Whether you’re a server, cook, bartender, runner, busser, dishwasher, or host, working in the food industry involves spending long hours on your feet. Needless to say, proper shoes are a crucial component of your uniform.

The right footwear will power you through your shift, prevent sore feet after work, and provide much-needed traction and stability. You probably also want something that looks stylish and not too utilitarian—is that so much to ask? The best shoes for restaurant work cover all the bases. Here’s how to find the perfect pair.

What to Look For in Restaurant Shoes

Slip Resistance

As you probably know, many restaurants require special non slip footwear to prevent trips and falls on wet, greasy, or other slippery surfaces. What are slip resistant shoes? Slip resistant shoes consist of a slip resistant rubber outsole and patterned tread for added traction and a safe grip. This will allow you to focus on the job in front of you without worrying about losing your balance or falling and hurting yourself.

Comfortable Arch Support

But your restaurant work shoes should offer more than just slip-resistance. Walking around and standing for an extended period can lead to pain and discomfort in your toes, feet, legs, and hips. Without proper footwear, it can also cause alignment issues, blisters, ingrown toenails, heel pain, plantar fasciitis, Morton’s neuroma, and other less-than-comfortable foot conditions.

Your feet should be the last thing on your mind while at work. When you log long hours, you need a restaurant shoe that’ll support you from the time you clock in to the minute you take your shoes off back at home. The best shoes for restaurant servers will have arch support, comfortable contouring, deep heel cups, and soft cushioning, like the styles you’ll find from Vionic.

Water Repellant or Moisture Resistant

Lastly, since restaurants tend to be hot spots for spills, drips, and splatters, you’ll want to look for a slip resistant shoe that has moisture-resistant or wipeable uppers. Many styles from the Vionic Pro line are made of oil- and water-repellent materials that make cleaning a cinch.²

Best Shoe Styles for Restaurant Workers

Now that we’ve covered what you should look for in a pair of restaurant shoes, we’ve provided a breakdown of the top work shoe styles for restaurant workers below.

Slip-Resistant Slip-On Sneakers

If you want to stay comfy while looking cute, we recommend getting a pair of slip-on sneakers with grippy rubber soles. Now sure how to tell if shoes are non slip? When you browse laceless tennis shoes from the Vionic Pro line, you don’t have to worry. You’ll find multiple slip-resistant styles with a rubber outsole made for food workers who work long shifts on their feet.

Choose from breathable mesh or easy-to-clean shiny synthetic uppers in basic colors like black and blue, as well as bold hues and prints. As some of the best non-slip restaurant work shoes, each pair of slip-on sneakers from our Pro collection has a professional-grade outsole that passes ASTM F1677 (MARK II testing) standards for service footwear.

And you can count on the orthotic insole footbeds with arch support and cushioning for maximum comfort all day (or all night). Reviewers say Vionic Pro laceless sneakers are sufficiently grippy on slick surfaces and super comfy for hours on end. Also, the removable insole can be replaced with any orthotic inserts.

Non-Slip Lace-Ups

Another go-to footwear option for people in the food industry is lace-up tennis shoes. If you prefer a sportier look and tend to rock an athletic shoe on your days off, this might be the way to go.

Safety is a primary consideration for the Vionic Pro collection. That’s why we developed our lightweight, innovative sneaker designs with non slip outsoles that exceed performance standards for the service industry.¹ This means the slip resistant sole will hold up on wet, oily, sticky, and dry surfaces—all the floor conditions you can expect to encounter in a restaurant.

And like all shoes from Vionic, our anti-slip lace-ups have built-in orthotic support for pain prevention and all-day comfort. We carry both men’s and women’s non-slip athletic sneakers in solid, versatile colors like black, navy, and gray, as well as more vibrant options such as fuschia and periwinkle blue. Each comfortable shoe has breathable mesh uppers, padded collars, EVA midsoles, and removable footbeds, which you can replace with the orthotics of your choice.

Reviewers say our lace-up Pro sneakers are ideal for standing. So, if you’re a host, bartender, or cook, you’ll have all the support you need. With high-tech, athletic-inspired designs, they’re also excellent for servers, bussers, food runners, managers, and any other restaurant workers who log thousands of steps a day.

Why Slip-Resistance Matters in Restaurant Shoes

If your employer requires you to wear a slip resistant shoe, you might be wondering what the fuss is all about. When it comes down to it, slips and falls are common in the restaurant industry due to all the liquid spills we mentioned and the fast-paced environment.

Slipping at work can lead to serious injury, which might mean you need to take time off work. Some workplace injuries can cause ongoing debilitation or chronic pain. Also, these accidents can be costly for companies and their worker’s comp insurance policies.³ Wet floors can be an electrical hazard, too, which is all the more reason to avoid slipping on the job.

If you work in the food industry, you know how wet and sticky the floors can get. But slip-resistance isn’t just important while on the job. Slick floors, stairs, sidewalks, and parking lots are everywhere, and you’ll be glad to have footwear with adequate grip and traction.

Vionic Pro: Footwear for Restaurant Workers

If you’re looking for a slip-resistant work shoe, you’ve come to the right place. Vionic carries some of the best restaurant shoe options on the market today. Gone are the days of the frumpy non-slip bistro clogs or chef shoes you’d never be caught wearing outside your place of work. The footwear from our Pro collection is durable, dependable, safe, and stylish. You’ll look good, feel confident, and have the peace of mind knowing you’re protected from slips and trips.

Our professional styles for men and women come in whole and half sizes, and our women’s Pro shoes are available in medium and wide foot widths to accommodate a broad range of foot sizes and shapes.

Shoe Technology Made for Long Shifts

Each pair of the men’s and women’s Vionic Pro sneaker and kitchen shoe is engineered with our exclusive Vio-Grip technology. We’re talking about our proprietary slip resistant outsole, which offers superior traction and shock absorption underneath an expertly designed footbed.

Like all other styles from Vionic, the Pro line features Vio-Motion Support technology. This means orthotic arch support, comfy cushioning, deep heel cups, and addictive contouring are all built right into the shoe. Our footbeds adjust to the shape of your foot and align with your natural gait.

At Vionic, fashion and comfort aren’t mutually exclusive. Our Pro cute and sporty shoes are lightweight, breathable, and supportive in all the right places. They are perfect as stylish nursing shoes or the perfect shoe for the restaurant industry. In other words, you won’t be dying to take them off as soon as you clock out. No matter how many hours you work or steps you log throughout your shift, our non-slip professional footwear will carry you through.

Whether you prefer an athletic shoe or a more casual silhouette, we’ve got something to complement your unique style. You can confidently wear a pair of our trendy professional sneakers on your commute, before and after work, and wherever the day takes you. And if you love them so much that you want a second pair, we’d totally understand!

Complete your restaurant uniform with a pair of comfortable shoes or non-slip sneakers from the Vionic Pro collection.

Sources:
1. https://www.prevention.com/beauty/style/a27419582/vionic-best-shoes-for-nurses/
2. https://www.today.com/style/vionic-shoes-review-t154357
3. https://footwearnews.com/2019/focus/womens/vionic-slip-resistant-shoes-nurses-teachers-1202770275/