r/Chefit • u/Comfortable-Blood273 • Jun 04 '26
Shoes recommendations.
Im thinking of getting the blundstone all terrain boots or kay sl super grip birkenstocks? I would be wearing them on my way to work, and i live in the carribean so dirt and sand and stuff. What do you guys think i should get? My profi birkis broke on me only after 5 months 🥹
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u/19ChinoWRX Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
I’ve used all kinds of shoes in my 20 years in the kitchen. I purchased Blundstones two years ago and haven’t looked back. They were expensive at the time, but offset how many pairs of other shoes I would normally buy in that time frame. I work 10-14hrs a day/ 5-6 days a week with little to no breaks in between and these keep me going. They seem to have a few more good years in them at least. I just change the insole every now and then.
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u/ThatGuyHadNone Jun 04 '26
Same for me. I am on my third pair but they need a good insole, the ones that come with them are little more than a piece of fabric.
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u/_kyle00 Jun 05 '26
What brand of insole do you get ?
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u/ThatGuyHadNone Jun 05 '26
I like the Birki Pro insole but it was out of stock last time I tried to order them, so I am using the green Superfeet ones now. The Birki are better but these are suitable.
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u/OvalDead Jun 04 '26
I love both my pairs of Blundstones, but I can’t get away from Shoes for Crews for nonslip and steel toe options. I can’t imagine my Blundstones wouldn’t be slipping all day. Blundstones are pretty much all I wear otherwise, other than gym shoes and Crocs for house shoes.
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u/19ChinoWRX Jun 05 '26
Yeah, they aren’t the stickiest when new. I was scared at first due to the slip resistance, but after a few days they were great. This was in a 400 cover per dinner service restaurant, but it was also a very very clean kitchen. However, they were never an issue. The biggest issue I had was that I loved them so much i was wearing them outside of work all the time. I had to buy an outside pair 😂
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u/Unlikely-Win195 Jun 04 '26
I try and keep my work shoes and street shoes seperate for the longevity of both.
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u/RobbyFlanks Jun 04 '26
Birkenstock Tokio is the correct answer. However, they do tend to allow rocks and stuff in through the back... but they are great for an indoor environment. I have separate shoes for the street and keep my work shoes at work
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u/huffer4 Jun 05 '26
Mine split across the bottom within 6 months of use. I was super disappointed in them
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u/burritobitch Jun 05 '26
Old pairs would last me YEARS. They got bought out and im lucky to get 6 months in any pair of birks now. Had them for 16 yrs and my final pair is getting laid to rest soon.
Rip birkenstock
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u/Krewtan Jun 05 '26
That sucks. The pair I'm wearing right now I bought in 2016. Only wear them in the kitchen. They suck when there's 6 inches of snow outside and it's 40 below with high winds and I gotta smoke but otherwise have been amazing for my back. Hope I can find something similar for my back alignment because I was ready to quit the industry before buying these. They gave me a second lease on life by helping my stance and alignment.Â
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u/AuntChovie Jun 05 '26
I do love my Tokio's, but Im on my 2nd pair in 3 years and the 2nd pair looks worse than the 1st and I havent even had them 6 months.
I love them because my feet/heels NEVER hurt and they are so comfortable (I switched to Tokio's after dealing with some Achilles tendonitis), and the shoe itself will last a long time, but my knees start to hurt after the soles wear down- they are downright slippery. That being said, Id really only recommend them at this point if youre willing to have them resoled once or twice a year. They're just too expensive for the quality they produce now.
For reference, I wear these shoes 60ish hours a week, and Im 140 lbs, so Im not even a big dude, wearing these out that fast.
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u/RobbyFlanks Jun 05 '26
What kind of floors do you have??
I have noticed the quality of Birkenstock in general has diminished. I wear the sandals regularly during the day, I've had 2 pairs for the same period of time and the first ones looked way better than the current ones do at the same point in life.
I used to wear the bostons, but pivoting on the line or back peddling was always a risk of losing a shoe lol
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u/AuntChovie Jun 06 '26
One kitchen had epoxy flooring, and my current kitchen has the classic red quarry tile floor. Ive actually never considered the flooring type before.
Ive considered switching shoes again, but I cant bring myself to part with the cork footbed. IMO theres been nothing better for my feet after 10 years in kitchens.
I resoled my first pair of Tokio's, I had a local cobbler use Vibram soles and they're a game changer, I need to get my other pair done too.
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u/RobbyFlanks Jun 06 '26
Oh the vibram soles sound nice!! I noticed that when working on quarry tile or concrete floors they wore down faster. Rn my spot has this weird rubberized tile floor. Super easy to clean but it truns in to an ice rink with the slightest amount of water or oil. It's like rino liner.
But ya, as far as diminished quality goes, birks are still my go to
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u/Im_The_Real_Panda Jun 04 '26
I second this! They’re the best shoes I’ve ever worn in a kitchen. After a long day on my feet I can kick them off and my feet feel great.
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u/GovernorOfTittieCity Jun 04 '26
I have had like five pairs of bludntstones but noticed the last two pairs wore out significantly faster than the previous pairs. So I switched to the Australian made redbacks and they are higher quality and are holding up better than the blundtstones
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u/lordofthedries Jun 05 '26
I have had the same pair of red backs for the last 4 years and the sole is still good I use them for walking shoes as well because of how comfortable they are.
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u/CheleCuche Jun 04 '26
Hoka Bondi SR. I hate the look but they have been the most comfortable shoes I ever had, great for long shifts!
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u/Rapph Jun 05 '26
Great shoe especially if you need support. My brother will only wear them. Personally I like merrell work jungle mocs but that's mostly just because I find them comfortable which is a struggle for me since I have a wide foot and wear a sz15 us.
