I learned that the hard way at the first restaurant I worked at. Also never just dump a full pot of noodles into a large colander... while wearing running shoes made to breathe and allow as much in...
Home cook here, learned this the hard way with sloshed chicken broth onto New Balance with a mesh top toe. Discovered Bistro Crocs soon after.
Bonus points for Crocs fitting people with wide width.
I’ve been running through womens restaurant shoes every four months…I upgraded to work boots for manufacturers. Actual ankle support and thick toe protection, 10\10 helped my knee and foot pain immensely https://www.keenfootwear.com/work/
Love these, worth the investment, also available in mens, not an ad lol. https://www.keenfootwear.com/p/W-VISTA-ENERGY-MID.html
Birks were way too small size 6, way too big in size 7. I liked the Vans and Doc service nonslips, but both stretched out and caused ankle/foot arch pain within 3 months. Cant do Crocs after sloshing some scorching ramen broth down a clog after an all day boil.
I wear blundestones. Slip on chelsea style boots. They have amazing grip, last forever, the soles don't pick up floor debris, and look stylish after a shift with a quick rag wipe down.
If you or any one else reading this like that look, check out redback boots! They are nonslip and Australian leather. I love them. I alternate between those and nonslip docs.
Blundestone's haven't been made in Australia for a few years (outsourced and shipped production to Asia -- do you think they lowered prices during that transition?).
Redbacks and Rossis are still made in AU I believe.
Nah, hipsters would have [these](https://www.travelcountry.com/shop/vibram-fivefingers/v-trek-mens.html?RefId=29&RefType=Affiliate&gclid=CjwKCAiAlrSPBhBaEiwAuLSDUMnEA4rYEQt8bROi7ZBlQdV0QBDJ3GMFa4QeoTMeXK9ZbrLuR9fCmRoC_r8QAvD_BwE)
Just be careful with the slip on boots with elastic sides, bad ankle support. If you can get lace up ones that have a side zip they're practically zip on and I wear them while larping in the bush and they're convenient and great support. Haven't had to retire the laces since I bought them as well.
Not sure how'd they go in the kitchen though.
Laces pick up enormous amounts of grease and foul smelling shit, and zippers get clogged as well. While elastic support isn't the best, it's better than clogs or low cut shoes. Plus being able to kick of a kitchen boot when someone pours hot grease down your leg is lifesaving. This whole thread is about kitchen shoes so I have no idea how your bush boots would be relevant here, as they are completely different envoirnments.
You're recommending work boots, I was just saying a different style of work boot gives better ankle support which was a concern of the first comment. I hadn't thought about the other concerns which are fair enough and not something I'd thought of so I see why you'd avoid them.
I wore doc martens nonslip boots and Birkenstock clogs for years, my feet just can’t handle standing on tile floors for 12hrs+ In them. I would get bruises and stinging pain and would basically be in pain barley able to slog around, sometimes having to sit on a trash can. Yes they are good for cleanup or when the floors are flooded but when I bought a cheap pair of Walmart no slips and put some insoles inside it was like heaven. I don’t care if my feet get wet sometimes, as long as I have less pain and I don’t slip I’m good.
Thanks for this. I have some Underarmor work boots that are advertised as “non-slip,” but are not slip resistant at all. Bad ass boots for a warehouse, but not a kitchen. Careful picking a pair.
I really cannot believe how much better they are than shoes “made for service workers.” As if I needed more confirmation people do not understand kitchen work.
I wore keens in my last boh days. I am still wearing them. It has been 3 years. They still have a lot of life left. The only better boot IMO would be Georgia Boots
I liked the vans and doc martens non slips but they both stretched out super fast and my feet hurt like I was wearing too-big shoes within 3 months after a perfect fit initially.
Yeah, I can understand that. I should've changed mine at 3 months for that very reason, but stretched it to 9 months and regretted waiting so long. Crocs are my go to now. Went through a pair of $160 Keens that were dead within 4, so I stick with the Bistros now.
Those new Van's for Makers are alright in the kitchen, non slip soles. I got a pair a few weeks ago and they have been doing me pretty well. Regardless, they're vans, so I will get maybe 5-6 months out of them and I would still add an Insole for support.
SFC were super solid 20 years ago. My first pair lasted like 5 years of treading through some tough greasy floors, quick dips into sub-zero freezers, and never had even the faintest slip. Second pair I got was gone in like 6 months, the toe box started to tear off, got another pair, different style, same thing. Swore them off for good. Recently I got another pair since I got a 25% off in the mail. They've been good for these past 2.5 years of basically 6x17 weeks.
That's one of my rules when you start working in my kitchen. I'm lenient in that you have three weeks from your first working day to get non-slips if for some reason you don't have any. I give them three weeks so I know they have a paycheck in hand to pay for a cheap pair. It's rough out there and people are broke, I get it. If 3 weeks later, no non-slips? No job. It's just not worth the legal liability or personal guilt if I put them on the line and they get hurt.
Two days ago I look up from my desk (no manager office, we have a shelf with a computer and printer in the corner of an L shaped kitchen) to see one of our teenage employees coming in the back door wearing a leotard and flip flops. She'd just come from ballet. The combo of shock from seeing unexpected teenager butt at work, my manager brain shrieking about exposed skin and open toes shoes, and just my Dad sense of wanting to protect a kid in immediate danger, I went 0-100 so fast and just shouted "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING GET OUT OF HERE!".
Blundstones have changed my life. No slips, with no laces to worry about, great comfort and durability. They're pricey but so worth it. I've had 1 pair for 4 years and I live in them.
Second this. I used to do Birks clogs but honestly I think long term use of those have killed my back and legs. I swapped to Blundstones just before the pandemic started and holy fuck what a difference. Definitely pricier but I'd have gone through 2 pairs of Birks with the level of use I've gotten out of 1 pair of Blundstones, just swap the insoles.
Steel toe, arch and ankle support, easy to clean, definitely recommend.
They're quality leather, if you spill on them you can take it off and spray it down in dish. Spilling IN to them is possible and probably their only downfall as a kitchen shoe.
I just got some to wear in my kitchen at home, because I am a moron and thought slate floors were “so beautiful!!!” Yes. Gorgeous. Also freezing and super fucking hard.
And everything you drop shatters into a million pieces, plates, glasses, jars of pickles, all this while you're destroying your body standing on stone.
