Converse Says Yes, Chef To Kitchen-Safe Shoes

Fashion trends are funny, oftentimes silly things, so when I started noticing white-collar well-to-do people in Brooklyn wear kitchen clogs as their errand shoe, I laughed it off and admired the way we have intertwined workwear and fashion for decades. Now, Converse is asking if the inverse happened: What if someone brought a bit of style and edge to the service-footwear space? Its new line of kitchen-ready shoes, At Your Service, is up for the challenge of bringing style back to the long shifts that service-industry folks know all too well.

For an amuse-bouche of the shoes and their impact on the kitchen, Converse brought me to Paris for a test of my own: making mocktails for a group of 20. Atica in the 5th arrondissement was my proverbial playground for the night as I took in the highly choreographed and frenetic energy of a multisensory, multicultural kitchen. The main chef, Ramzi Saade, spoke to how nice it was for a brand to recognize those that put in the hard work behind the scenes, especially in the unforgiving jobs of working at a restaurant. After coming up with three different drinks for guests, we were able to put our feet up, literally and metaphorically, and watch as the seamless service took place — with a new update on the workers’ feet.

The team was a flurry of excitement about the shoes, which come in three styles. The technology behind the range allows the same arch and comfort you’d find in a typical clog or slide but with the look and feel of a real Chuck Taylor. There’s low-rise and slide options, if the thought of laces really drives you mad, and all of them (either in canvas or leather) make sense for both on and off-the-clock activities. The water-and-oil-repellent fabrics and non-slip technology rivals even the grippiest of (rather unattractive) clogs.

Parisians and New Yorkers both agree on this. Ghetto Gastro cofounder Jon Gray and his team at Gourmega were some of the first American chefs to test out the pieces, and Gray put it best: “I’ve enjoyed the comfort first and foremost, but also the ease of transitioning from the floor at work to whatever else I want to do after I close the spot.” The guys and girls backstage at Gourmega are certainly good on their word here; they are some of the flyest cooks in the business and their bandanna-style aprons at the celebratory dinner for At Your Service show just how well the new sneakers bring style to the back of house.

The demands of being on your feet doing prep, service, and cleanup can wear and tear not only on your feet, but your back, neck, and basically any other muscle group involved in keeping you upright. “I have flat feet, so I often have lower back pain from shoes without lots of support. These have lots of support” Gray says. “If I’m wearing my everyday kicks and have to jump in the dish pit, it gets slippery fast. So, with the soles on these, I know I can get fresh without slipping on the drip, ya dig.” The transition from day tonight and on and off the clock can be blurry, especially in a city like New York, but knowing you don’t have to stop at home in between your closing shift at Smithereens and dancing at Joyface is what makes these such a no-brainer. “You get the technical features you need without compromising style,” Gray says. “Two truths can exist, design and function, in one shoe.”

The Converse At Your Service collection is now available on converse.com and at select retail partners.