Foodservice clog tips?

I'm starting culinary school this fall and am currently in the process of getting all of my "stuff" (i.e. uniforms, knife kits, etc.)

Does anyone have any recommendations for foodservice clogs? I was thinking about getting a pair of Croc Bistros, but am open to suggestion.

Thanks!

You are going to be standing on a concrete or tile for approximately 12 hours per day so whatever shoes you purchase MUST provide sufficient support for your arches and be very comfortable.

Second, make sure that the soles are rubber, not leather. If you wear leather soles, you will soon find out that leather will absorb grease. Once the soles absorb the grease and you walk on a wet floor, you will find out why this is critical. Remember that the most serious injuries in the kitchen are as a result of falls.

Third, make sure that the uppers are leather or a non-absorbant material (like leather or a plastic). You want uppers that are relatively waterproof as well as knife prood (as much as possible). You do not want to be wearing tennis shoes when you pour boiling water on your feet or drop a knife that hits your foot.

Hi,

If you want to see me move exceptionally fast, then check my reaction when I drop a knife on the floor. Years ago, a friend's MIL dropped a Cuisinart steel blade on her foot. She was in a wheelchair for weeks waiting for that injury to mend.

In our LTHforum tradition of sidebar conversations in threads, I found this post drifting into footware that may be of interest.

Regards,

The shoes that got me through culinary school were Shoes for Crews which you can order online. I spent the first few quarters wearing Danskos, which everyone said were the best. I thought they were too hard and hurt my feet, plus they're expensive.

Good luck with school!

I am a huge fan of Crocs. They are the only shoes I can wear all day that don't leave me limping home. When I was in culinary school I started out in Danskos and then moved to Birki's, neither of which I liked. Though Cathy brings up a good point about knife-dropping. Then again, I make chocolate, so knives aren't a big part of my day-to-day operations.

I wear Klogs when cooking. Non-skid, supportive, comfortable. You can find them online (www.klogs.com) as well as at Work 'n Gear on Dempster & Harlem in Morton Grove.

I have tried evey clog in the book and I suggest either crocs or birkenstock. Both wear well, are washable and keep water out of your heel. The crocs are better in my oppinion because they are cheap. The more expensive the clog the quicker they fall apart. I have tried 3 danskos and they all fell apart in a month.The worst pair I had were Mephistos the buckles are made for a much more leasurly career. Good luck, finding a good shoe is a huge part of the job.

Merrell - they have an industry shoe with a non-slip (water, grease, blood) sole and leather upper - super comfortable and light - you can buy them online or at stores that carry the brand (they may have to order it for you). I tried about 8 different shoes before I found this one - keep trying until you find a fit.

I love my Danskos. They aren't the softest, but have the best support for your hips, knees and back. They also last forever if you get the oiled finish.

I work 5 12 hour shifts and have tried dansko's and crocs, and i am currently wearing earth shoes. they are by far the least stressful on my back and calves, and feature a non-slip rubber sole as well. they were expensive, ($130) but worth every penny. Hey, a true testament, I wear them even when I'm not working. They were designed by someone studying human footprints walking on wet sand, so the heel sits lower than the rest of the shoe, making you slightly lean back constantly. It sounds different but give them a shot. I got mine at Alamo shoes in andersonville, or you could try online or I bet Hanigs would carry some.

I have no experience with these clogs, myself, but I've heard and read good things about Clogmaster. They're custom-fit and -made--and not cheap.

Check out "Being Measured for a Bit of Sweden"

I must add that the Danskos I had were very comfy, pobably the most comfortable of all the clogs I have worn. The problem is that being a man I am not used to the heel that they have and after about 3 hours my toes get all crunched up.

I resisted wearing them for nearly 25 yrs, then someone gifted me with a pair of klogs a couple years ago and I never looked back. They work for me and I also wear them with civilian attire, unless it's winter.

This also will depend on your feet. If you have flat feet you will need different support than someone with high arches. I love Danskos because of their arch support. I am not on my feet all day, but do have a really bad case of plantar fasciitis. In most other shoes I replace the insole with the green "performance" one from Superfeet (I get them at Fleet Feet Sports here in Chicago, but you can buy them online too). Also important are good socks. I love the Smartwool ones with the padded sole.

