10 Most Comfortable Kitchen Shoes for Men & Women

Did you know?

Standing or walking on your feet for hours lead to several physical ailments apart from pain and inflammation!

To fix it, invest the most comfortable kitchen shoes that prevent you from slipping on the wet areas and sail you through long shifts smoothly. They will make you feel comfortable all day on the job.

So why wait?

For a professional look and non-skid wear, let’s have a look at my top picks of the kitchen work shoes below:

Most comfortable kitchen shoes for standing all day

When choosing restaurant shoes, it’s a must-do to get those with extra cushion for further support on your feet. But on top of that, the footwear needs good ventilation to ensure the feet not to smell even after long hours of work.

Top 5 picks for men

Now be on the lookout for some decent options, check out these Best Slip Resistant Shoes, or simply just start up with the Crocs.

1. Crocs Unisex Classic Clog

Crocs is known as a global leader in footwear and constantly contributing to the future of shoe comfort. For that reason, you can’t ignore Crocs Unisex Classic Clog this time – it’s unique, comfortable, and safe for your job as a chef!

However, on top of that…

The shoe owns a proper ventilation right in the upper area and a great traction outsole, which makes itself a suitable performer for wet and slippery floors. But you can think of million other places you might like to wear it.

For me, the first impression on these safety shoes is “very comfortable and supportive”! I used to have the arthritis in the feet, and wearing these make me surprisingly comfy and secure on any surface.

They’re just exactly what you expect, easy to clean, and waterproof. Feel free to wear them for work or quick slipping on or off. Sure enough, the shoes are better than some other flip flops, especially when you need more protection. However, its back strap is a bit short, which sometimes pushes your feet further into the shoe.

Pros:

  • Highly durable and comfortable
  • Ideal for yard work
  • Offer some tootsie protection
  • Easy to clean

Cons:

  • A bit smaller and lower in the shoebox
  • Can’t be exposed to the UV

2. OOFOS Unisex OOcloog Clog

Are you looking for non-slip footwear on the job?

Then look no further than OOFOS Unisex OOcloog Clog, which can help you sail through any long work shift. For some servers who easily developed plantar fasciitis in the foot, I know that the pain feels extremely terrible each day.

How about giving Oofos a try in your last effort?

They won’t disappoint you, especially when the shoes never feel as huge and clunky as other casual slide-ins. The support on your arches is quite fantastic no matter if you choose to wear them around all day long. And my suggestion for you is to wear them with a pair of socks for added comfort in case you’ve got big bunions.

If you’re not sure whether it makes you through the long day or not, then wear the shoes from day one. You’ll see that Oofos has a lot of cushions, so it causes every stride to be slightly bouncier. Wait for the end of your workday, when you’re still in the footwear; you would believe that the shoe offers much better arch support than you expected.

Pros:

  • Not as big and clunky as other regular slide-ins
  • Comfortable and easy to wear without socks
  • Highly recommended for your plantar fasciitis
  • Supportive and super soft for high arches

Cons:

  • Easily bendable and so soft
  • Feel like a snuggler fit

3. Skechers Mcallen

Skechers is not strange to you, right?

The brand has always been a big boss in the footwear industry that appeals the most to trendy men and women. And I’m sure that you would love its new pair – Skechers for Work Men’s Flex Advantage for some good reasons.

First of all, if you’re not the one looking for beauty, then you instantly love the looks of these shoes. Being simple and professional are the best words to describe them!

They feel pretty comfortable when it comes to working apparel. Though each person will be different in whatever they love, I still recommend them to you for the looks, safety, and comfort. Maybe you should buy some inserts if you want more padding. And then you’re probably impressed with your posture thanks to those raised soles that can prevent water intake quite well. Then what about its durability?

Trust me, the model of Skechers can hold up pretty well and last longer than other work shoes you bought before. But what I love the most about them is how they slip on or off easily before and after work.

Pros:

  • Hold up quite well
  • Good fit, lightweight, and easy to slip on
  • Solid mesh upper area
  • Highly comfortable and super soft

Cons:

  • Stretches a bit and feels looser
  • The sole started to separate from the shoe base

4. Merrel Jungle Moc Pro Grip

What to expect from this moccasin?

