We teamed up with Chef Isaac McHale of the two-Michelin Starred The Clove Club, to develop the ultimate Chef’s Shoe. Born out of a conversation between Grenson creative director Tim Little and chef Isaac McHale, about Isaacs feeling that there wasn’t a decent shoe for Chefs to complement their uniforms, they set about developing a shoe that could perform in the kitchen and still look good enough to wear in the restaurant. Chefs put incredible demands on their footwear, as they are on their feet for up to 10 hours at a time, need proper grip and need to be able to get them off quickly in an emergency.
The Chef Shoe is a hybrid of a smart derby upper with a sneaker sole combining the sneaker comfort with the derby’s smartness. It features an elastic gusset on the inside of the shoes and a raised ‘kick off” seam at the back, making it quick to take off in the event of hot spills. Made with black bookbinder leather or white gloss leather, which is easy to clean, both versions have the Grenson ‘The Good Shoe’ comfort sole in tonal rubber with a padded footbed and royal blue accents in the lining, elastic details and back loop. The Chef Shoes are made in the Grenson Factory in Northamptonshire, England.
“I have always wanted to find a chef shoe that looks smart, in the dining room and the kitchen, while giving you the comfort and support to be on your feet 15 plus hours a day and feel ok at the end of it. When Tim suggested working on a shoe together to deliver the brief, I was thrilled. And it has been a fun process to get to the amazing shoe we have now. I can’t wait to see other people enjoying wearing them.”
Isaac McHale Chef The Clove Club
“I’ve known Isaac since he first started The Clove Club and mentioned in an interview that he wore Grenson shoes. Years later, over a coffee one day, he said that he didn’t understand why there wasn’t a definitive chef shoe, one that was fit for purpose in the kitchen but also looked smart. That was the challenge, and I think this shoe answers the brief on both levels.“
Tim Little creative director & CEO Grenson