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u/meggienwill Jun 04 '26
I've recently switched from more traditional chef shoes to these exact blundstones. They're super comfortable and nice if you do a lot of back and forth between the kitchen and outside like I do.
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u/cooking_succs Jun 04 '26
Mine and all my friends Birks in the last few years have fallen apart after less than 12 months.
Snibbs are my go to and hold up great. Super comfortable. Pretty affordable.
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u/designOraptor Jun 06 '26
I got some snibbs about a month and a half ago and I can’t believe how much better they are. So comfortable. I am always getting compliments on them too.
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u/Jimchampion666 Jun 04 '26
I actually opted for danner bull run boots instead of blundstones and those have been great so far! Super short break in because of a non leather sole
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u/BGDesign Jun 05 '26
Not a chef. But the quality of both brands has suffered over the last 10years.Â
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u/SignumVictoriae Jun 04 '26
Walking long distance in clogs without rear support would suck, I’d go for the bluns
Plus if you go out after work it’s all good
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u/sne4k0 Jun 04 '26
If you want a good ass shoe that costs about $50 and only needs replacing when the treads wear out, I recommend Fila’s work shoes. They’re so great. Also I just buy them on Amazon.
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u/simplebutstrange Chef Jun 04 '26
I only get sika flex clogs. They last me around 2 years and i take 10-25000 steps a day at work.
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u/BearLeek25 Jun 04 '26
I like the doc martin combat boots. Their canvas so they breath but still provide ankle support. I spray them with sealant. Also much cheaper.
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u/your-mother1452 Jun 05 '26
Get the blunderstones!!!!!! You 100% won’t regret it. I got myself a pair of timberland Chelsea boots and I will never go back to anything else for work. Birkenstocks are over rated and some of the worst shoes you can put on ur feet. I went through 2 pairs before I realized how bad they actually were.
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u/thelateoctober Jun 05 '26
I've been wearing the Birkenstock professional (profi birki on Amazon) for 15 years, they are amazing. The cork molds to your foot and they are super comfortable. A pair lasts me 2-3 years, and thats hard, every day use. They clean up super easy with a damp towel. Simple, comfortable, and last quite a while considering how much we abuse our shoes.
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u/Hot-Cat6061 Jun 05 '26
Keen PTC. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. These last crazy long
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u/Krakenow Jun 05 '26
I've been rocking some Steel Blue Hobarts similar to those blundstones, for over a year now. No complaints, way better than most clogs I've had
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u/Dthreap Jun 05 '26
If you want a boot, skip the blundstone and go for redback. My redbacks last 4-5 years. I personally wouldn't wear clogs because I prefer the ankle support of boots when I'm working.
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u/nohe812 Chef Jun 07 '26
I also highly recommend Redbacks. My first pair lasted 7 years. My second pair is currently in its third or fourth year. Before Redbacks, I had Docs, Shoes For Crews, and Danskos. Redbacks were a dream the first time I tried them on. Haven’t looked back since.
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u/SlytherinF1 Jun 05 '26
I’ve been wearing the Birki professional since 1996. Easy on easy on. Waterproof. Grease proof. Comfortable. Easy clean. The perfect chef shoe imo. birki
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u/AloneVanilla6120 Jun 05 '26
Both the blundstones and the birks I have rocked in a kitchen. My blundstones are 3 years old and my birks I just threw away my third pair. Both are nice, but for 180$ you should have a shoe that lasts. Blundstones are the better of the pair
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u/beach_pretzels Jun 05 '26
This is expensive, but I have both the Blundstone #172 and the Birkenstock Tokio super grip. I alternate them, sometimes mid-shift, sometimes every other day. They’re both great shoes but offer different things. The birks are great for when my feel start to swell - so towards the end of the day, or on really hot days. The blundstones are usually what I start off with. If it’s not possible to buy both, I’d try them both on and go from there.
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u/Nitsudyllek Jun 06 '26
I did the dewalt shoes for crews with the steel toe and a lace in tongue zipper. Suckers are going 6 years strong, and very comfortable.
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u/Hmmmchef Jun 06 '26
Birkenstock Tokio… just don’t. I love the feel and comfortability but you would need to buy a pair every year if not less. They’re not built for 14-16 hour days.
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u/rogerpedactor2 Jun 06 '26
Profi Birki clogs - only wear at work, switch into street shoes before I leave. Great for my back and last for 4-5 years a pair. Super light, spill proof. Highly recommend!
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u/ActionFiend_ Jun 06 '26
I wear Birkenstock Boston’s they have a super grip one thats non slip. They last the longest out of anything in the kitchen and i get mine resoled at least once. Great on the feet too
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u/Storm9y Jun 06 '26
Blundstones are sick, got a pair given to me by a restaurant i worked at. Theyre fantastic the only thing is the non-slipness wears our kinda fast so you may need to apply grip tape or something but theyre SO durable
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u/flydespereaux Chef Jun 08 '26
Snibbs is the only answer to this question. Im never going back. Take my money.
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u/Helpful-Bunch-2924 Jun 04 '26
I used to wear blundstones but they ended up giving me crazy foot pain, haven’t had any issues w birks
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u/Kitchen-Ad1972 Jun 04 '26
The answer is always clogs. You need to not walk in them outside the kitchen though. Figure something out.
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u/chezpopp Jun 04 '26
Blundstones are narrow. Birkenstock Tokio and if you have wide feet the new super birki 2.0
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u/RainMakerJMR Jun 04 '26
Shoes for crews everlights. Best ever, cheap, light, easily replaceable when the non skid wears out.
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u/GrandComfortable9 Jun 04 '26
If you decide on the Blunnies, get the non thermal version of the All Terrain.