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Chef Clogs?

1K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  flipflopgirl 
#1 ·
Hello culinary people. I am not a chef, nor am I training to become a chef, but I am the spouse of a culinary student, which is totally awesome. My wife brings home delicious things all the time that I get to eat for dinner, and it is amazing. Anyway, she will begin her culinary externship soon, and I want to buy her a quality pair of chef shoes to show her how proud I am of her hard work and achievement. She has been toughing it out with some cheap things from a department store, and I am done watching her suffer, so I'm getting her new shoes this week. Any brand recommendations? Also, when caring for your shoes, would any of you recommend that I use shoe trees to maintain the shape and integrity of her new chef clogs? Thanks guys.
 
#2 ·
Look up Dansko Clogs.... Many colorful styles for Women even.  

I have used their brand for years and they are great clogs IMHO. I have a few pairs. Winter, summer, even a pair that are a fraction larger that I put Dr.Sholl's in for when it's going to be a longggg day on the floor.  Good Luck. About the shoe trees I only have them for my golf shoes. :) 
 
#3 ·
I dunno, I hate clogs, and I've been working in kitchens for more than 30 years now, and I aslo suffer from flat feet, as well as getting over a 5 year bout of plantar fascititis.

What I find works best, is very stable, well made shoes, two pairs minimum, 3 or 4 at best. The shoe should be made from leather, not any man made materials, and it should offer good lateral support. To test this, grasp the shoe firmly with the left hand by the heel, and by the mid sole by the right hand, and try to twist it. If it flexes significantly, move on to another shoe.

A shoe should, no--strike that, MUSTrest 24 hrs after a day of wearing them. Body weight and heat will destroy the shoe prematurely if it is not allowed to rest and dry out completely. Having multiple pairs spreads out the wear.

There are two routes you can take, you can buy cheap stuff-Mal*Wart specials, or expensive ones, both routes have pros and cons. The cheap shoes you throw out when the heels or soles wear out or they become so boken down that they offer no support. You can't repair these. With expensive ones, you can replace heels and soles multiple times, and you can get seams restitched. Even after two years of service, you can still put a polish on good shoes.

Kitchens are hard on your feet, most floors are slab cement with quarrystone tile, and if you stand on one spot for a few hours (prep work) or even just walk around, your feet may or may not hurt, but I can guarantee you your back will.
 
#4 ·
I also looked at a pair I have at home so just for your own referencing. I use clogs with backs on them, I still am not a fan of the slip ons to clarify. They slip off as easily as they slip on. :)

http://www.troentorpsclogs.com/

All in preference ;-)

When I was a younger soul, I used cheap shoes as I was the one running around the kitchen and the pocketbook was small. There are a good amount of shoes for that also. I use to get some from these guys.

http://www.chefwear.com/store/footwear/all-footwear/

I was not a big fan of clogs back then but have found them to my liking years ago and I still like other brands also.

Large Hotels require you to also do a lot of walking from outlet to outlet if that is in the cards for her future.Still the miles on the feet can be long in a smaller place also.

I have clogs that are 6 yrs old and I can still spit shine them for a corporate meeting to look sharp.

I do suggest trying an extra pad like Dr. Sholl's in them, It has done me well for 25yrs of wearing them.

Bottom line, get her a nice pair and if she wants something else, she can return them and have her pick. :) She will go through many pairs in the years ahead.

Best of Luck
 
#5 ·
First of all your taking a big risk. Your buying shoes for a woman. I can appreciate the reason though. I purchased a pair of expensive clogs that were around 125.00. I think the brand was Birkenstock (spell?).Wore them for a little while. Twisted my ankle on a few occasions. Plus my feet ended up hurting. I ended up giving them away. I would either get her a gift certificate or escort her to the shoe store by surprise. Either way I'm sure she will appreciate your support.I ended up buying a Walmart brand and inserting quality shoe inserts. Good luck.
 
#11 · (Edited)
My first F&B job was at the tender age of 14.
The Dobbs House coffee shop on Loop 410 N in San Antonio.
I never sat down again lol.
Was titled as waitress ( now waitstaff for the age of PC) over the years was always in the bakery 3 days a week, I bartended for a zillion years, catering for almost that long, and woven in there for 20+years various forms of nursing.
Without giving up my age we will say I was on my feet for many decades.

Always on the hunt for a pair of shoes that didn't hurt.
Almost 30 years ago I got the best advice and it came from an Anesthesiologist (who pretty much sat on his rear all day putting people to sleep and praying he could wake them up again)....
The secret to taking care of your feet is located a few posts up.
Hate being redundant so just read @foodpump 's post and take his advice.

Find a couple brands that you like and put them in rotation.
Your feet will thank you for it.

Your back is a different story....
Keep your core muscles strong and you might not end up like me (going thru life having lumbar fusion replacements every 7-8 years).

mimi
 
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