As a Professional Organizer, you will be on your feet A LOT.
And by a lot, I mean 8+ hours a day.
And while that pace won’t likely be each and every day, once you get your professional organizer business established, you’ll be on your feet more often than not.
So it’s important that you treat your feet well.
And keep them in good shape so you’ll already be ready for the next job.
But why invest in footwear?
Great Shoes Help Avoid Injury
It’s vitally important that you have great shoes to wear.
Good shoes aren’t enough.
I know from direct experience that you need to be wearing great shoes and not just any old footwear.
Developing a repetitive strain injury like plantar fasciitis, is literally the last thing you need to have happen.
Trust me.
Plantar fasciitis happened to me and wearing good, but not great shoes has easily been the biggest mistake I’ve made in my business.
How Plantar Fasciitis Nearly Ruined My Business
A few years ago, I got this huge job, moving in a professional athlete and his family into their 12,000 square foot home.
You did read that right.
It was a gorgeous home.
Actually more of a mansion.
It was a huge building and I logged 13,000 steps a day for 6 days straight.
And I didn’t have on great shoes.
I thought my shoes were ok.
I’m just tired because it was a lot of steps.
By the end of the week, my feet were screaming, but I had to finish the job.
When I got home that last day, I collapsed onto the couch and every step I took for the next few days was excruciatingly painful.
I was happy I didn’t have other clients scheduled, because I wouldn’t have been able to work.
In fact, dealing with this in jury has slowed me down and has cost me time with clients.
I’m lucky that my injury wasn’t bad enough to warrant surgery.
That would’ve really killed my professional organizing business!
So what should I have been wearing instead?
Let me share a few great options with you!
The Best Sneakers for Professional Organizers
The Brooks Ghost line of sneakers was recommended by my podiatrist.
I like them because they’re light weight, but super supportive.
I can immediately tell the difference in how supported my feet feel in these shoes compared to other shoes I own.
Another line of shoes that gets good marks for support and comfort is Hoka One One.
These sneakers come in a variety of colors, if this eye catching turquoise color isn’t your thing!
These Dansko Honor shoes are sneaker like, but also have some non-sneaker aesthetics as well.
The no tie feature is nice, too.
Love the color of these Dansko Charlie Sneakers!
I also love the perforated shell- seems like they would provide good foot ventilation!
They also come in a lovely sage green color.
Aetrex sneakers are fashionable and come with the support you’ll need to sustain you through long days on your feet.
This cherry red is shrinking, but the sneakers do come in a wide variety of colors!
Non Sneaker Alternatives for Professional Organizers
Sneakers are not for everyone, so here are some non-sneaker shoes that will support your feet well!
Looking for a slip on option? These Dansko clogs provide the convenience of a slip on with the support that you’ll need for long days.
Dansko offers a crazy amount of colors and prints for this shoe because it is so popular for people in the know about great shoes!
These Dansko Hazel flats are a nice hybrid between a sneaker and non-sneaker.
Ziera shoes are more expensive than the other shoes featured here, but are a sound investment.
They comes with built in orthotics that are removable, and come in different widths to fully accommodate feet of all shapes and sizes.
One last option is these Vionic Kea shoes.
They are on the sneaker’s side of styling, but the slip on feature gives them a more dressy appearance.
This specific line comes in many colors with solid or patterned options.
Really treat your feet
One more way to guard against foot injury is to upgrade your shoe insole.
They’re easy to swap out for an insert with more support.
Like the Pedag Viva hock absorbing orthotic inserts pictured above.
I have a few pairs of these exact inserts so that I don’t have to swap them out each time I want to wear a different pair of shoes.
The shoe inserts add more cushioning and support for your feet to guard against overuse injury.
You can use them with shoes you already own to add a little foot protection.
They’ll keep your feet ready to go and not tired or sore.
Summing it all up…
In short, you need good shoes to be successful as a Professional Organizer.
But let’s be real about the true costs involved.
Great shoes will cost you what you’ll make from an hour or two of client work, making the shoes a good investment in your business.
So don’t let the cost of this relatively small investment stand in the way of protecting your feet!
Over to you
How much time do you spend on your feet each day?
And what do you do to treat tired feet?
Share in the comments!
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