The Best Durable Shoes, According To Zookeepers Who Work In Mud All Day

If you’re looking for shoes to wear in inclement weather or muddy conditions, who better to ask than a group of people who navigate these types of environments every day? According to zookeepers at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, Pennsylvania, the ideal work shoe is something long-lasting, durable, comfortable and inexpensive — a combination that can be nearly impossible to find.

“We usually spend $100-plus on shoes at least twice a year, if we don’t employ duct tape and shoe glue,” Kate Olsen , the zoo’s assistant curator of behavioral husbandry and conservation, told HuffPost.

Olsen said that every zookeeper has their own favorite styles and brands of shoes, noting that what works for some doesn’t work for others. Yet, she said a common goal among staff members is to find comfortable kicks that last for longer than six months of consistent rugged wear, and anything that will keep their toes dry on long days in the elements.

“‘Waterproof’ and ‘water-resistant’ are very different things,” Olsen said, joking that even some supposedly waterproof shoes don’t keep your feet completely dry.

Theresa Wilson, the director of ZooAmerica in Hershey, Pennsylvania, explained that shoe height can be another determining factor for staffers.

“Some like full boots and some like low hikers,” Wilson told HuffPost. “Preference is dependent on individuals and their comfort level.”

Though Wilson didn’t endorse particular brands or styles, she noted that a solid zoo shoe should be something that has traction, that can get wet and that you won’t hate to walk in for eight hours a day.

To help you treat your feet in wet, muddy or just general outdoor conditions, Olsen and others broke down zookeepers’ favorite shoes to wear to work.

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