No and no, but that's pure conjecture since I've never tried a mat. At work my office has the standard thin commercial carpeting over concrete, which makes for

No and no, but that's pure conjecture since I've never tried a mat. At work my office has the standard thin commercial carpeting over concrete, which makes for a surface almost as hard as bare concrete. I'm usually in my shoes at work, but I do sometimes kick them off. I have a standing desk at home as well, where I work almost half my days. I stand barefoot (in my socks mostly) on a thick padded carpet. To keep the carpet clean I have a small area rug over it. Very cushy. So I've noticed that I'm just as comfortable at work as I am at home. Particularly, the standing surfaces seem to make no difference to the aches in my feet and knee. I've actually never understood how anti-fatigue mats are supposed to work if you're wearing shoes.