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What's on Your Feet?

post #1 of 40
1/12/06 at 10:00am
Thread Starter 
In an other thread I read a comment from Shroomgirl about a client of hers having a concrete floor in their party barn (I need to get a party barn I think) and it being tough on her knees and lower back. About 10 years ago I went from wearing runners in the kitchen to Birkenstocks and could not believe the difference on my back and knees. I had to bid my Birks fair well :cry: (now the most expensive slippers I have ever owned!) as my current employers mandated steel toes so I have gone to SIKA steel toe clogs with flex sole (wood is also available). There good, but nothing beets my Birks!

Just wondering what every one else has at the end of the checkered pants?:confused:
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post #2 of 40
1/12/06 at 10:49am
Proffesional Dansko's, and I probably will never wear anything else in the kitchen again!!!!! I can work almost 13 hours without my back hurting!!! The only shoe that actually hugs my high arch. I checked the internet before I went to the store to purchase them and the prices were generally the same. Highly recommend spending the $118.95
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post #3 of 40
1/12/06 at 10:56am
Bastad wooden sole clogs at present, have also worn Dansko, Birkenstock birkis and professionals, and Anywheres. I like the bastad and dansko equally, but for my next pair I am probably going to a Birkenstock Oklahoma, which I wear off work and love, but haven't tried at work yet.
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post #4 of 40
1/12/06 at 12:49pm
You might want to do a search as we have had a few interesting discussions about footwear in the past. Here for example: http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/showt...light=footwear

Myself, I like Lemaitre shoes from France. They Look a bit like runners, but with a coat of black shoe paint they're fine for management. And they are steel toed. They are light and wide, and I can stay on my feet for 8 hours straight and not feel any soreness in my legs or lower back.
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post #5 of 40
1/12/06 at 1:23pm
I've been wearing Dansko's for over ten years and i'm very happy with them from all things considered.
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post #6 of 40
1/12/06 at 1:26pm
Robust army officer's type leather shoes. Made locally by Dayton's, who have contracts for many police, corrections, and army officers in N.A.

Feet are long time shot. I wear a full length custom orthotic which demands a very stable shoe. I'm also hard on my shoes. The ones I wear now are expensive (200$ CDN) but are worth it because I can re-heel and re-sole them, they usually last 2 years, with constant 14 hr days.

During my apprenticeship I was co-erced into wearing wooden clogs. Hate them with a passion. Very loud and about as comfortable as skiboots, because they are as flexible as ski boots. Also very slippery, with a strong tendancy to hydroplane on water puddles.
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post #7 of 40
1/12/06 at 10:47pm
I swear by my birkenstocks, easy and light. I used to have lower back pains and knee problems with my old steel toed work boots. When i switched to birki clogs, it disappeared. I don't even think about my feet or back anymore. I am on my second pair now. After two and a half years of 10 to 16 hour days, my first pair finally fell apart. And what I really love about mine, when they get dirty and stinking, I just pop out the insoles and run them through the dishmachine.
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post #8 of 40
1/13/06 at 3:12am
I was clog wearer, but at one location we had to wear boots... don't ask... company policy.
Anyhow, I switched to Doc Marten boots. Wear like iron! Mine are 7 years old and don't look a day over, well, 6 years. But, they really do hold up.
Since I have been teaching, I switched to the ChefWear show. Best move I ever made. Tons of support, well constructed, easy to clean and a non-slip sole. For $80 you can't go wrong.
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post #9 of 40
1/13/06 at 4:36am
The down side of birkenstocks is that your feet spread or at least mine did....try going from wearring birks all the time to trying to get your fat little feet into high heels for a night on the town or a business meeting.....red plastic birks as much as I hate to admit it don't go with everything.

Crocs....oh man, if you ever put these on your feet you'll never want to take them off....not for serious cooking but oh man they feel great....come in pretty colors too!
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post #10 of 40
1/13/06 at 10:32am
Hopefully i won't have to wear high heels to a business meeting.
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post #11 of 40
1/13/06 at 10:46am

Shoes!

Hi,
what are birkenstocks? are they those gardening colored plastic shoes that Batali wear?

I cook in people's home now, so my shoes last way longer.:D

I where SIKA, steel toe, birch sole and love them... I have always wax all my black leather shoes with some Bee Wax product to waterproof hiking boots... That way crap like hot oil, meat juice etcc.. does not seep into the leather!
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post #12 of 40
1/13/06 at 4:56pm
For me it's Birkenstock's, 'Tokyo's' with the non-slip bottom. Not cheap, still about $150 a pair.

I read up above on this thread somewhere that the "concrete floor is killing the feet, knees and lower back." AMEN! I agree entirely! That's what fatigue mats are there for! If you don't have them in your kitchen, get them! You'll be glad you did!

Eric
http://www.restaurantedge.com
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post #13 of 40
1/13/06 at 4:58pm
Thread Starter 
Birkenstocks are a german pressed cork sole sandle. They are aviliable in a open or closed toe. I do not think they would qualify as a true clog, but same idea. Being from Canada west coast I am sure if you check out the web site ( http://www.birkenstock.com ) you will recognise them as the foot wear of choice of many people in your neck of the woods. I do not believe they are what Mario wears, but I could be wrong.
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post #14 of 40
1/14/06 at 5:46am
my birks are plastic with inserts....closed toe and back. I've stuck with red, Mario wears orange ones.....they are so ugly they are cute.....no steel toe.

