hours

3. A cushioned insole for the last four hours

Hours eight through twelve are the ones that hurt. The insole is cushioned and removable, so you can keep it or swap in an insert you already trust.

4. A steel toe for carts and bed frames

4. A steel toe for carts and bed frames

Bed frames and equipment carts don't care about your toes. The Moon's steel toe passed ASTM F2413-24 impact and compression testing, and it's certified to EN ISO 20345:2022 S1PS as well.

5. A steel cap you stop noticing

5. A steel cap you stop noticing

I'd never worn safety shoes and figured the cap would press on my toes all shift. Another first-timer had the same worry: “Never worn work shoes before. I was wary of the hard toe caps, I thought my toes would feel the edge of the hard part on the inside. Which really isn't the case.” (Linda G.)

6. Mesh that breathes

6. Mesh that breathes

Twelve hours in a warm building. The upper is breathable mesh with a moisture-wicking lining, where my old clogs were solid rubber.

7. They look like normal sneakers

7. They look like normal sneakers

They pass in scrubs and they pass on the way home.

8. $79.99, at the door in 2 to 3 days

8. $79.99, at the door in 2 to 3 days

The Moon is $79.99 in the sale, down from $133.99. Shipping is free and US orders arrive in 2 to 3 days, so I had them before my next set of shifts.

9. 30 days to try them at work

9. 30 days to try them at work

Three sets of shifts tells you everything. You get 30 days to wear them at work, and returns are free.

10. 4.97 stars from 180 reviews

10. 4.97 stars from 180 reviews

The Moon averages 4.97 out of 5 from 180 reviews on the Shraks US store. One of them: “They fit my feet really well. No heavy feet all day! Love it” (David V.)