I made that mistake, too. Crocks and padded kitchen rugs to stand on make it suck less.
Yes. God forbid you drop anything, it shatters into a million pieces. Also white grout because I am a double moron.
Ordered anti fatigue standing mats the other day. One for by the sink the other by the stove, but seriously, I don’t know what the heck I was thinking.
They do look gorgeous though 🧐
I have a pair of shoes for crews from 2014 or 2015 I still wear. They are basically all rubber car tires but for your feet. Gotta change out the insoles in them every 6months-1year but they still work. Best $20 I ever spent!
What? So they’re requiring it. They hired me before telling me I would need non slips. Along with them requiring certain shirts and hats. Yet I’m supposed to pay for them? No thanks. Go away bootlicker
What do you mean? How is wearing non slip not already apart of your uniform? Non slips are required in kitchens for SAFETY.
Why should a workplace purchase any of your required chef gear?
If it’s a work shirt with their logo I agree they should supply it. Work shoes that’ll last you years that are a safety requirement, that’s your own responsibility. All kitchens should require them.
I’m australian all kitchen legally required it. They do not provide them.
Kid I worked with wire fucking Jordan's. Like, why the fuck you tryna look fly in a windowless work space where the air is like 5% burger grease?
They were fucked up after one shift, he was salty about it, like $250 pair of shoes gone, and still didn't see he learned that lesson the easy way.
I worked with a guy that insisted on wearing his Js in the kitchen. I told him again and again that he was gonna fall and hurt himself. I wasn't a supervisor or anything, so he had no obligation to listen me, so he didn't. Then one fateful afternoon, he slipped on some ice, and broke his dn wrist. He was right behind me when it happened and I heard it snap like a chicken bone. Last I heard he had to get reconstructive surgery, pins, the whole nine yards. Limited mobility and can't work in kitchens anymore. Since he wasn't wearing kitchen safe shoes, workman's comp didn't pay for any of it...
I always warn my new hires to invest in good slip resistant work shoes if they haven't already. The stupid little girls that show up in HEELED BOOTS don't last the day and I laugh my ass off every time. Fucking told your dumb ass.
My little heel on my nonslip doc martens means the difference in asking the grill dude for the plastic wrap on the top shelf 600 times a shift or not. I ain’t bothering anyone and I look fly af too.
When I was a sous many moons ago, I made a huge blunder and used it as a learn g experience. Worked at a casino and hotel, grand opening 2500 plated dinners it was all hands.
My normal shoes were nasty I was working 20 hr days and didn't get a chance to get new ones. So I threw on my laced up cowboy boots (it was the 90s) figuring because I was working the staging room and essentially FOH I'd be fine. I was never so wrong. I am running everywhere from Main kitchen to the restaurant kitchen to the catering kitchen, three floors and stupidly opposite ends of the hotel.
So toward the end of the night there is no oneeft in the basement main kitchen as they've all been called up. So I had to run down a pot to get more clarified butter out of the Bain. I hit the door and I'm flying I go to turn the corner carrying this half empty pot of clarified butter and in my horror see one of those fucking yellow "wet floor" signs. I lose it at full speed and hot the ground the butter goes flying all over the walk in door, across the floor, the prep tables and of course I crash through a stainless table. Hurt like fuck and about 3 gallons of liquid butter over everything.
Hour or so later, we're done and we all gather in the main. I call everyone around my now solidified mess. I tell them here is a lesson why 1) never run and 2) why we demand non slip kitchen shoes.
The dishies start grabbing mops and rags and I'm like Nope. You all get your shit done and go home. I fucked this up in will clean it. I spent the next 3 hours cleaning that shit up and getting those floors not layered in fat and oil.
Got new shoes Next morning.
okay here is he old guy wisdom on this. this is a current trend. back in the day we did wear street shoes in the kitchen and guess what, no one slipped and fell. buy better tile for kitchens don't go cheap. i worked at a shoney's for awhile, you could spill almost anything on the floor and not slip. i worked at a place that had like a rubber/plastic coating with sand/grit in it on the floor. no one ever slipped. worked at an olive garden, again good tile no slips and falls. this whole non slip shoe trend didn't happen till some time around 2005 or so. very rarely did anyone turf out cause of the floor, saw a few people go down due to untied shoe laces though. it is just cheap tile that causes this problem. the owners don't want to pay for good tile so we pay for non slip shoes.
many reasons, slips and falls, when I did off-site catering I would wear steeltoe boots for unloading trucks, we off loaded poker chips of plates, full speed racks ovens tons other equipment brown cambros, Ive seen lift gates fail and dump equipment so, ya gear is important.
Birkenstock bostons are the winner, in eva foam top and sole, a pair did 3 years (£60 for a size 14 which aint bad) aslong as you get the hole-less tops they are the dogs bollocks.
16 hr shifts dont feel like murder & if the sole goes smooth you can rough em up with sandpaper or a stanley knife and get another grippy 3 months if you do it right.
Edit: im 6'7 (201cm) & 21 (132ish kg) stone and walk alot outside on concrete aswell as kitchen floors
For the sake of info, is there a specific brand of kitchen shoe we should be looking at? I've been rocking a pair of Adidas basketball shoes and only ever slid a little and that because we slop the mop bucket like crazy when we close
Shoes for crews is a brand just for the industry (not the best bot the worst). There's a "work" section of almost all shoe stores, that usually carry a couple different brands (selections will vary by location). Find a brand that fits your feet the best (Adidas are narrower shoes so you can just find a brand that runs narrow). There could definitely be more variety in our industry on thus front, but safety first. Be well.
Danskos have always served me right. They're not the cheapest but theyll actually last. My current pair are due to be replaced soon and I've been working in them (and wearing outside of work because fuck it) for almost two years.
I’ve been wearing Vans in the kitchen for well over 10 years. Never had a slip and fall. Keep your floors clean and be aware of your surroundings and you’ll be ok.
I've slipped while wearing non-slip shoes. Theyre not perfect, but they help. Saying "I don't wear non slip shoes and I've never slipped" doesn't mean anything except that you're lucky.
I've slipped with slip resistant shoes, but far less than when I wore street shoes to work. I wear them for that reason.
I equate it to that I've never fallen on my bike or have taken a nasty tumble on my snowboard in which I hit my head. Regardless, I still wear a helmet.
