Crocs & Medical Professionals

Just what the doctor ordered! Crocs are the undisputed ward-stomping champions, with more medical and hospital professionals choosing Crocs than any other commercially available shoe. Why? Well there are several reasons, and this section has been written to explain a few of them. We'd like all you doctors, nurses, porters and surgeons out there to know exactly how Crocs can benefit you, because we want to help you, so you can carry on helping us. It's all about give and take, you see…

Ward Stompers

We encourage you to read all this information closely, but if you're in a rush - and being a medical professional, you probably are - here are the ten main reasons why Crocs can benefit you during your shift. These reasons are all broken down and explored more thoroughly in the 'Clean & Safe', 'Orthotic' and 'Surgical' guides, so this is just an overview.

• Ergonomically Designed - Crocs are ergonomically certified, proven to reduce fatigue on the wearer's feet. They do this by absorbing the load and spreading it out, distributing pressure evenly. The average amount of pressure you can expect on the sole of a normal shoe is 51N/cm² - enough to make your feet very tired after a couple of hours. The highest amount of pressure applied by Crocs is just 22N/cm² - less than half the amount of a normal shoe, which means you can be comfortably on your feet for twice the amount of time.
• Shock Absorbing - The firm, springy character of the foam minimises the load on your feet. Comparing them to a car or a bike, Crocs act like the cushion at the bottom of a suspension cylinder which prevents 'bottoming out' - the suspension never jars even over sudden large bumps because there's a cushion in the bottom of the suspension cylinder to prevent it. In the same way, Crocs prevent your legs from jarring, and they soften the impact on your calves, knees, thighs, hips and lower back. You'll feel the difference from the first day you try them.
• Fungus Resistant - the closed cell resin from which your Crocs are made prevent nasty things like trichopython mentagrophytes - athlete's foot - from getting in and breeding. Moisture is kept out too, so bacteria and infections are controlled.
• Anatomically designed - the heel in Crocs is designed to offer support and prevent rotation of your foot. This'll prevent heel spurs (plantar fasciitis). The medial arch is also held steadily in place - it's like walking in your own soft footprints. Handy when you're walking an average of five miles per shift.
• Wide & Stable - the width of Crocs is their biggest asset. Just as camels have developed wide foot pads to spread their weight wider across the sand, so Crocs spread your foot print widely across the floor of the wide. This makes you highly stable and planted; a really useful advantage when you're top-heavy from carrying and lifting things.
• Ventilation - the ventilation holes in Crocs allow air to circulate. This will keep your feet cool at room temperature, which will reduce sweating and keep you feeling clean and fresh throughout your shift. Check with your own uniform policy before buying though; some hospitals and surgeries don't necessarily allow shoes with holes in the top. If not, we have plenty of professional styles which don't have the vents, and are just as comfy.
• Roomy - there's enough room in the front of the Crocs to swing a tiny invisible cat, which means that there's no chance of pinches on your skin. So blisters and bunions are a thing of the distant, pre-Croc past.
• Circulation - the nubs on the footbed massage the soles of your feet as you walk and promote the strong, healthy circulation of blood in your lower legs. Your muscles and bones will ache noticeably less, and injuries like sprains and twists are reduced.
• ASTM F1677 Slip Resistance - ASTM F1677 is a series of official tests to confirm whether products are safe to use in wet and dry conditions. Crocs are fully certified safe in the wet and in the dry, totally conforming the international slip resistance standards.
• Cleanliness & Maintenance - Crocs are effortless to clean and maintain. Simple warm water and soap will keep them clean, but you can also bleach them and sterilise them. They're tougher than they look.

So these are the main reasons why you'll benefit from wearing Crocs on the wards. All of the people you work with have probably recommended them to you, and as soon as you try them you'll find yourself recommending them to others too. You can't help it; it's like some glorious cycle of addiction, in which you can't help yourself from championing the benefits of Crocs to anyone in the hospital who isn't wearing them yet.

For further reinforcement of how Crocs can help you get through long, draining shifts, check out the 'Clean & Safe', 'Orthotic' and 'Surgical' guides at the top of this page. Then all you have to do is face the tricky choice of styles and colours!