It features a top-grain cattle upper, which makes itself the cool-looking low maintenance footwear! Wear them only when you’ve got some troubles with your feet or move around too much for an extended period.

Also, I’m pretty sure that after trying many and many brands or styles of shoes, all you want is to look for the great slip-resistant kitchen shoes. With Merrell, there’s nothing to worry about the protection it offers. As a culinary student, you’ll feel that once you have to stand on hard and wet floors for several hours.  

With the firm grip on those surfaces, the shoes can guard you against any slip and trip injuries. And all you can say at that time is “wow”!

They’re by far efficient than you thought, right?

Slipping on and off your feet with ease, but the footwear never seems loose or feel like they would come off your foot anytime.

For the look, the leather material is very nice and suitable to use in a workplace. Merely put them on miles, and you might get surprised at how effective its non-skid bottom is.

Trust me, this piece of footwear is made for anyone, especially the chefs, servers, or those working in the healthcare industry.

Pros:

  • Lightweight and incredibly comfortable as expected
  • Easy to clean leather upper area
  • Good fit without any lace or strap
  • Effective non-skid bottom

Cons:

  • A bit noisy while walking
  • Not quite breathable

5. Merrell Encore Gust

Offering the ideal balance of active style and high comfort, Merrell men’s encore gust slip-on shoes are one of the best kitchen shoes you’ve been seeking. Each step is ensured to be comfy thanks to the leather upper region and the absorbent footbed. If so, then is it the excellent fit that can go anywhere with you in your professional kitchen?

Yes, for sure! Wear them to take your walking comfort to the whole next level! And don’t forget to find the all-day support back in the high-quality leather and cushioned soles. Don’t worry, even when your foot seems to spread slightly, once putting on the footwear, they’re only a bit snug in the toe box.

Do you have to walk great distance when being a server?

Do not choose the shoes that always compress your toes. Try on this pair of kitchen shoes since they’ve got plenty of rooms for those little toes.  

Aside from that, the best part about them is that they have the natural foot shape and fit well. But make sure to find the right size for you at a store before ordering the pair online.

Pros:

  • Super comfortable and professional looking
  • Soles are thick enough to give you enough cushion
  • Easy to slip on and off
  • Stylish looking leather material

Cons:

  • A bit tiny and snug-fitting
  • Only works for narrow feet

Top 5 picks for women

As you see, only wearing the appropriate shoes can make a big difference. Make sure to think of non-slip kitchen shoes as your powerful weapon to make the whole work more accessible than ever, especially when you’re only a woman. Below are some excellent considerations to make:

1. Birkenstock Professional Unisex Profi

 

Guess what? This is a truly miracle pair of shoes!

Birkenstock footbed allows your overall body weight to be distributed evenly on the foot so that you’re given the optimal support. Whenever you walk, the shoe will mold to your foot. In this case, the tops of your feet won’t get hurt, or the bottoms won’t feel burn at all.

Even though they do not look as cute as Dansko brand, but I must say that they’re worth it! No more foot pain at the end of your long work shift. Plus, it’s easy to clean them: You can put them in a dish pit to rinse off if you want them to keep sparking after long-term use.

Moreover, keep in mind that these Birkenstock kitchen shoes might take you one or two weeks of getting used to. Since they feel like being too small for you, but wait for the second week! That’s when your feet can feel normal.

Lastly, another good thing I love about them is their lack of odor that tends to accumulate over time. Only wash the footbed in hot water with soap, they’re new again.

Pros:

  • Ideal for wide feet
  • Made your workday much easier
  • Quite long-lasting and easy to clean
  • No odor for use over time

Cons:

  • Feels squeaky at times
  • A bit stiff and narrow

2. Skechers  Sure Track

If you’ve got bunions and plantar fasciitis, then it must be a challenge to find the right shoes that suits your restaurant server job. Choose Skechers kitchen shoe! Not only having a utilitarian look, these shoes this time are also comfortable to try on. Your feet can relax a lot due to the combination of the shoe’s broad front and narrow back.

Is it well worth the price?

Yes, it is! It’s best for you or anyone who hates slipping around.

Besides, the non-slip soles from the shoes are quite stable thanks to the high-quality composition.

Still doubting?

Just take the insole out of them, it’s easy to spot the cushion and how well-sown the inside is. Trust me; you won’t ever slip in them when walking or moving on the slippery floors.