The "party barn" is my favorite client's studio that is literally a concrete floor....albeit a very nice modern barn with a stove, large sink, loads of storage but it is one big open room with a loft with 3 sides that are all glass. No mats.
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post #15 of 40
1/16/06 at 12:10am
I got Wal-Mart shoes they are pretty bad a**
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post #16 of 40
1/16/06 at 5:28am
Well clearly I'm from another planet because I hated Birkenstocks. Hands down the most uncomfortable shoe I ever put on my feet.

In the kitchen I wear Nike sneakers. The shox to be specific. They're top of the line running shoes and provide good support and comfort.

Mark
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post #17 of 40
1/16/06 at 6:28am
Thread Starter 

Mario Fact

OK, I did a little looking and it looks like the brand Mario wears is CALZURO. I oficially admit I have a warped brain:eek: , that I needed to confirm that fact. But I can accept that. :bounce: :roll:
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post #18 of 40
1/16/06 at 6:45am
Ooh, hate to think what the kitchen elements (grease, water, tomato sauce, chicken stock) will do to expensive sneakers. Buying a pair of shoes over $100.00 that you can't re-heel or re-sole is like buying a new car and throwing it away before the first oil change is due...
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post #19 of 40
1/16/06 at 9:02am
Thread Starter 
I got about 5 years out of my last Birks, the average life span of runners in a kitchen has to be less that 6 months!
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post #20 of 40
1/16/06 at 10:21pm
wore new balance sneakers. they did fine over an 8 hour shift, but my feet were killing me after a few 15 hour days..

switched over to red wing boots (steel toe), and my feet feel great, and are always comfortable...the first few weeks the bottoms of my feet were sometimes a little sore, but now they feel great.
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post #21 of 40
1/16/06 at 10:23pm
My Eccos are the best shoes I've ever had. I've been wearing them for 4 years now with the original insole and they are great. http://www.eccousa.com/shoes/mens/ou.../1/detail.aspx

I had some noslip from some ripoff company called Shoes For Crews that fell apart in a matter of months. Then I destroyed a few pairs of Doc Martins. It seems like these Eccos are indestructable.
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post #22 of 40
1/17/06 at 3:04pm
Right now I'm wearing birks, best decision I ever made. The company I work for makes us wear shoes for crews, but they are the most uncomfortable piece of crap shoes i've ever seen. They are okay for foh but for boh so much food gets stuck in the bottom.
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post #23 of 40
1/17/06 at 5:31pm
Back when I had my restaurant, I wore Birkis. I still have a few pairs around the house, and wear them often. Best darn work shoes I ever found. For those of us that participate in the after closing cleanup, the waterproof aspect was priceless.
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post #24 of 40
1/17/06 at 5:46pm
Yeah, Shoes for Crews have almost no support, but the soles never slip. The down side is that I have to clean the grooves out with a toothpick and a hose because they do trap alot of dirt.
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post #25 of 40
1/17/06 at 6:53pm
I have had my danskos for about 6 months now. I dont have anymore knee probs. but the balls of my feet get pretty sore at the end of the day. Wanting to try the birks... heard lots of great things.
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post #26 of 40
1/17/06 at 8:19pm
I have heard alot of bad stuff about shoes for crews. Stories from the shoes falling apart to just plain not getting delivered.
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post #27 of 40
1/17/06 at 8:25pm
I have a pair of shoes for crews clogs - they're not particularly comfortable but a nice $20 set of gel inserts corrects that.

They've lasted four years, including a decent amount of time standing on top of pizza ovens to change lightbulbs and pull down hoods. Not great, but reliable.
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post #28 of 40
1/17/06 at 11:42pm
I wear black leather New Balance Cross Trainer 606 because it's one of the few shoes that I can get in a wide width (4e). I go through about 3 pairs a year and they only cost about $50 bucks a pair.
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post #29 of 40
1/27/06 at 11:28pm
being a former football player (260lb linebacker) with the typical knee problems (torn ACL, miniscus, patella femeral tendenitus, lots of scar cartaladge and a few bone spurs) it has been a challange for me to find the right pair of shoes for the kitchen. i have found that the SUPER BURKI is the most comfortable pair of shoes i have ever worn. did the shoes for crews thing, did the tred safe walmart type thing and i came to the conclusion that i must be the hardest person on earth to keep shoes on! (SFC litterally fell apart on my feet in the middle of a shift 3 weeks after i got them!). the SUPER BURKI's are like walking on clouds about 14 hrs into the new pair. they mold to your feet perfectly and help me keep my balance on even the slickest floors.

PS before i got them after i long shift i had to take serious painkillers to keep my knees from killing me. now i dont need the pain killers at all!!!
THANKS BURKINSTOCK LOL i am like a commercial for them
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post #30 of 40
2/1/06 at 2:07pm

Dansko freak

When I started in the restaurant industry I quickly learned that dependable footwear would make me less grouchy while working. I wore tank opperator boots for six years and they were great when they were new, but too expensive and the chemicals we used to clean our floors and the grease tore them up pretty bad. I've been wearing Danskos now for five years. I like them with the heel because they seem to stay on better. I clean them with amonia and then apply black shoe polish to them. I've grown so fond of them that I wear them when I'm just running errunds or out to see a movie. My girlfriend is a nurse and also has numorous pais of Danskos and together, we are Dansko freaks.
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