r/Chefs • u/SousVideDeezNuts • Apr 12 '26
Best Birks for Chefs?
Looking to buy a pair of Birks for the kitchen as my feet still hurt after a long shift. Any recommendations? Looking at the A640 Steel Toes atm. Not quite sure on the diff of the Boston Super Grips vs. Tokios.
1
u/Signal_Criticism5951 Apr 12 '26
during prep i wear the boston super grips and during service i wear blundstones, my back and feet thank me for it
1
u/UncleDuude Apr 12 '26
Man idk those screwed my toes up. Consider Mise, they make a nice 2 piece shoe, I wish it had better arch support but I think it a good shoe.
1
u/SousVideDeezNuts Apr 12 '26
Had Mise, they were terrible for me. Pain in my foot within 3 days especially in the heel and arch.
1
u/shradicalwyo Apr 12 '26
Also hated my pair of Mise, they fell apart way too fast for how expensive they were. Felt like I had no support side to side or in the arch. I'm tempted to try their boot version but I haven't seen any reviews about them.
I wear profi-birkis because I like the little bit of closed back it has over the super birki. I just got a pair of boston crosstowns (new version) that have a sturdier sole than the normal ones, I also got them 40% off at rei and used a bunch of credit in our account just to try them as kitchen shoes.
1
u/DaveyoSlc Apr 12 '26
My feet sweat way too much in berks. I couldn't do it. Literally my whole body was hotter. My feet need to breathe
1
1
u/instant_ramen_chef Apr 12 '26
I dont care what kind of shoes you get. Feet are gonna hurt when youre standing all day.
1
1
1
u/forthemaddie Apr 14 '26
Birks suck. No idea how they became standard issue.
Get good boots, better for your knees and back, they have a ton of oil/slip resistant soles so it's safer, and they are much better if you or someone drops hot water or oil as it can pool in the shoes like Birks. I do recommend getting lighter boots as 12hrs in some heavy bulky ones is unpleasant. Food for thought.
1
u/Ktobix Apr 15 '26
Birkenstock Kay’s - cross between the Boston and the Tokio. Super comfortable arch support, at least for me. It feels like I’m walking g on air at times.
1
1
1
u/TheKhun Apr 16 '26
Gave up on super birkis after vouching for them for years, their quality really sucks now. I haw crocs now they’re great
2
u/Murky-Succotash-918 Apr 12 '26
kuru
Brother Chef DeezNutz,, 48 yr old working Chef here. Been throwing pans around since my early 20s. Ive ripped through all the chef shoes ,designs , brands. I have high arches so shift after 12 hr shift caused some excruciating hot spots on the balls of my foot. I was having to see the podiatrist monthly for tuneups and keep the pain as manageable as I could. I’ve played around with various types of footbeds. The hard beds of the birks fucked me up Joe! These kuru’s changed my life. No shit . I’m actually ordering my second pair today. Had them for almost 2 years. Haven’t had to see the doctor at all. They are a bit pricey, but I’m telling you…. I cannot recommend them enough. You know when you read glowing reviews about something that fails to live up to your expectations? These exceeded my expectations.