Work Shoes Should Be Comfortable...

...Employer requirements that their workers wear steel toe or composite shoes creates a very serious ordeal in many instances when wearing them is literally painstaking. During my former employment at FedEx Express, I and other employees were each distributed a pair of composite shoes. 

The shoes that I received hurt my feet so badly that I could hardly walk; that combined with the laboriousness of the job made the typical work day (night for us) nearly unbearable; other employees had the same experience. We were required to wear the shoes, however, and we did... 

 A variety of shoes were disbursed, and I noticed that most employees who were complaining of feet pain were wearing the same brand and kind of shoe, a brand that I do not recall at present. When initially trying the shoes on they seemed to be comfortable. Though female employees were distributed male shoes, they were the accurate male equivalent of the female size of the shoes. Walking in them after a while became torture. 

My son had the same experience at Amazon (one of his former employers) with a pair of Rocky waterproof protective toe composite shoes. This could have been the same brand of uncomfortable shoes that I was initially distributed at FedEx. I'm not definitively certain, however). My son told of how as soon as his feet healed on his off days, it would be time to return to work. It was horrible...

My son's Amazon Rocky composite shoes

After eventually wearing out the initial uncomfortable shoes that I received at FedEx, I was gifted a pair of composite Reebok shoes. They were very comfortable. After wearing out that pair, I'd receive another pair of composite Reeboks in my ladies size 10 at my request. They were equally comfortable. Floursheim specializes in comfortable men's shoes and in [comfortable] work shoes for men and women...

...Companies should better welcome employees to return/exchange shoes that hurt their feet and take note of which shoes they receive complaints about for the purpose of either discontinuing use of those particular shoes (until makers make necessary adjustments to make them comfortable) and/or replacing them with shoes that already are... 

No employees should have to wear uncomfortable shoes to work. Causing in certain instances irreparable damage to one's feet while working an especially arduous job is no fun. Ensuring the comfort of employees' shoes is as much an issue of safety as provision of protective shoes. It empowers workers and ultimately improves company productivity.