Last but not least, the size of this pair is small, so I recommend you to order a half of the size bigger than your size.

Pros:

  • Lightweight and comfortable at the same time
  • Provides good traction on wet areas
  • Felt snug at first but then stretches fast
  • Easy to clean with soapy water

Cons:

  • The size runs smaller than the real size
  • Feel very tight to put on

3. Dansko Elise Oxford

“Sporty” is the first word I think of when mentioning Dansko Women’s Elise Oxford Sneaker. It owns one neoprene collar that is meant to keep your feet snug without limiting your movement.

Apart from that, its outsole is water-resistant, which helps guarantee both of your durability and stability on the job. Comfort and style are the most critical elements of Dansko Elise have to carry you through the whole day.

Are you searching for the lightweight and flexible shoes that can prevent you from all slips and trips? Then Elise has just arrived in time – It’s a great alternative to any athletic non-slip footwear you’ve tried! Once putting them on, you will see that the cuff at the bottom of your ankle is quite helpful for keeping your shoe in place.

So you can’t ask anything better than this. They give you the best protection by increasing their grip in the most hazardous surfaces.

Pros:

  • Comfortable and high-quality shoes
  • Highly recommended for those who have plantar fasciitis
  • Durable and no-slip during the use
  • Feels a bit tight at first but then quickly broke in

Cons:

  • The tread wears down
  • Large and boot-like

4. Klogs USA Mission Clog

Imagine that you don’t own wide feet, but the instep feels a bit thick or tall, which forces you only to get the wide shoes to fit well. Come with Klogs Mission mode, you will see how fine these women’s kitchen shoes are.

With a gap in the back, they ensure your heel not to brush against the back of your shoes. Again, being a chef is very hard, so let them relax your feet for prolonged periods at work. These are also ideal for your plantar fasciitis if you have it.

Do not ever wear any shoe with thick memory foam since it only causes your situation to be worse. Put these on instead for better cushioning, arch and sole support.  And wearing Klogs for the first time, you might feel that the right foot feels a bit tighter than the left. But after 30 minutes, both of them find comfort again.

For the look, they look nice and appropriate for your work outfit as well as ideal for any jeans and skirt.

Pros:

  • Comfortable and practical shoes
  • Stylish and professional
  • Durable and no-slip during the use
  • Release and relax the heels

Cons:

  • The fit feels a bit wide
  • Large and bulky at times

5. Mozo Forza Clog

To be honest, it’s hard to be on the job as a culinary worker with your foot pain and discomfort for hours! Let’s change everything by going with Mozo kitchen shoes. Their soft leather upper will bring the comfort back to your feet. So does it mean these are a excellent fit?

Yes, absolutely! They naturally fit your feet and make them extremely comfortable. Feel free to insert insole if you want extra cushioning for the heel, and then simply adjust the thickness by your own. No blister or irritation shows up for the first use.

As for the external finish, the shoes seem good and of high quality. However, some people still complain that this piece of footwear is a bit strange for kitchen apparel because it’s faux suede. For this reason, the shoes are not also easy to rinse off as well. After all, it’s best for you to wear them when standing or running around your kitchen a lot.

Pros:

  • Ergonomic shape
  • Good fit and supportive
  • Cushioned midsole for all-day comfort
  • Good traction

Cons:

  • Can’t stretch
  • Do not hold up well

How to choose your best kitchen shoes

Have you wondered whether Skechers or Mozo shoes are non-slip or not?

Don’t panic, I’ve already collected some great tips on how to choose your best shoes for chefs as below:  

1. The fit of the shoes

How should your footwear truly fit? Let’s have about a half inch of the space between the longest toe and the shoe’s leather. This ensures them to fit while your foot is shifting once you stand up or on the feet. Try to slide your index finger behind the heel. If it can’t fit, move to one size up.  

2. The slip prevention

As you know, slips and trips happen in every industry and among the most common reasons for many workplace injuries. Therefore, slip-resistance is one of the most important factors you should consider. It’s proven to ensure a secure surface environment no matter if it’s wet, slippery, or dry! To know if it’s non-slip or not, examine the sole of your shoe to determine its true ability.

3. Your shoe comfort

All comfort shoes are made to offer cushioning and great support for anyone who must be on his or her feet all day long. So look for those that use the patented technology to relieve any type of foot pain.

4. The shoe traction

A few of shoes have the built-in traction, so these can work well on wet surfaces. Then how to know if your kitchen shoes have good traction or not? Get any shoe with a rubber outsole since it can provide you with the super traction in oil and moisture.  

5. Shoe durability

Look at the shoe stitching and its construction, and you will know if it’s durable or easy to wear out. Make sure it has double stitching on the upper area with some gussets or rivets. All of these signs could tell you how well-made those shoes are.

Verdict

Finding the right footwear might be a simple thing at first sight, but among many new technological advances in material and production, this is not true anymore. Thus, I hope my ideas in this article could help you get the right pair for your particular demands.

These top 10 best kitchen shoes all have the look, convenience, and basic safety of slide-on. But above all, they can sail you smoothly all the working day in your kitchen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any question you want to ask about these non-slip kitchen shoes? Below are the most commonly asked questions I’ve collected:

1/ How can I know if my kitchen shoes are slip-resistant or not?

The Internet will answer this question for you, but you might find that information wrong at times. As usual, people tend to seek the “slip-resistant” or “oil-resistant” stamped on the shoe sole. But be aware that the word “oil-resistant” doesn’t mean “slip-resistant”. Besides, there are some things like “chef approved” for instance, which means nothing for you in reality.

Look for some real test results that can prove that outsole to perform well in all conditions, not only the dry hard floors. Or you can depend on the minimum coefficient (COF) on the high sol, il oily/wet floors to reach the final conclusion.

2/ What makes a shoe slip-resistant?

There are many elements that can make a pair of chef work shoes non-slip for the job. They’re mainly the outsole structure, tread pattern, and material availed in the shoe outsole.

Normally, the outsole that always arrives in contact with the floor, so it needs to be more slip resistant than other parts. Ensure it to be made of soft rubber, which tends to fight against any water and oil effectively. Sounds reasonable, right? What’s else you can’t miss?

Well, you might wonder about what design your chef shoes would be like so that they can deal well with any wet condition. Consider any shoe with an enclosed tread style as it won’t allow any liquid to enter the insole. It will be trapped right under the footwear and then create a barrier between the shoe and the ground.

3/ How to determine the slip resistance of a shoe?

The standard ratings of a slip-resistant shoe range from 0.0 to 1.0 (from poor to slip resistant). There’s a test used to check the sole whether it could handle a test surface or not. However, if you’re a careless person, then without those test results, you can slip and fall any time. These non-slip chef shoes should be only put on as a part of the entire safety system.

4/ How to make your shoes slip-proof?

Simply follow some strategies for building up the grip, and you can survive the slush easily.

  • First, scuff your sole to add extra traction to the shoes. Give it a much better grip by just scaping the bottoms against other abrasive floors.  
  • Second, use the traction spray by applying it to the grip to water-proof the shoes. Cover them with a sufficient amount of protection.
  • Third, Add salt or rubber to the soles to prevent yourself from slipping off over the place. It’s also fine to combine salt and rubber glue to coat the kitchen shoes.
  • Fourth, use the hair spray, which is a super effective yet temporary solution. You can get it as another alternative for other traction adhesives. But before going outside, make sure that the hairspray dries out fully.
  • Fifth, score your shoes with a knife! Doing this will offer them more traction by letting the water pass through the treads with ease.

5/ Why is it important to prevent slips and trips?

It’s estimated to be more than 42,000 workers who are injured yearly due to the fall injuries in Canada. This figure stands for 16% of the accidents that used to be accepted by the compensation boards across Canada.

Please bear in mind that no sole is 100% slip-resistant, even the shoes for chefs in the kitchen only help reduce slip and fall injuries. Let’s combine your footwear with the proper maintenance to get the optimal slip and fall reduction.

6/ How do non-slip kitchen shoes work?

Any shoe that owns higher friction would contain deeper grooves. These are known to help handle all slips and falls since they can grip on the slippery floors or ground well. The more tread grooves your shoes for kitchen, the more slip-resistant they are. And remember that the standard friction for each groove should range between 0,018 – 0.108. However, such a thing is based on the particular condition for the ground you’re walking.

 

Leave a Comment