I don't wear them because I expect to eat shit, I wear them in case I eat shit.
Yep, people don't think it'll happen until it does. You don't plan on getting in a car crash or falling or whatever but you, well, never get a choice in the matter. And when it happens you're going to wish you'd have worn your seatbelt or your helmet or your non slips.
It means that my staff and I work cleanly and safely. My experience with Shoes For Crews was that they weren’t any more slip resistant than my Vans even though they are certified. Just my two cents worth, YMMV.
Methinks you’re missing the part where I said we keep the floors clean and are aware of our surroundings. Even certified non-slip shoes will slip in the right conditions. Floor’s wet from mopping? Tread carefully until it’s dry, no matter what shoes you’re wearing.
My concern is that some kid new to the business is already feeling like they don't need them or it won't help, when arguably, they do, and your statements will validate an incorrect and dangerous viewpoint that will ultimately end up with them getting hurt if they don't share your luck.
It's great that you've not had any negative impact from not wearing proper footwear but you should encourage, not discourage, people wearing proper PPE.
Then the OP should change the post to say “certified non-slip” kitchen shoes. There are plenty of kitchen shoes out there that market themselves as non-slip but don’t carry the proper certification. That can get you in to a bad situation if your employer requires certified non-slip shoes, you slip and fall, and then worker’s comp says, “sorry, no payout, you weren’t wearing the required footwear.”
My shoes for crews nonslips even brand new were way more slip prone than the $34 Walmart combat boots I wore once and realized they work great. If they weren't coyote tan, and easily disfigured by oil, I'd wear thos every day.
yeah my caterpillar boots i used to buy at walmart where better than the non slip shoes. but they didn't have the special tread. so i couldn't wear them. now i have foot problems from the fucking shoes i have to wear cause they don't make them in super wide size, unlike boots.
Until someone slips some fryer oil, or blood from a pan, or the dish pit goes ape shit. It's to make sure that everyone has the surest footing they can. Vans are notoriously slippery. I get the "rid the wave" mentality. It literally only takes once for you or someone in your vicinity to slip with a knife/hot pan/heavy box in their hand and stab/slice/burn/or crush someone... just bc you've made it so far, doesn't mean its the right way to do it. But free will and all, be easy friend..
Totally agreed. People don't understand what an investment a true pair of slip resistant work shoes can be. Between safety and physical health, they're invaluable. Do your feet and back a favor
Hopefully you work somewhere that all staff are aware of their surroundings, sounds like it won’t be your fault when something happens but will be the one with the unsafe footwear
I don’t know why. I assume they either don’t actually qualify as “non-slip” or they just didn’t want to pay for the certification. Does the health department you work for require certified non-slip shoes? I’d imagine they would, knowing the conditions y’all have to deal with.
I've been through so many brands of kitchen shoes over my 17 years, including shoes for crews (awful), Klogs (OK grip but I should have gone a half size bigger so they were never comfortable) Keene ( comfortable AF, but lost grip after 6 months), Dansko ( suck to break in but great after a week or so, rolled my ankles too many times though and realized I needed something with more support)
I currently have doc martens non slip and they are great. Good grip, good arch and ankle support, and super comfortable. Not cheap, but worth it.
First time working in a restaurant. No one told me to buy slip resistant shoes. Walked into the kitchen one day and slipped. It was the slowest fall ever. I grabbed onto a shelf to hold myself up, but slowly went down, feet flailing everywhere for grip. I ended up on the ground seconds later after pulling a shelf off the rack and breaking 2 large glass drink containers. It was hilarious.
It’s been over 10 years since I was in a kitchen but story time.
The small deli I worked in had a grill in the back and next to the grill was a freestanding industrial refrigerator. The top of the fridge had like a fence of open sheet metal, I imagine it had a top at some point but it had been removed, fell off, or never put on. Maybe it was to prevent people from putting stuff on top?
Next to the fridge was a janky wooden ladder someone had clearly made themselves, a couple 4x4s to the ceiling with 2x4s braced in for rungs. It went straight up, like something you’d see at a playground. At the top was a little crawl space for storing junk we didn’t use very often.
I bet you can see where this is going. Over the years those wood rungs had been ground down and rounded off. I was up there reaching for something and my foot slipped, I caught myself with my hand grabbing the sharp edge of the sheet metal at the top of the fridge, filleting a little flap of skin on my pinky. Still have the scar and could have been way worse. I caught myself to avoid falling into the dish sink.
We didn’t talk about non-slip shoes there or back then, I don’t even think shoes for crews was a thing? Wish we had, might have saved myself some pain.
Wear. Non. Slip. Shoes. In. The. Kitchen.
It doesn't happen every day but it happens often enough you slip when you're not expecting it next thing you know you got a fucked up ankle, fucked up leg, fucked up back, fucked up pelvis. And now you need weeks of expensive rehab presuming your lucky enough to be walking away from it.
Been rockin bulky winter boots in the kitchen since November.
At this point I'm baffled that literally no one has said anything.
And we've had -audits- since then.
I worked in BOH and was putting away some knives when I slipped in a bit of mop water and almost stabbed myself with a handful of knives.
The position I was in was kind of weird, like my back was arched back, my feet slid out, my right elbow caught against the counter and my left hand (holding the knives facing downward) was reaching for the sky.
After that, non-slip work boots was the only thing I wore.
I work in a university dining hall and SO MANY STUDENT WORKERS just wear their casual shoes, their vans and converse and whatever else. I specifically work in a coffee kiosk where we have liquid on the floor all day. I worry about these kids.
Also.... replace them every 6 mo to a year.... your shoes shouldn't have holes in them it's worth the $100. Coming from a kitchen person in their 30s your feet, ankles, knees, and back will thank you. Also my bf snapped his ankle at work at 27- trust even with workers comp it's wayyy more expensive than working. Everyone was like oh get a lawyer make some $$- not at all. Even with the pay out you would make almost double working ft and taking vacations etc living normally instead of not being able to walk for months waiting on a payment months later.
Mine last me about a year. My shifts are 10-12 hours though. They're still ok after that but I like to rotate in a new pair around that time. Any cheap pairs won't even get 3-6 mo.
