54 Comments - Hon. John Fritchey - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:13 pm: The chairs on the House and Senate floors are pretty comfortable, I highly recommend one of those. Additionally, with the closing of the Rathskeller, one’s chances of food poisoning have drastically declined. But maybe the biggest key to Statehouse safety is to never let your guard down. - Quiet Sage - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:14 pm: The marble steps in the Capitol are treacherous, especially as in many spots the marble has faded away and you walk on an angled step. Particularly terrifying to me (I have a fear of heights) is walking down the long main staircase from the second floor to the first, where there is no good bannister to hold on to. The stairs throughout the building badly need to be refurbished before a serious accident occurs. - The Captain - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:14 pm: On those days when they bus lots of people to the Capitol and it feels like you couldn’t fit any more people in the building, if you sit down to use the restroom first double check to make sure that the necessary supplies haven’t run out. Like TP. - Team Sleep - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:16 pm: Don’t slide down the banisters. - Shemp - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:16 pm: Hip flask. - Stones - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:16 pm: Admittedly I don’t spend much time in the Capitol these days and it’s news to me that the Rathskeller closed. I recall when it opened in the ’80’s sometime. Big news back then. - Streator Curmudgeon - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:17 pm: For men, soft-soled shoes like Rockports or Hush Puppies will help on concrete or marble floors. Shoes with hard rubber heels and leather soles will just kill your feet. The older you get, the more you realize comfort beats style every time. - Not it - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:17 pm: Dress shoes with lots of cushioning, preferably rubber soles for the slippery marble floor. Committee rooms when there isn’t a committee hearing is a great place for phone calls and getting work done in a quiet spot. If anyone has advice on where to keep an overcoat or bag I would love to hear that. - DuPage - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:17 pm: Calling Lieutenant Governor Slip an’ Sue. - In the Middle - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:24 pm: I’ve worn Allen Edmonds for years. Worth every penny. - Boone's is Back - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:27 pm: Are you gellin? - late to the party - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:28 pm: Definitely low heels or flats, and rotate your shoes. Wearing the same shoes every day puts stress on the same places and can really wear you down. Mixing up the heel height periodically especially seemed to help my knees when I was walking the Capitol daily. - Judgment Day - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:33 pm: For feet: Men’s Oiled Leather Wild Boar Lace Ups. (Duluth Trading Co.). Pro’s: Slip resistant. I mean SLIP RESISTANT! My feet don’t hurt on concrete, marble, anything hard. In fact, my feet don’t hurt anymore standing on hard surfaces. These shoes are tough. Con’s: Ugly as hell. They are the A-10 Warthog of shoes. Shoes are fantastic, the laces that come with them totally suck. Be ready to replace the laces in 2 weeks - or less. Get yourself some laces made out of 550 cord and you are good to go. - Amanda's Puppy - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:35 pm: Medical Marijuana - Shoes - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:36 pm: I know they are pricey but buy good shoes with extra cushion. I wear Cole Haans and they are worth the price. Walk all day there and feet can take it. - Waffle Fries - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:51 pm: Whisky - 47th Ward - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 1:57 pm: Find yourself a good pair of loafers in Springfield. Then talk them into doing your work in the capitol for you. - horse w/ no name - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:00 pm: As someone who has spent literally hundreds of hours standing in front of a chamber, buy good insoles and avoid resting weight on one leg at a time. Keep an even balance. - AC - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:07 pm: The rotunda is spectacular, but don’t look up for too long, it will make you dizzy. - Skeptic - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:07 pm: Carry a bucket. You can use it as a seat, you can use it to catch water dripping through leaks in the roof, you can use it to collect change for your song and dance routine, and if things get dire you can put it over your head to hide the shame. - PrairieFire - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:09 pm: Doc Martins. No, they are not good looking shoes, especially if you’re trying to maintain a professional appearance, but those air-soles are for real. - Moderate REpub - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:20 pm: Two words- Allen Edmonds. - Just Me - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:30 pm: On days with lots of advocates, use the security entrance on the southern side of the building and take an immediate left to use the elevator to whatever floor you want, but keep in mind it is on the Senate side so only go to the 3rd floor if you want to visit any of the other three parts. - Anonymous - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:33 pm: She’s isn’t the first, and she won’t be the last. - Joe Bidenopolous - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:34 pm: I’ll third the Allen Edmonds recommendations. And gellin’ with them doesn’t hurt either. To Boot New York works too, as does Cole Haan. ===Committee rooms when there isn’t a committee hearing is a great place for phone calls and getting work done in a quiet spot.