# What shoes do chefs wear?



## youngchef11

Would you be allowed to wear shoes like this : http://www.brantano.co.uk/Shop/bran...st_price&sortorder=desc&category=029901100101

Basically formal black shoes.

Or do they have to be special shoes?

Thanks!


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## adamm

I wear crocs, There the most compy that iv worn, wear what feels nice and that you can stand on your feet for 8-14 hours and are very non slip.  If it doent fall in to those catagories then forget about them.


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## youngchef11

But you are actually allowed to wear any shoes you want? It is all personal choice yes?


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## petemccracken

youngchef11 said:


> But you are actually allowed to wear any shoes you want? It is all personal choice yes?


That really depends on the restaurant and the Chef, most are pretty accommodating, some do have specific dress requirements


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## osuchef

comfortable, non-slip, and water proof.


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## jellly

All but one place that I have worked would let us wear whatever shoes we wanted. That being said, give up the idea of wearing dress shoes. Even sneakers would seem comfortable, but it is truly best to get a shoe specifically designed for kitchen work. They come in all styles now, but it _has _to be slip resistant (which sneakers are not). And you really need a good cushion to support your feet.

You are young and durable now, but your older self will truly thank you for protecting your feet.


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## nicholas beebe

Some places will want specific shoes, but in my experience most don't care and if they do care it's only that your shoes are slip resistant. Slip resistant is a really, really good idea whether it is required or not.

I'd higly recommend restaurant specific shoes. They are designed to be easy to clean, comfortable to stand in for long periods, slip resistant, and easy to remove quickly. I can't stress how important the last two are. I've personally dumped a hotel pan full of boiling water into my shoe, and if I wasn't wearing kitchen clogs that I could pull off immediately, I probably wouldn't be working in a kitchen anymore. Slip resistance has saved me a few times as well. Cleanability will also be a big issue. Scrubbing the menagerie of different kitchen gunks out of the little crackes and crevices in most shoes is an exercise in futility.

I know a lot of people that like Crocs. I haven't used them so I can't speak for them. Wal-mart has Tredsafe clogs that are as cheap as it gets and will work, but are uncomfortable without insoles and wear out fast. My favorites are Klogs brand. They're the most comfortable that I've used and wear really slowly, making them good bang for the buck. They'll set you back about $50 or so and can be found at uniform stores and restaurant supply stores.

Good luck.


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## Guest

I wear Dansko and I find them to be the most comfortable and durable. Expensive though


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## the_seraphim

i wear welders boots... steel toecap, oil resistant, puncture resistant soles/uppers , electrical resistant soles, non slip, go up 1/3 of my lower leg. with thick socks they are the most comfortable and safe shoes ive ever worn.

dont even slip if somone empties a hot fryer on the floor (again)


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## cstine

well i'm still in school but some of the students have already got some diff shoes so i was curious...i think my feet will be begging for me to chop them off at the end of the night regardless but i want to find as comfortable as i can...i'm leaning toward crocs but not sure yet.


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## succotash

I like Kingston Mcknight clogs.  Also expensive, but my feet didn't hurt like when i used to wear much cheaper shoes.


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## chefhow

Must be closed toed and slip resistant.  Crocs were a BIG no no, if something spills and they have the holes in the tops you will burn your foot.  I am a big fan of Rockports, had my last pair for 3 years and worth EVERY dollar.


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## petalsandcoco

worth every cent.............

Birkis clogs are great and worth every cent . These are the shoes I wear, nothing special but very comfortable.


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## surly

Alspro clogs.  90 bucks anywhere they sell Birkenstocks.  Best shoes I've ever had for a kitchen, nice and nonslip, and hard enough to stop a knife when your idiot fry cook drops his knife point down.


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## al89

most hotels these days require steel toes as unions are very safety concious, but most other places are flexible. My choice is blundstone boots made in austrailia. very durable, comfortable, slip on. steel toe is an option. http://www.blundstone.ca/


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## liza

I've worn a couple of different shoes and clogs over the years, all slip resistant and 'professional' however, the BEST thing I ever did was get the Triad insoles that Dr. Scholl (sp?) sells. Relatively inexpensive and you don't take out the existing insoles.

These little miracles have saved my knees and my back and kept me from screaming when my 5:00am~11:00pm days were too much for these old bones


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## pirate-chef

Im all for clogs. Dansko i have worn for a few years and absolutely love them especially when they are broked in typically when you buy them ask if there is any " industry discount" a lot of places will do 10-15% the others i have used lately is the swedish equivilent brasko since funny enough its impossible to find dansko in denmark.....where they originated. just my thoughts i had started off with cheap shoes and tried some others but clogs feel the best and i like to be able to slip them off slightly and strech my feet while i prep.


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## petemccracken

IMHO, your feet have to last the rest of your life. As such, I will not buy shoes in any self service store nor over the internet without having tried them on in the presence of a trained shoe professional. That generally means someone well past their 30s and they are darned difficult to find!

For me, size 13A, any shoe that has a list price under $100 does NOT make the cut to even try on, in my nearly 60 years of buying my own shoes I have never found a pair that works on my feet under $150. That is me, not anyone else.

I will not risk foot damage for the sake of saving a few dollars!

Birkenstocks (Alton) work for me, they may not for anyone else.


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## jchenschel

Croc's actually make's a "kitchen' specific shoe.. They're completely closed in with no hole or vents... They're freaking hot inside!


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## chefedb

Comfortable ones.


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## ben 1986

i have worn crocs for the past 8 years (not the same pair of course), i'm thinking of changing over to breki's. yes the outlay of money is alot at first. but at the end of the day you have to pay for quality.


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## chefedb

Like with meat r  fish or produce "you get what you pay for''


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## humble pie

.....