Check out Footsmart for lots and lots of foot health and support items.

http://www.fleetfeetsports.com
http://www.superfeet.com
http://www.smartwool.com
http://www.footsmart.com

I've not been to culinary school, so I don't know about protecting feet from knives and such, but I am a clutz with a history of back issues who spends long stretches on my feet. I love, love, love my Danskos. I'm sure they've saved me from more than a few broken or at least sore toes, softening the impact of very large, heavy books being dropped on my feet. Also, I have some residual arch problems from years of ballet. My arches never both me when I wear my Danskos. Most of my back problems have also gone away since I started wearing Danskos almost full time. I do think they take a while to get worn in and mold to your feet--I didn't become inseparable from my two pairs until after about a year of constant wear. My oldest pair, which I still wear, is six years old. I've also owned even more expensive Swedish clogs. They were more fashionable--didn't even come close to Danskos.

As for Earth shoes, I really wanted to like them, but my experience was disappointing. I like the length I feel in my calves when I wear them, but I experience lower back pain any time I walk in them for more than an hour.

i'm on my feet all day and couldnt do it without danskos. of course every foot is different- but the first time i tried them, it was like cinderella trying on the glass slipper-a match made in heaven. there are 3 ways to buy them. in the store, where i think they run about $130. i suggest going , trying them on, make notes of the styles and size that you like, if you do. then, go to the danskooutlet where the shoes run about $65. or do what i do, compulsively, and bid on them on e bay. there are always dozens to choose from (if you're a women, fewer choices for men), and i've paid anywhere from $2(very lucky) to a high of $42 for my blue suede clogs. you can find them used or new, but i have no problem putting my feet where others have been before. lots of the used one are barely used. mine last for years. figjustin needs to relax those toes and his shoes should last longer than a month. you also need to let the heel deliberately flop a little. it doesnt take long to get used to them.

the other shoe that i love is from famolare. they used to be made in italy, now in vermont with fewer styles. they have a wavy bottom which is extremely comfortable. they sell only thru their website, but are also on ebay. the wavy bottom is called the 'get there' shoe. they also have really high platforms, which , of course, wouldnt be good for cooking school.

without question i'd use crocs. The thing about Crocs are:

1. they mold to your feet
2. they are lightweight
3. Comfortable even after 12 hours
4. Easily washable - just throw them in with your laundry
5. Cheap and easily replaceable

I worked in an ER for 4 years and i was on my feet running for the entire 13 hour shift. I tried everything in the book before i settled on Crocs. I would never even consider using something else.

I never liked clogs because I couldn't get them with steel toes. Why, steel toes you may ask? Do an inventory in a freezer and reach up to count frozen turkeys and drop one on your toe from 6 feet up. Then you'll find out why clogs are lame. A professional kitchen is an industrial workplace, and while clogs may be stylish they just won't cut it. I always used steel-toed Sears Die Hards when working in a professional kitchen. They don't slip on grease and oil either. If you must wear clogs, make sure they are the type with a back covering your heel. In a professional kitchen you can literally fall off your shoes and twist an ankle in those wooden-bottomed clogs with the hustle and bustle, and that really hurts. Don't drop a 10-inch chef's knife on those Crocs either, you'll lose a toe. Spill a pot of boiling pasta water or soup on them and the holes will let in the water on those tootsies. You'll have to stay home, no workie for you!

OldStove wrote:I never liked clogs because I couldn't get them with steel toes. Why, steel toes you may ask? Do an inventory in a freezer and reach up to count frozen turkeys and drop one on your toe from 6 feet up. Then you'll find out why clogs are lame. A professional kitchen is an industrial workplace, and while clogs may be stylish they just won't cut it. I always used steel-toed Sears Die Hards when working in a professional kitchen. They don't slip on grease and oil either. If you must wear clogs, make sure they are the type with a back covering your heel. In a professional kitchen you can literally fall off your shoes and twist an ankle in those wooden-bottomed clogs with the hustle and bustle, and that really hurts. Don't drop a 10-inch chef's knife on those Crocs either, you'll lose a toe. Spill a pot of boiling pasta water or soup on them and the holes will let in the water on those tootsies. You'll have to stay home, no workie for you!

