When chefs are looking for new shoes, they commonly look to buy cheaper priced shoes. We can't blame them, it's nice to spend less and have some money left to spend on more fun activities rather than spending all your hard earned cash on shoes for work. However, cheap shoes don't always offer the best support for your feet and can cause aches and pains for your back.
What you lose when you buy cheap chef shoes
1) Durability
"You get what you pay for," you've heard the phrase and this is often true in the world of shoes. Cheaper shoes can be badly made and as they aren't usually made with genuine leather or other durable materials, they aren't designed to last.
Chef shoes face many different elements during their wear. Hot spills, sharp objects and colourful sauce splatters are just a few obstacles chef shoes need to be able to defend against on a daily basis. Cheaper shoes can get discoloured and easily damaged as they aren't created to survive long term wear.
2) Comfort
Wearing the same shoes every day can deteriorate the support of the soles so eventually you can find your shoes feel very uncomfortable to wear. Cheaper shoes often don't have cushioned insoles and strong support for long term wear. Buying a cheap pair of stylish looking shoes can look nice but they aren't a treat for your feet.
3) Protection
Just as the durability of the shoes decline, you can often find the protection the shoe originally offered declines too. Workers who wear composite toe capped shoes, for example, often need to replace their shoes after their shoes have protected them from a potential injury because hard forces against the shoe can make the composite safeguard not as reliable.
Kitchens can have many health and safety risks as you're working around sharp objects, hot liquids and you're working alongside your colleagues in a busy and fast environment. Whilst you're working, you don't want to be worrying about the safety of your feet. Buy work shoes that are designed for long term wear and protection.
4) Style
Cheaper shoes often lack style or even if they do look fancy, the cheap design eventually rubs away or discolours against the elements. You might not want to spend more on a pair of shoes but a higher price tag can usually suggest the shoes are made from higher grade materials that will last longer and resist aging damage.
5) Slip Resistance
The grip resistance of a shoe's tread is responsible for keeping you safe against slips and falls at work. As cheaper shoes are made from cheaper materials the slip-resistant tread declines faster or they may not have any slip resistance at all.
When working in a kitchen, it's important you wear shoes that are slip resistant to help you reduce chances of slipping on greasy or wet surfaces. Employers try to keep the workplace safe for their employees but workers can improve their own safety by wearing reliable footwear.
Shoes For Crews has the highest slip resistant grip rating which identifies their work shoes as the best shoes for work. As their shoes are designed for long term wear they are designed to keep people on their feet and resist accidental slips.
Your feet don't deserve cheap chef shoes
When you buy chef shoes on the cheap, you might be saving a few extra coins in your pocket but in the long term, the expense of buying more replacement shoes will still outweigh the price of a good pair of slip resistant chef shoes.
Zinc reliable clogs with self-massaging insoles for chefs
Buying the right shoes for work can sometimes seem more expensive compared to a cheaper option. But buying the correct footwear for your job is an investment as they are designed for long term wear. You're not only buying a pair of shoes, you're buying durability, comfort, protection, style and slip-resistance.
Buy your next pair of chef's shoes now!
What type of chef do you want to be? Do you have the answer?
Our complete Guide to Chef Jobs, outlines every chef job in the industry. It is the perfect handbook for chefs who aren't sure what career path to take or people considering a career as a chef. Download your free copy of our guide and use it as a roadmap to your future career: