When you’re going for that first job interview, your parents (should) look at you and say, “You’re not wearing those shoes, are you? People will look at your shoes and judge you.”
While I mostly agree with that sentiment, staffing a booth at a trade show is not the time to try to break in new dress shoes. It’s more important to be able to stay on your feet with a smile on your face than it is to be seen wearing wingtips or whatever. (The exception, of course, is if you’re attending a footwear convention.)
I have a pair of broken-in black leather sneakers, stuffed with off-the-shelf gel inserts, that I wear when going to a trade show as either a staffer or just as an attendee. They can keep me going for at least 8 hours, which is really saying something. My podiatrist and friend Mark Post will tell you what horrible feet I have! Many of the bones have been broken, my Achilles tendons are shot, and my right ankle is in the early stages of arthritis.
Of course, as a business person Dr Post would love to sell me a set of custom orthotics, but as my friend he’s happy that an inexpensive pair of gel insoles works fine.
So when you’re standing in your booth space (not behind the table, I hope!) and people look askance at your shoes, smile – which shouldn’t be too hard – and thank them for noticing your comfortable footwear.