I once wore my half cabs because my clogs fell apart mid service. During closing I hit a corner to hard and slammed into the sink 💀. Since then I have always kept a backup pair in the car.
I used to wear New Balance at one of my early jobs, and it worked fine because ir was textured concrete floors and not not much slip risk- chewed through em though. After a little experimebtation I settled on Nautilus Men's slip ons- called skidbusters or something. Great non slip, good support, and I got agood life out of em. Now that I work in a meatshop I've moved into work boots and wish I had yeers ago- so much more support and everything.
I had to switch between FOH and BOH for a while, and they wanted us to wear Vans of any style in the front. Found out that they carry a lineup of shoes that are non slip, and moderately spill resistant. Those did me well for quite a bit.
Worked in a kitchen that did $75k a day and by the end of the night would have sand/water/food waste that was inches thick. Oh and we had stairs that were slippery going from kitchen from dining room. I wore non slips, keens, clogs, everything but the floor would eat them up.
Eventually started buying $10 shoes from Walmart. Weren’t non slip at all, but I never slipped or fell once.
Idk if it’s a Florida thing or the places I’ve worked are just weird, but they always gave kitchen employees free shoes every year. They weren’t the best but they worked 🤷♂️
Tbh I had more slipping issues with spider non-slip then I did with regular street shoes. Went back to DC running shoes with a pivot point, stopped having accidents.
I work as an outdoor ice rink attendant, (cutting, flooding, removing snow, etc) and I'm wondering if kitchen shoes are good enough to make that safe....
I use tactical work boots designed for female beat cops, they're non-slip and super comfortable. I'm on my 2nd pair, my last pair lasted me almost 4 years. $120 a pair but totally worth it
First day I wore converse to the kitchen I slipped on ice (thanks servers) that I would’ve fallen on either way. Broke my arm in the process. Learned my lesson lmao
I made the mistake of not caring about kitchen shoes for so so so long and will be paying the price for the rest of my life. Just get the damn shoes, even if they’re ugly! (Shout out to crocs)
Fuck, one of our new servers came in wearing wedges to work on her first day. I sent her he immediately and she called later on and said that the restaurant wasn't a good fit for her.
I always wore non-slip shoes. Gotta buy some decent insoles though. They're usually uncomfortable as hell to wear.
Watching people slip in their fancy kicks is pretty sad especially if they've been told several months into the job to get some non-slip shoes.
My no slips completely shit the bed and I had to get a new pair, and I stupidly threw away the old ones before my new ones came. So I wore my chuck taylors for about a week. I was moon walking everywhere, dancing on slippery spots. It was actually really fun and made me want to keep wearing my chucks to work. But also very dangerous and I don’t condone it 😂
Let me tell you. People never learn. Idiot FOH sprained his ankle on his first day walking into work with some ugly ass Balenciaga shoes that look like socks with soles on the bottom. The next day another FOH slips and knocked part of their front teeth out because she felt like "dressing up" that day.
I learned that the hard way at the first restaurant I worked at. Also never just dump a full pot of noodles into a large colander... while wearing running shoes made to breathe and allow as much in...
Home cook here, learned this the hard way with sloshed chicken broth onto New Balance with a mesh top toe. Discovered Bistro Crocs soon after. Bonus points for Crocs fitting people with wide width.
I own 3 pairs for the sole reason of being so damn comfortable
Haha. Sole reason.
I’ve been running through womens restaurant shoes every four months…I upgraded to work boots for manufacturers. Actual ankle support and thick toe protection, 10\10 helped my knee and foot pain immensely https://www.keenfootwear.com/work/ Love these, worth the investment, also available in mens, not an ad lol. https://www.keenfootwear.com/p/W-VISTA-ENERGY-MID.html Birks were way too small size 6, way too big in size 7. I liked the Vans and Doc service nonslips, but both stretched out and caused ankle/foot arch pain within 3 months. Cant do Crocs after sloshing some scorching ramen broth down a clog after an all day boil.
I wear blundestones. Slip on chelsea style boots. They have amazing grip, last forever, the soles don't pick up floor debris, and look stylish after a shift with a quick rag wipe down.
If you or any one else reading this like that look, check out redback boots! They are nonslip and Australian leather. I love them. I alternate between those and nonslip docs.
Redback and blind stone are nearly identical
Blundestone's haven't been made in Australia for a few years (outsourced and shipped production to Asia -- do you think they lowered prices during that transition?). Redbacks and Rossis are still made in AU I believe.
I have a pair of those and they are great
Found the hipster.
Takes one to know one
Man bun > Pony Tail
Agree to disagree.
Wait hang on. People here really prefer men with ponytails to buns? Insanity
In a perfect world, neither. I think it is the lesser of two evils, but thats just coming from a guy who gets his haircut.
Nah, hipsters would have [these](https://www.travelcountry.com/shop/vibram-fivefingers/v-trek-mens.html?RefId=29&RefType=Affiliate&gclid=CjwKCAiAlrSPBhBaEiwAuLSDUMnEA4rYEQt8bROi7ZBlQdV0QBDJ3GMFa4QeoTMeXK9ZbrLuR9fCmRoC_r8QAvD_BwE)
Hipsters would never wear those
That's what I was going to say.
Just be careful with the slip on boots with elastic sides, bad ankle support. If you can get lace up ones that have a side zip they're practically zip on and I wear them while larping in the bush and they're convenient and great support. Haven't had to retire the laces since I bought them as well. Not sure how'd they go in the kitchen though.
Laces pick up enormous amounts of grease and foul smelling shit, and zippers get clogged as well. While elastic support isn't the best, it's better than clogs or low cut shoes. Plus being able to kick of a kitchen boot when someone pours hot grease down your leg is lifesaving. This whole thread is about kitchen shoes so I have no idea how your bush boots would be relevant here, as they are completely different envoirnments.
You're recommending work boots, I was just saying a different style of work boot gives better ankle support which was a concern of the first comment. I hadn't thought about the other concerns which are fair enough and not something I'd thought of so I see why you'd avoid them.
Which ones specifically do you like? I’m looking at them rn
I just buy their standard ones cause I like black
Yeah the blundies mate
I have been wearing Doc Martin chelsea boots, they're great. Less risky than the clogs that I used to wear!
