Footwear delicious enough to cook in

Not so long ago, clogs were a necessary evil. They thrived in restaurant kitchens where sauces splatter and, at times, food goes up in flames. Their job was to protect the chef (primarily the feet) from all this debris. But wearing them is anything but flattering. And it is precisely because of this that chefs have, for some time now, become unsuspecting fashion victims. Not for long, though, because they are now hanging up their clogs for those very fashionable Crocs.

Crocs are a relatively new breed of footwear. Made in Boulder, Colorado, the brand started out as a boating/outdoor shoe and nothing more. Time, however, proved that Crocs are a whole lot more than that. And in no time they caught the eye — and the feet — of the public.

Crocs have a unique way of blending function, comfort, and form. Made of croslite PPCCR material, these shoes are lightweight (weighing just six ounces on your feet), slip-resistant, and easy to clean. So it’s really no surprise that in the kitchen, Crocs reign supreme.

For example, the Crocs Endeavor is, foremost, a chef’s best friend. Just like all the other Crocs models, it’s got an orthotic molded foot bed, orthotic heel cup, and circulation nubs that lend comfort and support to your feet. But most importantly, these Endeavors are closed-toe, keeping all the hot and cold sauce splatters (and all other kitchen messes) away.

In the US, these Crocs are put to the test daily by one man — chef Mario Batali of Food Network fame. In fact, in an interview with Departures magazine, this celebrity chef and restaurateur said he’s got 30 pairs of Crocs, all in orange! And you know what else? He likes wearing them hot out of his dishwasher!

Back here in the Philippines, chef Gene Gonzalez attests to Crocs’ unparalleled quality. In fact, realizing that these shoes are dishwasher-safe and ultra-light was enough to convince him to buy his first pair. And soon, he also made them available for sale at his Center for Asian Culinary Studies.

His second pair of Crocs arrived early one morning at the steps of his restaurant, Cafe Ysabel, on P. Guevarra St. in San Juan City. His menu here almost reflects his sense of style, with attitude and always a bit of a twist. His new Crocs also show some attitude. They come in red, a color that he loves to pair with black simply because it’s "very sexy." Well, that and because his style is also Gothic-inspired.

I don’t know about Crocs being Goth, but I can assure you that these shoes can also be very hot. In fact, if you don’t dig Endeavors, there are other Crocs styles for you. Choose from All Terrains, Athens, Beach, Capri, Cayman, Cleo, Crete (for men), Disney Beach, Georgie, Hydro, Islander, Ithaca, Mary Janes, Motion, Nile, Off Road, Patra, Prima, Professional, Sassari, Scutes and Sobek (for men). And for kids, there are Kids Athens, Kids Cayman, Kids Endeavor, Kids Georgie, Kids Mary Janes, Kids Scutes, and Croclings. What’s more, these Crocs can go from bold to mute. Some of the models are designed with a ventilated toe box, giving your feet some much-needed breathing room.

Certainly, chefs can stand the heat in the kitchen with this footwear.