Standing all day without supportive, comfy shoes can cause permanent harm to your body. It may take years, but ultimately, chances are that you will suffer from plantar fasciitis, varicose veins, joint agony or back pain. Most of the conditions due to standing on hard surfaces in unacceptable shoes are treatable, but why experience the pain to begin with if it can be avoided? Even if you’re just starting your career, choose your shoes for work thoroughly. You want chef clogs that offer a firm foundation, lots of support, enough cushion for comfort and a higher constructed of a protecting material. Most states and organizations have safety rules, anyhow, but when you look for shoes to wear to work, safety should be a high priority.

Kitchens nearly always have tile or concrete floors for simple clean-up. Those surfaces are indeed easy to clean, but they also are intensely slick when wet. Since dishes must be washed, pots of liquid moved, drinks prepared, ice dropped and the entire thing inevitably spilled, aside from the floor being mopped or washed frequently, kitchen floors will be wet at least part of the time. In the kitchen, a fall may be particularly damaging. Imagine falling while slicing, then landing on a tough tile floor. Non-slip shoes are necessary for folks who work in kitchens.

There are a few brands of chef shoes easily obtainable in stores and on the web. One popular brand that makes and sells a widely recognized chef shoe is Dansko. Dansko cook shoes feature a non-slip bottom to keep you on your feet instead of sliding to an injury on the floor. They also have leather uppers so the top of your foot is protected against objects or hot liquids falling on them. The back of the shoe is rigid and supportive to give your foot stability and protection, and the lining is cushioned to provide comfort.

There are many other types of chefs shoes, but when you are shopping you should have a look for the fundamentals: comfort, support, protection, and a non-slip sole. Work can be tough enough without adding physical agony to the equation. Keeping yourself healthy and discomfort free is one of the keys to a long and successful career in the kitchen.

If you are a chef, make your day a little safer and less agonizing by giving the comfortable men’s shoes a try. Your back and neck will immediately thank you for trying Danskos!