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Safety Shoes: History, Types, and Their Key Benefits

The history of safety boots can be found from the beginning of the early 20th century when industrial safety started gaining importance. Prior to this, replacing the injured workers was a convenient and economical option than spending money on safety measures. However, in the 1930s, Red Wing Shoes Company began manufacturing steel toed boots.

Later in 1970, the US Congress passed a law to ensure the safety of workers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Under this act, the use of protective shoe boots was made mandatory for workers working in construction and mining industries.

Soon, these safety boots continued to develop as a fashion trend and manufacturers started producing safety shoes with new designs and styles to meet the customers expectations. Besides, steel which was the main material, several other materials like plastics and composite materials were used by the manufacturers.

What are Safety Boots?

Safety boots are shoes made with strong and protective support at the front making them last longer. The support is meant to support and protect your toes from any kind of harm including compression. The supportive reinforcement are mainly made of steel and are placed at the sole plate in the main sole to prevent punctures that may come from below.

Because of the supplementary steel provision at the front part of the shoes, the safety boots are also sometimes referred to as steel toe shoes. These shoes are considered as the highest form of defense measures in the risk bearing industries.

Why is Foot Protection Important?

Foot protection gains the highest prominence as it contains 26 bones and 38 joints that help us in moving, walking, and jogging. Apart from muscles and nerves, our feet also contain several blood vessels and ligaments. This is the reason why it hurts so badly when you stub your toe or some heavy objects fall on your feet. Feet injuries during an accident or stepping on any sharp objects also cause unbearable pain in your feet. Hence, protecting your feet with the best safety shoes is a must to avoid any kind of pain or injuries.

Benefits of wearing safety boots or steel toe shoes:

Foot injuries can be severely painful and also makes it difficult to perform your daily tasks such as walking, jogging or simply moving your feet. Wearing safety shoes/ steel toe shoes at your workplace, especially for people working in heavy industries like construction, mining, etc., provides protection in the following ways:

  • Protection from heavy falling objects: Falling of heavy objects or carrying heavy material are common scenarios in industries with dynamic work environments. Wearing steel toe shoes prevents compressing or crushing of your feet during such adverse conditions.
  • Protection from sharp objects: Shoes with heavy-duty soles can help offer the highest protection against sharp objects, which are commonly found at construction sites.
  • Protection from electrical shock: Electricity poses numerous risks at the workplace, especially for workers working in heavy electrical industries. Safety shoes for men made up of non-conductive materials like leather or rubber that are not good conductors of electricity are highly recommended for workers working in such industries.
  • Protection from accidental falls or slips: Work boots with additional protection sole can reduce the risk of accidental falls, trips, or slips. These work boots are also carefully designed to give you improve your balance while climbing or getting off the ladder.
  • Protection from fatigue: Workers on the construction site who are standing on their feet all along the day end up having sprains in the muscles, legs, or back, causing unbearable pain. To reduce the risk of pressurizing your feet muscles, work boots with comfortable cushioning and arch support are preferred.
  • Protection from the weather: Workers working in colder climates (wet or refrigerated environments) are often prone to various infections like hypothermia, Raynauds Syndrome, or frostbite, which needs immediate medical attention. So keeping the feet warm in winters is extremely important, hence choose work boots that are made up of appropriate materials.

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Types of protective footwear include:

  • Safety-toed shoes

Safety-toed shoes are the most common type of safety footwear made up of steel, alloy, or non-metallic toe caps that give a complete protection to your toes. These work boots are the best safety shoes for men working in factories, mills, and industries where heavy industrial materials and objects are being handled every day.

  • Steel insole shoes

Meant for people driving heavy vehicles like trucks, these steel insole shoes provide an additional cushion while driving or pushing pedals. The shoes in turn alleviate the risk of joint and bone problems. These safety shoes have steel plates in between the insole and the outsole that keeps your foot stabilized and prevents it from getting hurt while shifting or moving.

  • Metal instep footwear

These safety shoes are specially designed to provide protection against sharp objects like glass pieces, nails, and other edged metallic objects. People who work in large industrial areas use these metal instep footwear as the highest means of protection.

  • Metatarsal shoes

The metatarsal shoes are designed to protect the upper part of your feet and bones. These safety shoes are also meant to protect your toe and are mainly worn in construction sites that involve handling heavy objects.

  • Electric hazard shoes

These shoes are made up of non-conductive materials and are worn by workers working with electricity, circuits, wiring and high voltage machines. The sole is meticulously designed to reduce the intensity of electrical shocks when an employee is exposed to high voltages.

Frequently asked questions about Safety Shoes

  1. What are the most comfortable safety shoes?
  2. Prima PSF-21 Classic Steel Toe Black, Timberwood FTW10 Mid Ankle Steel Toe Black, Allen Cooper AC 1008 Antistatic Steel Toe, Bata Industrials Bora Derby Steel Toe, and Hillson Workout High Ankle Steel Toe Black are some of the most comfortable safety shoes.
  1. Can safety shoes damage your feet?
  2. Safety shoes are mainly made of solid and rigid materials to protect your feet from accidents happening at the workplace but often end up restricting the movement of your feet and the joints. In the long run, the restricted movement may cause discomfort and sharp pain in your feet.
  1. Can steel toes cut your toes off?
  2. No, steel toes shoes do not cut toes off. But if there is an impact by a heavy object or item, then it might lead to some broken bones.
  1. Are waterproof work boots worth it?
  2. Waterproof boots are the best safety shoes for workers working under extreme colder conditions as they are moisture resistant. These shoes keep your feet warmer and also protect them from getting impacted by any heavy object.
  1. What are the benefits of Safety Shoes?
  2. Protection from heavy falling objects, sharp objects, accidental falls or slips, extreme weather conditions, fatigue, and electrical hazards are some of the major benefits of safety shoes.
  1. How do I choose safety shoes?
  2. While buying safety shoes, one must keep the following factors in mind:
  1. Safety Insurance
  2. Comfort Level
  3. Fitting
  4. Outsole offerings
  5. Price