The Lowdown: Signature chef footwear
Chefs really will endorse anything, won’t they?
At least it’s not a Findus Crispy Pancake (we’re looking at you, Jean-Christophe Novelli). Bibendum chef patron Claude Bosi has teamed up with high-end Dutch chef wear Chaud Devant brand to promote a line of kitchen footwear shod in Michelin-branded soles.
Let me guess, Bosi Boots?
Sadly not. Available through Continental Chef Supplies, the GT1 Pro Magister Chef Shoe comes in black and brown and in a low or mid cut version and are “powered” by the tyre-maker and guidebook publisher’s soles.
Does Michelin offer different soles for different conditions?
Not as far as we know.
Hang on a minute, this collaboration would have been arranged prior to the launch of the guide and before Bibendum was awarded two stars…
Monsieur Bosi must have been confident, as a chef with no Michelin stars wearing Michelin-branded kicks would not have been a good look. To be fair Bibendum was a shoe-in for recognition in the 2018 guide. The Frenchman held two at Hibiscus for over a decade and is generally considered to be one of the country’s greatest chefs.
Are you allowed to wear them if you don’t have any Michelin stars?
Yes. Chaud Devant says it has created the GT1 Pro range in recognition of starred chefs and those “inspired by their talent.”
Claude's clogs: the GT1 Pro Magister Chef Shoe
Surely this is a footwear first?
You'd be surprised. There is a rich history of such shoe tie-ups and the GT1 Pros are already being endorsed by a number of high profile European chefs, including Dutchman Sergio Herman. But the most notorious signature kicks are those of New York chef Mario Batali, who worked with Crocs to design a shoe that was a comparable hue to his flaming locks.
How did that go?
The result was every bit as ghastly as it sounds but that didn’t stop the Babbo and Lupa chef ordering 200 pairs when Crocs announced it was discontinuing the line. Last month Batali told GQ that he had ended his relationship with Crocs in favour of Yeezys, a range of shoes designed by Kanye West for Adidas. What he’s going to do with his 200 pairs of bright orange Crocs remains to be seen.