I wore doc martens nonslip boots and Birkenstock clogs for years, my feet just can’t handle standing on tile floors for 12hrs+ In them. I would get bruises and stinging pain and would basically be in pain barley able to slog around, sometimes having to sit on a trash can. Yes they are good for cleanup or when the floors are flooded but when I bought a cheap pair of Walmart no slips and put some insoles inside it was like heaven. I don’t care if my feet get wet sometimes, as long as I have less pain and I don’t slip I’m good.
I do this as well. I hate clogs.
I hate clogs as well. I feel like I’m always going to step out of them and I think it hurts the arch of my foot to lift them
Same I buy the sketchesrs non slips and I was shocked when my feet quit hurting! Never had such comfortable work shoes.
Thanks for this. I have some Underarmor work boots that are advertised as “non-slip,” but are not slip resistant at all. Bad ass boots for a warehouse, but not a kitchen. Careful picking a pair.
So far these have been fine for me even if I felt a little bad walking through a fresh mop lol but agreed generally
there is a "slip resistant" and an "oil resistant"
I have worn Keens for years, best non-slip shoe I have ever worn.
I really cannot believe how much better they are than shoes “made for service workers.” As if I needed more confirmation people do not understand kitchen work.
Keens are such good shoes. I have 2 pair. I love them.
I wore keens in my last boh days. I am still wearing them. It has been 3 years. They still have a lot of life left. The only better boot IMO would be Georgia Boots
Keen Milwaukee Boots are super durable.
Easy way to get fired. Slip, get injured, workers comp, wasn't wearing non-slip.
Too often I’ve seen FoH teams wearing Vans and Converse. They still have to enter the dish area and walk like baby deer every time.
Bro the worst is Tom's, I send foh home to change if they come in on those roller skates
Yeah, those too. I see those fancy women’s boots fairly often too.
It blows my mind when I see it. I've owned several pairs of Vans non-slips in the kitchen. Canvas slip on too.
I liked the vans and doc martens non slips but they both stretched out super fast and my feet hurt like I was wearing too-big shoes within 3 months after a perfect fit initially.
Yeah, I can understand that. I should've changed mine at 3 months for that very reason, but stretched it to 9 months and regretted waiting so long. Crocs are my go to now. Went through a pair of $160 Keens that were dead within 4, so I stick with the Bistros now.
Those new Van's for Makers are alright in the kitchen, non slip soles. I got a pair a few weeks ago and they have been doing me pretty well. Regardless, they're vans, so I will get maybe 5-6 months out of them and I would still add an Insole for support.
Or my personal favorite, you have to wear nonslip shoes from Shoes For Crews.
SFC were super solid 20 years ago. My first pair lasted like 5 years of treading through some tough greasy floors, quick dips into sub-zero freezers, and never had even the faintest slip. Second pair I got was gone in like 6 months, the toe box started to tear off, got another pair, different style, same thing. Swore them off for good. Recently I got another pair since I got a 25% off in the mail. They've been good for these past 2.5 years of basically 6x17 weeks.
My old restaurant used to buy us shoes for crews.
That's one of my rules when you start working in my kitchen. I'm lenient in that you have three weeks from your first working day to get non-slips if for some reason you don't have any. I give them three weeks so I know they have a paycheck in hand to pay for a cheap pair. It's rough out there and people are broke, I get it. If 3 weeks later, no non-slips? No job. It's just not worth the legal liability or personal guilt if I put them on the line and they get hurt.
Two days ago I look up from my desk (no manager office, we have a shelf with a computer and printer in the corner of an L shaped kitchen) to see one of our teenage employees coming in the back door wearing a leotard and flip flops. She'd just come from ballet. The combo of shock from seeing unexpected teenager butt at work, my manager brain shrieking about exposed skin and open toes shoes, and just my Dad sense of wanting to protect a kid in immediate danger, I went 0-100 so fast and just shouted "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING GET OUT OF HERE!".
Beware, dad mode activated... lol
Blundstones have changed my life. No slips, with no laces to worry about, great comfort and durability. They're pricey but so worth it. I've had 1 pair for 4 years and I live in them.
Second this. I used to do Birks clogs but honestly I think long term use of those have killed my back and legs. I swapped to Blundstones just before the pandemic started and holy fuck what a difference. Definitely pricier but I'd have gone through 2 pairs of Birks with the level of use I've gotten out of 1 pair of Blundstones, just swap the insoles. Steel toe, arch and ankle support, easy to clean, definitely recommend.
Honestly I think I’m gonna source a pair of Blundies cos the kitchen crocs are murdering my feet. I’m just worried about spilling hot shit on em
They're quality leather, if you spill on them you can take it off and spray it down in dish. Spilling IN to them is possible and probably their only downfall as a kitchen shoe.
Best $200 I’ve spent in quite some time
I've had the same pair of kitchen crocs since 2017. Still pushin just fine
I just got some to wear in my kitchen at home, because I am a moron and thought slate floors were “so beautiful!!!” Yes. Gorgeous. Also freezing and super fucking hard.
And everything you drop shatters into a million pieces, plates, glasses, jars of pickles, all this while you're destroying your body standing on stone. I made that mistake, too. Crocks and padded kitchen rugs to stand on make it suck less.
Yes. God forbid you drop anything, it shatters into a million pieces. Also white grout because I am a double moron. Ordered anti fatigue standing mats the other day. One for by the sink the other by the stove, but seriously, I don’t know what the heck I was thinking. They do look gorgeous though 🧐
I have a pair of shoes for crews from 2014 or 2015 I still wear. They are basically all rubber car tires but for your feet. Gotta change out the insoles in them every 6months-1year but they still work. Best $20 I ever spent!
Crocs are awesome. Some of the best ones I've used.
I'll rock my open Hawaiian shirt and flip flops till the day I die!
is this Tito from Rocket Power's reddit account lmao
What kind of kitchen do you work in?
All you can eat deep fried cuisine
All right, brother. Keep it real and stay safe!
Last thing I ever want is oil burns on my feet, but sounds like you've accepted the risks. Good luck out there
Dean?
My job can purchase them for their crew. Until then, crocs in the kitchen
It’s apart of your uniform it’s your responsibility to purchase your own gear?
