As a chef, you know you need to wear the right work shoes in the kitchen. Working in a busy kitchen, means there's a higher chance of wet floors, spilt liquids and broken glass. Your work shoes play an important role in keeping you safe and comfortable whilst you work. To help you avoid having to buy new shoes every few months, we've created a shoe care guide for chefs. Here is how you can protect your chef shoes to make them last longer.
5) Buy reliable and durable chef shoes
6) Invest in the best chef shoes for work
1) Wipe down regularly
It's important to keep your shoes clean. Any stains from bolognese sauce or marks from curry powder can permanently damage the appearance of your shoes.
Wiping your shoes down regularly with a clean, damp cloth will help remove any old dirt. Rubber chef clogs are very easy to clean. All they need is a cloth to clean away any obvious stains. If you want to give them a more thorough wash, the rubber doesn't take long to dry.
Zinc EVA clogs that are light, comfortable and easy to clean..
As waterproof chef shoes are so quick and easy to clean, you can wipe them down quick and easy after every shift. Keeping your shoes clean, means they will likely last longer.
2) Don't wash too often
Whilst it's important to regularly clean your work shoes, you need to avoid throwing them in the washing machine too often. The benefit of a high powered washing machine is they give your shoes a thorough wash, you'll struggle to achieve by yourself.
However, too many washes for your work shoes will slowly degrade their appearance. Only turn to the washing machine if your shoes are starting to smell or your shoes are in dire need of an extreme clean. Avoid high temperature washes, stick to a lower temperature and don't mix with bright clothing. You don't want to go to work wearing pink clogs because you washed them with a red shirt.
3) Waterproof your shoes
Ideally, you should be wearing waterproof or water resistant shoes in a kitchen. They stop your feet from getting wet. It's one of the worst feelings having wet feet whilst working a 9 hour shift. If you don't have waterproof shoes, you can get protector sprays that put a temporary protective layer over your shoes. The downside of this is you'll have to spray your shoes every week.
The next time you're buying work shoes, one of the best ways to protect chef's shoes is to buy shoes that are already waterproof. Protective sprays damage the exterior appearance of your shoes and they're not as reliable as waterproof shoes.
4) Let them dry properly
If you've washed your shoes or they've been drenched from heavy rainfall, you need to give them time to dry before you wear them again. Wearing wet shoes can damage the interior of the shoe and they will cause your feet to feel wet (which isn't good for your health).
Even though it's tempting, don't put them on the radiator or near a heater. Get some newspaper and stuff inside the shoes. The paper will absorb the moisture. Drying them with this method will help your shoes last longer.
5) Buy reliable and durable chef shoes
There are different ways you can protect your work shoes but the easiest way to get longer lasting shoes is to buy good durable footwear. Have you heard the phrase, "you get what you pay for?" That's what happens with chef shoes, if you buy them cheap, you get cheap shoes.
6) Invest in the best chef shoes for work
At Shoes For Crews (Europe) Ltd. we specialise in slip resistant chef work shoes. You can go to work knowing you're wearing shoes that are designed to help reduce slips, trips and falls at work. Because they are made from high quality materials, they are easy to maintain and they last longer. Visit our shop to find your next pair of shoes:
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