I'm severely flat footed (wet footprint has no arch) and standing more than a few minutes starts to hurt my feet. Anyone else flat footed who tried a standing desk?
I am flat footed. I bought a standing mat (one that is made for a kitchen/workshop) and then got some great shoes (ones intended for nurses and doctors). I did this about 1 week into switching to a standing desk cold turkey. I switched almost 2 years ago now (22 months ago), and sometimes I may go a day sitting at home with my laptop... and I really am happy when I get back to my standing desk at my office the next day.
Proper shoes. Yes! I used to wear lead gowns in operating theaters, adding 20kgs to my existing 100kgs (I'm a smidge and 2m). My feet were absolute agony after each shift. Changing to good shoes and a theatre upgrade that made installed squishy Lino helped a lot (with a big downside - pushing 500kg x-ray gear was not that much easier than pushing it through sand would have been. I effectively plowed the floor every time I more it). Get good shoes!
My wife is a nurse and swears by Dansko shoes and clogs. In fact, go spend a couple minutes at your nearest hospital during shift change and count how many people are wearing them, you'll probably be surprised. They don't have the widest selection however...
Not sure if you can get them everywhere (and the brand name is terrible) Hush Puppies. I am very hard on shoes. I bought a new pair every three months until I found Hush Puppies and I'm now on my second pair that have each lasted over a year. Good brands or bad cheap ones, all lasted weeks or a a few months. I have never had shoes last as long as Hush Puppies before. I've always related it to my weight. I weigh quite a lot and manufacturers seem to make shoes bigger, but not stronger. I go for the shoes they describe as being made for airports, which somehow means they are good for standing (wasn't aware the DHS, border control etc let you keep your shoes on!) www.hushpuppies.com
You could try strengthening your arches by doing appropriate exercise. Running barefoot does this (I run barefoot because it feels nice, but I noticed an increase in foot strength too). Start very slowly if you go that route; no more than a few minutes of running per day at first.
I'm sure the internet has more ideas in case you're not into running.
As with any of these types of issues it'll take dedication to fix, but if you truly can't stand for more than a few minutes the benefits should more than make up for that.
I am also completely flat footed (wet footprint has no arch) and I was using a standing desk for 6 months with no issues.
I wore running shoes, stood on a thin pad (the floor is hard tile), and took sitting breaks in a bar stool about 3 times a day for 20 minutes. I also had a bar about 15 inches off the ground for me to put a foot up on (this is a must as far I'm concerned).
Basically if you are wearing shoes you can walk/run in, they should be good enough for standing.
I have flat feet and love my drafting desk/stool I use for my desktop setup. I can sit and stand as I need, the only trick is that a high draftsman's stool is a little trickier to scoot into than a chair. That said, this is my home geekery setup and not my work setup so I don't do it 8 hours straight everyday.
Have you considered getting a orthopedic insert? I'm also flat footed and had enormous problems with both my legs / knees and my back before getting them.
I'm in the same boat. Buying a cushioned mat made the difference between having to sit after a few hours and being able to comfortably stand all day long.