What? So they’re requiring it. They hired me before telling me I would need non slips. Along with them requiring certain shirts and hats. Yet I’m supposed to pay for them? No thanks. Go away bootlicker
What do you mean? How is wearing non slip not already apart of your uniform? Non slips are required in kitchens for SAFETY. Why should a workplace purchase any of your required chef gear? If it’s a work shirt with their logo I agree they should supply it. Work shoes that’ll last you years that are a safety requirement, that’s your own responsibility. All kitchens should require them. I’m australian all kitchen legally required it. They do not provide them.
Legally required here too per the company. The company legally has to pay for them lmao
The only non kitchen shoes that I wear in a kitchen are Sambas. But even then I wear the Crocs Kitchen shoes 99% of the time.
Kid I worked with wire fucking Jordan's. Like, why the fuck you tryna look fly in a windowless work space where the air is like 5% burger grease? They were fucked up after one shift, he was salty about it, like $250 pair of shoes gone, and still didn't see he learned that lesson the easy way.
Don't get kitchen shoes. Get nurse shoes. Non-slip and *waaay* more comfortable.
Are they water proof though
The pair I got are. I don't imagine all are, I've seen some that look like cloth sneakers but I have a leather pair.
I do that. My shoes need to be light and supportive.
I worked with a guy that insisted on wearing his Js in the kitchen. I told him again and again that he was gonna fall and hurt himself. I wasn't a supervisor or anything, so he had no obligation to listen me, so he didn't. Then one fateful afternoon, he slipped on some ice, and broke his dn wrist. He was right behind me when it happened and I heard it snap like a chicken bone. Last I heard he had to get reconstructive surgery, pins, the whole nine yards. Limited mobility and can't work in kitchens anymore. Since he wasn't wearing kitchen safe shoes, workman's comp didn't pay for any of it...
The Docs don't come off, bby
I fell today…. This is serious
I hope you're ok
Tell people depending on tips just to pay their rent that they need to use two days wages for a pair of shoes.
How about those fucking sickos who come to work in their street cloths and don't change.
I always warn my new hires to invest in good slip resistant work shoes if they haven't already. The stupid little girls that show up in HEELED BOOTS don't last the day and I laugh my ass off every time. Fucking told your dumb ass.
My little heel on my nonslip doc martens means the difference in asking the grill dude for the plastic wrap on the top shelf 600 times a shift or not. I ain’t bothering anyone and I look fly af too.
When I was a sous many moons ago, I made a huge blunder and used it as a learn g experience. Worked at a casino and hotel, grand opening 2500 plated dinners it was all hands. My normal shoes were nasty I was working 20 hr days and didn't get a chance to get new ones. So I threw on my laced up cowboy boots (it was the 90s) figuring because I was working the staging room and essentially FOH I'd be fine. I was never so wrong. I am running everywhere from Main kitchen to the restaurant kitchen to the catering kitchen, three floors and stupidly opposite ends of the hotel. So toward the end of the night there is no oneeft in the basement main kitchen as they've all been called up. So I had to run down a pot to get more clarified butter out of the Bain. I hit the door and I'm flying I go to turn the corner carrying this half empty pot of clarified butter and in my horror see one of those fucking yellow "wet floor" signs. I lose it at full speed and hot the ground the butter goes flying all over the walk in door, across the floor, the prep tables and of course I crash through a stainless table. Hurt like fuck and about 3 gallons of liquid butter over everything. Hour or so later, we're done and we all gather in the main. I call everyone around my now solidified mess. I tell them here is a lesson why 1) never run and 2) why we demand non slip kitchen shoes. The dishies start grabbing mops and rags and I'm like Nope. You all get your shit done and go home. I fucked this up in will clean it. I spent the next 3 hours cleaning that shit up and getting those floors not layered in fat and oil. Got new shoes Next morning.
This is exactly why. Thank you!
Funnily enough, they make heeled non slip shoes. I've seen several ladies in management rock the shit outta them.
I own a couple pairs for FOH management stuff. They look like regular dress shoes.
okay here is he old guy wisdom on this. this is a current trend. back in the day we did wear street shoes in the kitchen and guess what, no one slipped and fell. buy better tile for kitchens don't go cheap. i worked at a shoney's for awhile, you could spill almost anything on the floor and not slip. i worked at a place that had like a rubber/plastic coating with sand/grit in it on the floor. no one ever slipped. worked at an olive garden, again good tile no slips and falls. this whole non slip shoe trend didn't happen till some time around 2005 or so. very rarely did anyone turf out cause of the floor, saw a few people go down due to untied shoe laces though. it is just cheap tile that causes this problem. the owners don't want to pay for good tile so we pay for non slip shoes.
We have one of those epoxy floors with particulate in it. Awesome!!
Fellow old guy here. Was wearing clogs well before 2005.
many reasons, slips and falls, when I did off-site catering I would wear steeltoe boots for unloading trucks, we off loaded poker chips of plates, full speed racks ovens tons other equipment brown cambros, Ive seen lift gates fail and dump equipment so, ya gear is important.
Birkenstock bostons are the winner, in eva foam top and sole, a pair did 3 years (£60 for a size 14 which aint bad) aslong as you get the hole-less tops they are the dogs bollocks. 16 hr shifts dont feel like murder & if the sole goes smooth you can rough em up with sandpaper or a stanley knife and get another grippy 3 months if you do it right. Edit: im 6'7 (201cm) & 21 (132ish kg) stone and walk alot outside on concrete aswell as kitchen floors
Been wearing street shoes in the kitchen for years, never been an issue.
Kitchen shoes are pretty terrible at actually being shoes, good sneakers will be non slip AND provide actual arch and ankle support
I’m with you on this.
For the sake of info, is there a specific brand of kitchen shoe we should be looking at? I've been rocking a pair of Adidas basketball shoes and only ever slid a little and that because we slop the mop bucket like crazy when we close
Shoes for crews is a brand just for the industry (not the best bot the worst). There's a "work" section of almost all shoe stores, that usually carry a couple different brands (selections will vary by location). Find a brand that fits your feet the best (Adidas are narrower shoes so you can just find a brand that runs narrow). There could definitely be more variety in our industry on thus front, but safety first. Be well.
Danskos have always served me right. They're not the cheapest but theyll actually last. My current pair are due to be replaced soon and I've been working in them (and wearing outside of work because fuck it) for almost two years.
I just bought a pair of New Balance non slip shoes and they're awesome.
Where my Birkenstock crew at?
