I would not recommend washing these shoes in a dishwasher . Washing in a regular sink when they get really dirty will work though.

This does not have a steel toe. My son works in a kitchen at a restaurant and he loves these. They are very slip resistant and are light weight, which is a plus for someone on their feet for 12 hr. days. He sprayed his before use with a waterproof sealer which makes cleanup a breeze.

If you wear a leg brace would they work

Hello, Thank you for contacting Shoes for Crews. Depending on the type of brace you have, this shoe could be a good fit. We would recommend opting for the wide version of the shoe to accommodate room for any additional material on the leg brace. We would also recommend trying on a similar athletic shoe with the brace to see if you need additional room as this styles fits very similar to most athletic style shoes.

Considering for work in laboratory. Do they hold up to occasional chemical spills? (bleach, ammonia, detergent, etc.)

I would not recommend these shoes with chemicals that are dangerous to skin. I accidentally dropped industrial degreaser and now my skin around the area is damaged and currently treating it. All of that said, these shoes are really comfortable and in about to buy my 3rd pair