# Chef's footwear issues



## seymourpowell (Feb 20, 2013)

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone can help me?

I work for a design and innovation company called Seymour Powell . We are currently designing a new pair of Professional Chef's shoes for a global footwear brand. I am undertaking some research and was wondering if anyone could help me understand the issues around long term foot injuries I have been reading people are suffering with.

Can any of you give me an indication of how many chef's have long term foot problems such as Hallux Rigidus (chef's foot), Plantar Fasciitis (heel spurs) or finally cracked feet. If anyone does suffer from any of these if you could tell me how you think you have acquired these problems? How you have prevented or treated them?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Sarah.


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

I used have chef's foot and they were mainly caused by a brand of shoe called Shoes for Crews. They are the only shoes that have caused me extreme arthritic pain. I stopped using them and now my feet don't hurt that much anymore. They were the worst shoes I ever wore. I had co-workers complain about the same problems. Now I just wear super comfortable running shoes..until I can afford a good pair of clogs.

I suffered a plantar problem, but not from the kitchen, from jogging.


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## seymourpowell (Feb 20, 2013)

Sorry if this is a stupid question but what are the benefits of clog's vs shoes?

Thanks for replying.


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

I prefer clogs for fashion reasons. They are more my personality. I think closed shoes are best though because they don't smack around like flip flops. Shoes for crews did that. I used to drag my feet with them a lot.


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## kingofkings (May 1, 2012)

IMO there are pros and cons of clogs vs shoes.

Shoes are heavier, can have steel toe caps easier, stay on better, perhaps they could last longer.

Clogs are lighter. They can come off much easier if you manage to spill something in your shoe. They can have vents added in to them to get some air to your feet, or if not they are probably going to be more waterproof than shoes.

I wear bistro crocs. They are comfortable and I feel little to no pain in my feet.


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## chicagoterry (Apr 3, 2012)

I'm not a chef, but when I had a case of plantar fascitis several years ago a rheumatologist I was seeing told me to get a pair of clogs and wear them all the time. She was a former dancer and she said that wearing clogs had cured her of a case of plantar fascitis. She said it was because the rigidity of the foot bed of the clogs limited how the injured foot flexed in a way which gently stretched the tissues beneficially and gave the inflamed plantar fascia (a band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot)  a chance to heal.

BTW--heel spurs and plantar fascitis are two different conditions. Heel spurs often occur along with plantar fascitis but rather than an inflammation of the connective tissue, heel spurs are bony growths on the heel bone and can occur independently of plantar fascitis.


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## damon otan (Feb 25, 2013)

clogs are great they are resiliant and made to handle the types of environment we work in!! and as kingofkings said they come off easy if there is a spill of anything especially hot stuff. and they dry quickly when wet from hoseing floors!! i wear mine all the timewhen im working or not!! unless im wearing pluggers! only benefit to boots is a steel cap!!!


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## dalmfitz (Oct 12, 2016)

Here in the UK the industry seems to ignor chefs problems with there feet , I recently had a sit down with my owner and he was concerned that me limping around (from *plantar fasciitis* ) was making him look bad. so it would be fantastic if a shoe manafacturer could design footware that help chefs and other trades like nurses with not only safety, slip resistant comfort but support the arch and tendons in the feet and legs, with specialized insoles and a specific raised arch to give relife from standing for long periods of time as we chefs do. I belive the nearest comapirison would be the _*wooden clog*_ as it supports the arch in the foot but no long lasting comfort.If the manafacturer would put out a line of safety shoe ,clog, boot that were specificasly desiged for suffers of fallen arches,tendonitise ,plantar fasciitis and the likes i belive there is a sufficent market especially in the catering industry for thte said manafacturer so be able to turn a profit whilst keeping the product a reasonable cost to the public.


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