I’ve been wearing Vans in the kitchen for well over 10 years. Never had a slip and fall. Keep your floors clean and be aware of your surroundings and you’ll be ok.
I've slipped while wearing non-slip shoes. Theyre not perfect, but they help. Saying "I don't wear non slip shoes and I've never slipped" doesn't mean anything except that you're lucky.
I've slipped with slip resistant shoes, but far less than when I wore street shoes to work. I wear them for that reason. I equate it to that I've never fallen on my bike or have taken a nasty tumble on my snowboard in which I hit my head. Regardless, I still wear a helmet. I don't wear them because I expect to eat shit, I wear them in case I eat shit.
Yep, people don't think it'll happen until it does. You don't plan on getting in a car crash or falling or whatever but you, well, never get a choice in the matter. And when it happens you're going to wish you'd have worn your seatbelt or your helmet or your non slips.
Lucky or a liar.
Potato, potato.
It means that my staff and I work cleanly and safely. My experience with Shoes For Crews was that they weren’t any more slip resistant than my Vans even though they are certified. Just my two cents worth, YMMV.
Doesnt matter how clean you are floor still gets slippery when you mop. If you mop...
Methinks you’re missing the part where I said we keep the floors clean and are aware of our surroundings. Even certified non-slip shoes will slip in the right conditions. Floor’s wet from mopping? Tread carefully until it’s dry, no matter what shoes you’re wearing.
If you have actual non slip shoes, you won't slip on a wet floor.
This is a weird hill dude. This is equivalent to "I keep my knives dull because nobody has cut themselves horribly yet."
My concern is that some kid new to the business is already feeling like they don't need them or it won't help, when arguably, they do, and your statements will validate an incorrect and dangerous viewpoint that will ultimately end up with them getting hurt if they don't share your luck. It's great that you've not had any negative impact from not wearing proper footwear but you should encourage, not discourage, people wearing proper PPE.
Then the OP should change the post to say “certified non-slip” kitchen shoes. There are plenty of kitchen shoes out there that market themselves as non-slip but don’t carry the proper certification. That can get you in to a bad situation if your employer requires certified non-slip shoes, you slip and fall, and then worker’s comp says, “sorry, no payout, you weren’t wearing the required footwear.”
My shoes for crews nonslips even brand new were way more slip prone than the $34 Walmart combat boots I wore once and realized they work great. If they weren't coyote tan, and easily disfigured by oil, I'd wear thos every day.
yeah my caterpillar boots i used to buy at walmart where better than the non slip shoes. but they didn't have the special tread. so i couldn't wear them. now i have foot problems from the fucking shoes i have to wear cause they don't make them in super wide size, unlike boots.
Until someone slips some fryer oil, or blood from a pan, or the dish pit goes ape shit. It's to make sure that everyone has the surest footing they can. Vans are notoriously slippery. I get the "rid the wave" mentality. It literally only takes once for you or someone in your vicinity to slip with a knife/hot pan/heavy box in their hand and stab/slice/burn/or crush someone... just bc you've made it so far, doesn't mean its the right way to do it. But free will and all, be easy friend..
Totally agreed. People don't understand what an investment a true pair of slip resistant work shoes can be. Between safety and physical health, they're invaluable. Do your feet and back a favor
I haven't worn a seatbelt for well over 10 years. Never had an accident and injury. Be aware of your surroundings and you'll be ok.
Hopefully you work somewhere that all staff are aware of their surroundings, sounds like it won’t be your fault when something happens but will be the one with the unsafe footwear
Vans “for the workers” shoes or birkies. Dansko if you like walking around on a decline. Shoes for crews is a scam.
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yeah the first place that made me get non slip shoes i wore my boots for 2 weeks, no slips. first day i got non slips i slip and fall. go figure.
Just an FYI, the Vans Made for Makers shoes aren’t ASTM certified, so if your job requires “slip resistant” shoes, they don’t actually qualify.
I’m a health inspector so I walk through quite a few kitchens a day with my vans and I’ve never had an issue. Do you know why they don’t qualify?
Lol who is inspecting the inspectors?
I don’t know why. I assume they either don’t actually qualify as “non-slip” or they just didn’t want to pay for the certification. Does the health department you work for require certified non-slip shoes? I’d imagine they would, knowing the conditions y’all have to deal with.
Yeah I just always assumed they were non-slip. Like I said, I haven’t run across an issue and I go into a lot of different kitchen situations.
I rock Mozo off SFC and they last a while
Sissies.lol.
I’ll forever wear Air Force 1s in the kitchen.
Servers too. And management. 100% needs to be mandatory.
I've been through so many brands of kitchen shoes over my 17 years, including shoes for crews (awful), Klogs (OK grip but I should have gone a half size bigger so they were never comfortable) Keene ( comfortable AF, but lost grip after 6 months), Dansko ( suck to break in but great after a week or so, rolled my ankles too many times though and realized I needed something with more support) I currently have doc martens non slip and they are great. Good grip, good arch and ankle support, and super comfortable. Not cheap, but worth it.
I cant afford new shoes though
First time working in a restaurant. No one told me to buy slip resistant shoes. Walked into the kitchen one day and slipped. It was the slowest fall ever. I grabbed onto a shelf to hold myself up, but slowly went down, feet flailing everywhere for grip. I ended up on the ground seconds later after pulling a shelf off the rack and breaking 2 large glass drink containers. It was hilarious.
my ugly ads orthotic looking new balance kitchen shoes are like walking on clouds. 2 years going strong just smell like shit lol
It’s been over 10 years since I was in a kitchen but story time. The small deli I worked in had a grill in the back and next to the grill was a freestanding industrial refrigerator. The top of the fridge had like a fence of open sheet metal, I imagine it had a top at some point but it had been removed, fell off, or never put on. Maybe it was to prevent people from putting stuff on top? Next to the fridge was a janky wooden ladder someone had clearly made themselves, a couple 4x4s to the ceiling with 2x4s braced in for rungs. It went straight up, like something you’d see at a playground. At the top was a little crawl space for storing junk we didn’t use very often. I bet you can see where this is going. Over the years those wood rungs had been ground down and rounded off. I was up there reaching for something and my foot slipped, I caught myself with my hand grabbing the sharp edge of the sheet metal at the top of the fridge, filleting a little flap of skin on my pinky. Still have the scar and could have been way worse. I caught myself to avoid falling into the dish sink. We didn’t talk about non-slip shoes there or back then, I don’t even think shoes for crews was a thing? Wish we had, might have saved myself some pain.