=== Better be careful with that - if the mics are hot, they feed to staff offices and the press room - Annon3 - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:40 pm: Handrails aren’t just for old people! - Soccermom - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:46 pm: Gosh, 47th, shouldn’t be hard to find plenty of loafers in the Capitol… - Anonymous - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:56 pm: Booze. Lots of booze. - vibes - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 2:59 pm: Even the Allen Edmonds don’t stand up to a full day of marble-traipsing, esp. as the cork compresses. The newer rubber soles help a bit, but am looking forward to trying the new road warriors they’ve released — insoles can be replaced. - Been There - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:00 pm: ===The stairs throughout the building badly need to be refurbished before a serious accident occurs.=== I thought they replaced some of the worn out ones in the last remodel. I know the ones leading to the basement were redone. But I also wondered why they took out the middle handrail between the 1st & 2nd floors. - Carhartt Union Negotiating Team - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:00 pm: I watched a dude fall (almost leap) over five, maybe six steps onto the hard marble floor once. His papers, brief case, everything spewed out like confetti. Embarrassed (and surely in a great amount of pain), he jumped up on his feat and kind tap danced into a arm-raised, show-tunes-type ending. Oh man. It was shocking. But, there was no shortage of folks to help him collect his items. I also saw a woman fall down a couple of steps. She was of mid-40s age, a bit heavier than average and in a far too short skirt. As she hit the marble, the slap of her legs on the marble sounded like either slapping meat or the crack of a whip. Everyone stopped and looked. And she was in pain. What a sight. - Beenthereseenthat - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:03 pm: Yoga - Amalia - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:05 pm: low heeled, though not flat shoes, for women. power bars. - NewWestSuburbanGop'er - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:05 pm: It wasn’t a young Evelyn Sanguinetti, was it? - That Guy - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:10 pm: The paid protestors only get cash for an 8 hour day. Their busses don’t show up until noon and they have to get back on at 2 in order to be home by 5. Plan on doing your lobbying early or late. Legislators don’t come out to the rail when the crowds are packed out there anyway. - Langhorne - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:28 pm: Good shoes definitely. Decades ago i almost killed myself wearing wing tips. The leather heels were wearing down, leaving the nails more exposed. Treacherous. - Marty Funkhouser - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:34 pm: To survive May one year without becoming morbidly obese, I ate peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat everyday for lunch. I actually lost weight on that regimen. It beat eating just an apple. - A guy - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:37 pm: I’d say Rockports are the best bet for guys. Call me selfish, but I don’t want to discourage high heels. Just take the elevator. Best advice: Don’t talk to anyone in that building you didn’t go there specifically to see. lol - Sunshine - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:44 pm: Tell your buddy to get rid of the heels. They likely don’t become him anyway. - illlinifan - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:56 pm: custom orthotic inserts…..avoided for years since it seemed so OLLLLD! but now can’t walk without them - Cheryl44 - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:56 pm: That’s right Guy, it’s far more important for you to look at women as objects than it is for us to not be in constant pain. - Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 4:16 pm: Avoid Kristina Rasmussen. - Hungry - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 4:22 pm: Eat at every opportunity, even if you just ate. The next food could be many hours away. - Not quite a majority - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 4:30 pm: Keens for ladies. Sorry, no heels, but believe me, you’re tall enough already. Saves feet, hips and most important — knees! - Arthur Andersen - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 4:39 pm: Allen-Edmonds with the Vibram soles. The only way to fly. - A guy - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 4:49 pm: == Cheryl44 - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 3:56 pm: That’s right Guy, it’s far more important for you to look at women as objects than it is for us to not be in constant pain.=== Sorry Cheryl, I like how women look wearing heels. Taking that to mean I look at them as objects is quite a stretch. Feel free to wear whatever footwear you’d like. Don’t be in constant pain. If the heels made you respond like this, definitely change over to flats, or tongs, or go barefoot. Yikes. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 4:57 pm: ===Sorry Cheryl, I like how women look wearing heels. Taking that to mean I look at them as objects is quite a stretch.=== Re-read that. Have a think on that. Yikes. - MrJM - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 5:06 pm: Advice: Take a look at a calendar. Realize it’s 2015. Comport yourself accordingly. Yikes indeed. – MrJM - Enviro - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 5:30 pm: Wear flats and low heels for work days, high heels only for formal occasions. - Anonyin' - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 5:49 pm: Cole Hahn with the Air Jordon soles - Late to the party - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 5:54 pm: My spouse, inexperienced at the Capitol, fell on one of the interior stairs a few weeks ago. Not wearing heels. Just a misstep. Bruise and skinned only. I’ve worn a variety of foot wear and regardless my legs and feet get fatigued. Sitting periodically on chairs or benches on third floor helps. Go Hawks! - zatoichi - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 6:15 pm: Sandals, socks optional. - grumpy - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 6:28 pm: Anything other than leather soles. Lobbyists with thin hard soles will just need to suffer. - CEA - Friday, Apr 17, 15 @ 7:09 pm: Today, falling down the stairs. Tomorrow, thrown under the bus. Welcome to Springfield. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.