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## liza

now that's just silly..

anyone can see that they're not treadsafe


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## humble pie

jchenschel said:


> Croc's actually make's a "kitchen' specific shoe.. They're completely closed in with no hole or vents... They're freaking hot inside!


yeah. they made my feet smell and peel very badly only after a week of wear. I ended up cutting triangular holes out of them with a knife.


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## searingxheretic

Have any of you Dansko wearers noticed a decline in quality within the past 2 years??  I stopped buying them after my last pair.  They were clearly not as comfortable as the numerous pairs I had in the past and the staples started pulling out of them after a few months.  I switched up to Sketchers non-slips and they are actually comfortable as hell, but they are heavy, heavier than Danskos.


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## katieestelow93

Hi my name is Katelyne and i was just thinking why black shoes?


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## ed buchanan

Comfortable ones and change them daily


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## halecarlton

I wear Kitchen Krocs, Comfy, and affordable...and smelly, but I just wash em' down with a garden hose, good as new


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## chefheller84

I wear black Nike Air Force Ones.  They hold up very well, and are actually more non-slip than pro-grade non-slips do.  I go through a pair about every 6 months to a year.  Also very comfortable.  I'm waiting for Clogmasters to come to Vegas for a custom fitting, then I'll switch to those.


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## recky

Hi,

in the past year I have been wearing my two pairs of Australian work boots (non-steel-capped Blundstones and Rossis), swapping them daily. Once broken in, they are surprisingly comfy. Of course, they are non-slip and although the outer layer on the toes wears off quickly, the boots are very rugged indeed. I am looking for an alternative pairs of work shoes at the mo, just to give my feet some rest from the same old pressure points day in day out. Birkenstock Londons look pretty good to me. Any wearers out there?

Cheers,

Recky


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## ritual30

i currently sport a pair of birkis...without the backstrap, though. i think they are called super birkis, or something like that. they are surprisingly light, whilst made out of a seemingly dense polyurethane material. i had to buy some dr. scholl's, though, cuz the cork insoles that came with them sucked. they are much, much better on my feet now, and i am pretty happy with them.

previously, ive also worn kitchen crocs and the brand Klogs. both of which were decent shoes. the former had thread issues (premature wear), and the latter grew a gaping crack on the outer side of my right foot...but this happened after 2 years of beating them to hell.

crocs are cheap and light. they are also cheap.

Klogs are a bit more and heavy. and i dont believe, at that time, they were antimicrobial, so they stunk after awhile, as they were rather sweaty. they were snug fitting for a pair of clogs.

if i were to recommend anything, id go with a pair of clogs. stay away from shoes with laces, imo. the laces are guaranteed to get nasty without frequent upkeep.

now keep in mind, the kind of 'fit' that you want though.

i really like my birkis for the reason that they are rather loose fitting for my size, which makes them breathable and comfy (after buying the insoles).


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## kuan

You guys should try Sanita clogs.  Sanita is the original Dansko.  When Dansko moved their production elsewhere the Sanita people decided to start their own business.


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## sparkie

I have had the Croc Bistro clogs for almost a year now. This is my first non-Birki clog in about a decade. The comfort is fine, the slip resistance a little better, longevity is looking to be less. The tread is two pads that are glued to the bottom. They are starting to peel off a little bit. I'll probably go back to Birkis unless I see a good sale for these. 

Generally, I find clog style shoes to be more comfortable, and I like the one piece rubber design because I can just spray them off at the end of the shift and they are clean again. I gotta say that breaking in the cork foot beds on the Birkis can be a bit painful, but once they've molded to your feet, they are wonderful.


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## margotron

Shoes for Crews - they're great!  Super comfy and super slip-resistant, and they look a lot like low-top Converse.


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## paul alfred

My brother wears Dansko clogs, and has for years.  He loves them, and I decided to try a pair.  I've had mine for almost a year now and I absolutely love them!  They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned.  They did run me $120, but I agree with some of the previous posts...you get what you pay for and your feet are worth the expense.  

My ultimate opinion on footwear, however, is much the same as my opinion on kitchen knives...you need to find what fits/works for YOU, not necessarily what everyone else uses (although popular brands like Birkenstocks, Dansko, and Crocs are popular for a reason).  Go to a few stores, try the shoes on, walk around in them for a while.  If they have a knowledgeable, experienced person there, talk to them.  The guy I bought my Danskos from has been doing shoes for decades and is very particular about the brands he carries.  He examined my feet (as well as my old shoes) and then watched me walk around the store in socks for a minute.  He then recommended two different types of shoes and after trying them both on and walking around the store in them for a while I chose the pair I now own because they were the more comfortable of the two (although the other pair were also quite comfy).  Almost a year later I am still wearing the same shoes, and I am not experiencing any of the foot pain that I used to deal with constantly.


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## derrickp

Usually Chefs wear steel nose safety shoes. I am working in a kitchen now where safety shoes are not required. I have a pair of Crocs and they are like a feather!

Awesome!


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## liza

Broke down and bought the Shoes for Crews.. 'Revolution' style

OMG worse things ever on my feet.. to the point that I have actually gone back to wearing the old shoes until a better solution can be found.

Only gave the SCF a whirl as the corporate discount made it silly not to try.

My bad


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## chefedb

I like Rockport  because they are light in weight. I put  a Dr. Scholes  work jell support inside to. It makes shoe even more comfy. and I have Bilateral splay feet.


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## robo

i've tried worx shoes, dansko pro's, and crock bistros.  croc bistros are the most comfortable for me.  i'm 6' tall, 240 lbs.


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## chef bilby

+ 1 for Rossi Boots and Super Berkis

Both awesome and extremly Comfortable !!!!


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