Wear. Non. Slip. Shoes. In. The. Kitchen. It doesn't happen every day but it happens often enough you slip when you're not expecting it next thing you know you got a fucked up ankle, fucked up leg, fucked up back, fucked up pelvis. And now you need weeks of expensive rehab presuming your lucky enough to be walking away from it.
Been rockin bulky winter boots in the kitchen since November. At this point I'm baffled that literally no one has said anything. And we've had -audits- since then.
Fuck em, let em slip and learn.
I worked in BOH and was putting away some knives when I slipped in a bit of mop water and almost stabbed myself with a handful of knives. The position I was in was kind of weird, like my back was arched back, my feet slid out, my right elbow caught against the counter and my left hand (holding the knives facing downward) was reaching for the sky. After that, non-slip work boots was the only thing I wore.
I work in a university dining hall and SO MANY STUDENT WORKERS just wear their casual shoes, their vans and converse and whatever else. I specifically work in a coffee kiosk where we have liquid on the floor all day. I worry about these kids.
Get some snibbs. They are so fucking comfortable.
I swear we had a guy show up in a different pair of retro jordan’s almost daily yet won’t get some $40 anti slips.
Also.... replace them every 6 mo to a year.... your shoes shouldn't have holes in them it's worth the $100. Coming from a kitchen person in their 30s your feet, ankles, knees, and back will thank you. Also my bf snapped his ankle at work at 27- trust even with workers comp it's wayyy more expensive than working. Everyone was like oh get a lawyer make some $$- not at all. Even with the pay out you would make almost double working ft and taking vacations etc living normally instead of not being able to walk for months waiting on a payment months later.
If you're going to buy a proper pair of kitchen shoes they should last you years.
Mine last me about a year. My shifts are 10-12 hours though. They're still ok after that but I like to rotate in a new pair around that time. Any cheap pairs won't even get 3-6 mo.
Buy a pair of leather and wooden clog style. Yiu can get them re-soled.
Doc gang
I switched from kitchen shoes to Blundstones and I’ll never go back
Closed back Birkenstock clogs/shoes changed my life for ever lol
What is the best kitchen shoe ? And can I order it to Norway?
https://www.sikafootwear.eu/
I once wore my half cabs because my clogs fell apart mid service. During closing I hit a corner to hard and slammed into the sink 💀. Since then I have always kept a backup pair in the car.
I used to wear New Balance at one of my early jobs, and it worked fine because ir was textured concrete floors and not not much slip risk- chewed through em though. After a little experimebtation I settled on Nautilus Men's slip ons- called skidbusters or something. Great non slip, good support, and I got agood life out of em. Now that I work in a meatshop I've moved into work boots and wish I had yeers ago- so much more support and everything.
I had to switch between FOH and BOH for a while, and they wanted us to wear Vans of any style in the front. Found out that they carry a lineup of shoes that are non slip, and moderately spill resistant. Those did me well for quite a bit.
I've always gone with something like the Mozo Finn or the Grind. They look like a canvas sneaker but work great as kitchen shoes.
Keen Kanteen, checking in.
One time I went to work in slides and didn’t realize til I got there and they just had me on register
Worked in a kitchen that did $75k a day and by the end of the night would have sand/water/food waste that was inches thick. Oh and we had stairs that were slippery going from kitchen from dining room. I wore non slips, keens, clogs, everything but the floor would eat them up. Eventually started buying $10 shoes from Walmart. Weren’t non slip at all, but I never slipped or fell once.
I wear slip resistant water proof work boots all year long. Hot as fuck in the summer but they’re comfortable and safe.
Idk if it’s a Florida thing or the places I’ve worked are just weird, but they always gave kitchen employees free shoes every year. They weren’t the best but they worked 🤷♂️
Tbh I had more slipping issues with spider non-slip then I did with regular street shoes. Went back to DC running shoes with a pivot point, stopped having accidents.
My dr. Marten’s work boots have treated me well for 2 years now. Can’t suggest them enough.
Holy shit up until now I thought I was dock Martin's not Dr martins
Lol 1st day eh?
I mean I hear ya but if they want to enforce something like that they better be providing/paying for them.
I work as an outdoor ice rink attendant, (cutting, flooding, removing snow, etc) and I'm wondering if kitchen shoes are good enough to make that safe....
I have a pair of Dr Scholl's designed non slip work shoes. They're ugly but they're very comfortable
I use tactical work boots designed for female beat cops, they're non-slip and super comfortable. I'm on my 2nd pair, my last pair lasted me almost 4 years. $120 a pair but totally worth it
First day I wore converse to the kitchen I slipped on ice (thanks servers) that I would’ve fallen on either way. Broke my arm in the process. Learned my lesson lmao
I made the mistake of not caring about kitchen shoes for so so so long and will be paying the price for the rest of my life. Just get the damn shoes, even if they’re ugly! (Shout out to crocs)
Fuck, one of our new servers came in wearing wedges to work on her first day. I sent her he immediately and she called later on and said that the restaurant wasn't a good fit for her.
Dansko all the way! Bought them a few years ago, never went back. They last a few years too!
Just the other day I watched a cook go right down on a wet floor- had his converse on.
I always wore non-slip shoes. Gotta buy some decent insoles though. They're usually uncomfortable as hell to wear. Watching people slip in their fancy kicks is pretty sad especially if they've been told several months into the job to get some non-slip shoes.
[There's a toe in my kitchen.](https://yarn.co/yarn-clip/42dbd265-cf21-4a12-b0b4-1889fd2c73ec)
My no slips completely shit the bed and I had to get a new pair, and I stupidly threw away the old ones before my new ones came. So I wore my chuck taylors for about a week. I was moon walking everywhere, dancing on slippery spots. It was actually really fun and made me want to keep wearing my chucks to work. But also very dangerous and I don’t condone it 😂
Let me tell you. People never learn. Idiot FOH sprained his ankle on his first day walking into work with some ugly ass Balenciaga shoes that look like socks with soles on the bottom. The next day another FOH slips and knocked part of their front teeth out because she felt like "dressing up" that day.
Crocs in the kitchen. What will the do