Purchasing Resources for Safety Footwear

Safety Footwear

Steel toe boots keep your feet safe on the job site
By Melissa Haveman Workboots are an essential piece of safety equipment on many job sites. Safety shoes provide you with the protection and safety that you need in potentially dangerous environments like construction sites.

1. Steel-toe boots protect your feet from falling objects on the job site.
2. You’ll protect your feet from punctures with work boots.
3. Safety boots can protect you from electrical charges.
4. A steel toe shoe will also give you traction and stability in slippery, wet conditions.

If you work in conditions that pose a potential danger to your feet, you must look into safety shoes. Many job sites require safety footwear because of the risks, but even if yours doesn’t, you’ll have the reassurance of wearing steel toe boots and knowing that your feet are better protected than in ordinary shoes.
 

Look for a safety shoe with the right protection for your job

Workboots should have a tag on the shoes indicating the protection they offer. Steel-toe boots should have either a green or yellow triangle on the tag. Other protective shoes will have different symbols, such as a yellow square for anti-static protection.
Try: Vanderbilt’s sells a range of work boots with different protection certification.

Choose workboots with the additional protection you need

Although you may need one particular type of safety shoe, such as a steel toe shoe, look for work boots that also provide other protective benefits. For example, you may want water proof or water resistant boots if you work outside in wet or muddy areas.
Try: MetBoots sells a number of steel-toe boots that also feature electric hazard protection and slip resistant soles.

Buy comfortable safety footwear

Although you need the right protection, you also need boots that are comfortable to wear and that provide you with good foot and ankle support. Even if you decide to order online, visit a local retailer to try the shoes on if it's the first time you're buying a particular brand or style.
Try: Wolverine work boots are popular, comfortable choices for many workers.

• Safety footwear, especially boots, can run differently than regular shoes on the size you'll wear. You may need to go up a size or two in order to get a safety shoe that fits comfortably.