I may adopt this for home, too. You never see me move so fast as when a knife is dropping to the floor. A friend's MIL once dropped a Cuisinart blade on her foot, she was in a wheelchair for three weeks.

Regards,

I've not yet dropped a knife on my foot, thankfully, but I have done some serious damage to my pinkie toe by dropping a jar of pickles on it...twice in one day. It is a wonder the jar didn't break, though I can't say the same for the toe. There are pictures of all the shades of purple and black it turned, but I just can't do that to you all, so they'll stay hidden.

The most PAINFUL accident that I ever had was to drop a fully loaded changer (I was a carhop.) on my big toe. In front of five people. Everyone else was laughing very hard.

My Dad and I both ended up with black eyes the same week once when I was in college. I was learning to juggle clubs and knocked myself in the face; he was fixing the garage door opener and dropped a hammer the bridge of his nose. We were quite a pair!

Gravity is strangely strong around members of my family. We are forever dropping things or tripping on things.

I'm glad I have simple leftovers to heat up for dinner tonight. I think handling a sharp knife after talking so much about dropping things would all but guarantee that I'd drop it on my foot.

I have never forgotten the day one of my co-workers at Starbucks dropped a full urn of literally scalding-hot coffee on her foot. She didn't take off her shoes and socks quickly, and the scalded skin stuck to her socks - her recovery was quite a painful process involving skin grafts, IIRC.

Since then, my response to dropping boiling liquids on my toes (a common mishap when handling coffee and soups) was always to quickly jump away, drop to the floor and strip my feet to the skin: a sight which is never appreciated by customers, but I've saved myself many a painful burn in that way - if you get your socks off quickly enough, the burning liquid doesn't have time to soak through to your skin. (Of course, a crowded commercial kitchen may not have enough room for this technique, but you should have a plan - it's inevitable.)

You can always go back and clean up afterwards, but skin is forever - just a little tidbit on how important this issue is.

Cathy2 wrote:I may adopt this for home, too. You never see me move so fast as when a knife is dropping to the floor. A friend's MIL once dropped a Cuisinart blade on her foot, she was in a wheelchair for three weeks.

Steel toes seem like a sensible precaution to me.

Some years ago I did permanent damage to my foot by dropping a 2-pound jar of honey on my instep. Crutches for weeks, physical therapy for months and I still can't wear high heels.

I have worn a variety of footwear ranging from merrill hiking shoes(goretex) to crocs to a pair of, for lack of a better name, Referee shoes, they are a pair of lace up shoes with what is called a ripple sole that virtually propells you forward. Great for walking and general on your feet work, but if the floor is wet you tend to slip if you move even somewhat sideways. The best for me now have been crocs, if i drop a knife on my toes, anything short of steel toes could mean trouble. I don't have the plantar fasciitis pain anymore though!

I'm enjoying my Walmart bought medium-duty non-slips. They come in a yellow box. Much better than the (literally) shitty "shoes for crews" slip-ons provided by the employer.

I could only find one source online for the ripple sole shoes http://www.villageshoes.com/stmameru.html. I know in the past I could find them at a shoe store in Skokie,Wolinski's ? something like that. They were very comfortable to walk in, kinda pricey--about $80 -- that was a WHILE ago, and even compared to the crocs they looked kinda dorky, especially if you wear shorts( black lace up leather uppers and the black rubber ripple sole).

Hi,

Not about clogs, about the socks you wear underneath.

People in the healthcare profession are on their feet all day like cooks. I recently learned many healthcare professionals wear support stockings at work. They experience far less leg fatigue at the end of the day when they do. I started asking around, then people would lift up their pants to show their stockings. Apparently long distance runners wear support stockings, which have lots of interesting patterns and styles.

If you find yourself working on your feet for extended periods, support stockings are your friend.

Regards,