In a viral TikTok video, a foot doctor warns that, in general, people should not wear Nike shoes every day unless they want to end up with foot problems.
The video was posted by @ohiofootdocs, formally known as Erie Foot and Ankle Center, a podiatrist office in Ohio that offers surgical and nonsurgical treatment. Their doctors describe themselves as the “#1 Croc haters” in the account’s bio.
In the viral clip, one of their doctors films their mocked look of surprise when a patient comes in complaining about foot problems, “but they wear Nikes everyday.”
Fergie’s hit song “Clumsy” is playing over the video, and the doctor mouths along to each “oh” lyric in the clip.
“Don’t get us started….” the doctor captioned the video.
The video has more than 2.5 million views and over 3,500 comments.
@ohiofootdocs don’t get us started…. #nikes #podiatry #footdoctor #shoes #shoerecs #doctorhumor #footpain #ankleinjury #footinjury #anklesurgery #doctorsoftiktok #nike ♬ Clumsy – Fergie
“Or they come in with old navy flip flops,” a person commented, and the podiatrist agreed.
“We strongly feel that we need to educate the public on good shoe gear,” Annie Quisno, the center’s social media manager, said in an email. “… Generally their shoes are made to follow fashion trends, not to provide proper support for long hours of wear.”
In a video previously uploaded on their page, another doctor explains why Nike is not one of their go-to brands. The doctor says that Nikes are constructed too narrowly for the general population’s feet. The doctor holds up a Nike sole next to a HOKA sole, and the latter shoe is clearly wider, despite being the same size as the Nike.
The doctor specifically points out how much wider the shoe is in the toebox versus the Nike shoe.
“We see all kinds of pain in the forefoot, specifically from patients wearing Nike tennis shoes,” the doctor says.
She goes on to add that for the price point, Nikes are “pretty expensive.”
“We just think you could use a more quality shoe that better fits your foot,” the doctor said. “Is it possible that there is a good Nike shoe? Absolutely. But as a generalization, they are not our favorite.”
The doctor also agreed with a commenter who said the brand spends more money on “paying celebrities then they do on their products.”
Commenters under the original video recommended their favorite brand alternatives. Popular mentions included Brooks, ASICS, Sketchers, and New Balance.
“I’m a nurse and ASICS are the only ones that keep my feet comfy through a 13-14 hr shift,” one person said.
“I wear Nikes for style not for substance,” another wrote.
Others flashed back to the not-so-foot-friendly shoe choices they made when they were younger.
“I don’t even wanna talk about the Vans in middle school to high school,” a commenter said.
“Wearing those ballet flats in the 2000s did it for me,” another shared.
Quisno added, “People can be very defensive of the shoes they love and take our opinions on shoe gear very personally. Our comment section ranges from people wholeheartedly agreeing, to absolute outrage.”
She said that when it comes down to it, people can wear whatever shoes they want to. “We are simply here to provide information and resources… what they do with that information is up to them!”
The Daily Dot reached out to Nike for comment via email.
Update 8:07am CT May 18: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Annie Quisno was a podiatrist at Erie Foot and Ankle Center, while Quisno is the company’s social media manager. The article has been updated to correct this.
