The 7 Best Chef Shoes, According to the Pros (2024)

Behind each exquisite dish that leaves the pass is you, the chef. You stand for hours on end, chopping, cooking, and creating. You may have even maneuvered around a loud call for "hot behind" to avoid a collision with a teammate carrying scalding liquid. Maybe you stopped right in your tracks for a grease spill on the floor. The spills may not happen every day, but standing for hours on hard concrete floors is a chef’s everyday life.

"Working substrates in commercial kitchens are often tiles or concrete with mats. However, mats may not always be used in certain areas. Concrete is a killer for your feet, knees, and back," says Vahé Mekhitarian, owner of Menu for You, reflecting on decades of working in professional kitchens.

Standing and walking on hard surfaces for hours on end fatigues the feet and can cause issues like backaches and sprains. Wearing the right kind of shoes to properly support your body is as important as having your favorite knife with you on the job. So, we asked seasoned chefs what shoes they liked to wear to decrease fatigue, increase safety, and navigate safely through a busy kitchen.

Our Top Picks

How We Tested

After extensive online research to find the top-rated chef shoes on the market, we bought 18 different pairs from popular brands and tried them out ourselves. The shoes went through rigorous testing with experienced at-home testers, including wearing them for up to 10 hours at a time, examining the steadiness of the treads, and documenting comfortability during the breaking-in process. After several months of real-world testing, we narrowed the list down to the very best options.

How to Select the Right Chef Shoe

Why Are Kitchen Shoes Important?

You need to stay on your toes if you work in a kitchen, as they’re often busy and tightly packed with slippery floors and hot surfaces—even a small slip can lead to serious injury. Kitchen safety is key and the correct footwear is paramount to staying safe and on your feet (literally).

Of course, chef shoes are for much more than just avoiding kitchen mishaps. Since the work involves mostly standing or walking around, comfort and support are must-haves to negate fatigue and aches. Finding the right pair of chef shoes makes work easier, safer, and simply more comfortable.

Purchasing Guidelines

• The right fit: This may seem like a no-brainer, but when it comes to work shoes, finding the correct size and fit is vital. If a shoe is too big, it can trip you up or fall off and get in someone’s way. If it’s too small, the shoes will pinch or squish your feet and cause distracting discomfort or painful blisters.
• No-slip grip: Look for shoes with strong grips. Kitchen floors can grow slick from spills or mop water, and nobody wants to fall.
• Comfort and support: If you’re on your feet while on the clock, you’ll need a comfortable shoe. Avoid aches and pains by getting a sturdy shoe that cushions your feet and offers support for your arches.
• Water-resistance: To cut down on cleaning stains, consider looking for shoes that are water-resistant or waterproof.

Common Mistakes When Purchasing Chef Shoes

• Fashion over function: Prioritize comfort, grip, fit, and support over flashy aesthetics. Chef shoes are bound to get messy, so focusing solely on looks won’t help you. In this case, practicality is better than fashion.
• Short lifespan: While chef shoes may not be the most glamorous, you don’t want to just go with the cheapest pair available. Look for shoes with durable material so they’ll last a long time and hold up under working conditions.

What to Look for in Chef Shoes

Material

In a professional kitchen, shoes play a key role in preventing any slips and falls. The material with which shoes are made and the design of the shoe help enhance the protection that professional and certified shoes offer. Leather, rubber, and polyethylene are the leading choice of materials. These materials resist liquids, oils, and grease and are easy to clean.

Design

• Shock absorption: Because kitchens floors are hard surfaces, walking and standing on them results in muscle fatigue. To avoid stressing your legs and feet, choose shoes that have good shock absorption and a comfortable footbed.An even distribution of weight in the footbed reduces fatigue.
• Slip resistance: Look for shoes that have either an SRA, SRB, or SRC certification. These labels mean that the soles of the shoes were tested with soap solutions on tiles (SRA) or a stainless-steel surface coated with a glycerol solution (SRB). For both these tests, the shoes face highly slippery conditions. A rating of SRC means that both the SRA and SRB tests were conducted.
• Breathability: A shoe with enhanced airflow or moisture-wicking fabric will keep your feet cool in the heat of the kitchen and keep you comfortable.
• Comfort/style: This factor is a personal choice. After all, the shoe and you are going to be spending a lot of time together. It is best to get comfortable. Lace-up or slip-on?Both have their own merits. Slip-ons are easy to get in and out of and are usually much easier to clean and disinfect. Lace-up styles offer a more secure hold. If you need more arch support or more room in the toe box, pick a shoe that has the features you are comfortable in.

Ease of Care

Chef shoes will certainly take a beating over their lifetime—sauce spills, scuffs, long shifts. After a full day of work, the last thing you want to deal with is a shoe that’s difficult to clean and maintain. Before you purchase a pair, check out the cleaning recommendations. Can you toss them into a washing machine or dishwasher? Do they just need a light spot-cleaning with a damp cloth or toothbrush? Will a simple rinse off with a hose do? If a pair of shoes requires more in-depth cleaning than you’re willing to give, maybe look for a different set.

FAQs

How do you clean chef shoes?

To clean the top of the shoe, use a light brush and a damp cloth to get the dirt and spills off the shoe. To clean the outsole, spray with a garden hose and allow the shoes to dry completely. For a deeper cleaning of the chef shoes, always check instructions from the manufacturer. Some leather shoes cannot be submerged in water, whereas some clogs can be just tossed in the washer to clean.

Are steel-toe shoes important for a chef?

Chefs are not required to wear steel-toe shoes. It usually is a personal preference and sometimes can depend on the design and comfort of the shoe. For some chefs, steel-toe shoes could provide better protection depending on the station they are working at. For example, someone working at meat fabrication and using big knives all day long or someone using heavy utensils to cook food in large quantities could benefit from the extra protection steel-toe shoes provide.

Should other kitchen workers wear chef shoes?

Chef shoes are designed to make working in the kitchen safer for everyone. Anyone who must come into the kitchen regularly to complete their tasks should wear a chef's shoe for their own safety and the safety of others.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Personal chef and food educatorRenu Dharis used to standing for long hours while working. She owns a few of the recommended shoes and is always looking for shoes that help reduce fatigue and are safe in the work environment. She interviewed professional chefs to get their recommendations based on hours of standing on their feet in professional kitchens.

Allison Wignall, who updated this article, went through her fair share of kitchen shoes. She wishes she had a guide like this to help her invest in long-lasting shoes instead of tossing out pairs every few months. Her work has been featured in publications including Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Southern Living.

Sources

• Vahé Mekhitarian is the owner of Menu for You.
• Zachary Patz is the former chef de cuisine at Il Posto in Denver.
• Denis Zvekic is the executive chef at Kachina Cantina in Denver.
• Jason Maybee is a member of the Denver Chefs Collaborative.
• Madhoo Seth is the owner ofRootsrestaurant andThe Gourmet Kitchen Cateringin Colorado.
• Justin Ryan Fulton is a freelance consultant with past positions that include executive chef at Pernoi in Birmingham, Michigan, and chef de cuisine at French Louie in Brooklyn, New York.
• Cammie Reed is the owner of Round the Table, a Colorado-based personal chef service.
• Taylor Westbrook is the owner of By the Brook Tempehin Saxapahaw, North Carolina.

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