Various different professions like the ones in the Australian construction industry or electricians in Australia that work in industrial basis require the employees to wear personal protective equipment to safeguard themselves from an accident. This gear includes shoes as an essential part of it.
Research shows that many employees tend to complain about their safety footwear very often. They feel that because the shoe is made to protect their foot, it is very hot, the soles are very inflexible and the shoe itself is very uncomfortable. Also, they believe the steel caps put added pressure onto the toes.
To ensure that this does not happen with you, you can choose the perfect safety footwear according to your profession. We have put together a safety check that you need to perform before buying safety footwear. We do suggest that you give affordable Mongrel safety boots a look as they tend to fulfill our checklist and are an excellent buy.
1. Safety requirements
Before actually buying safety footwear and deciding what kind to buy, you need to do your research. Finding out what the law requires of you, what your company expects and what you want is very important. This will then give you an idea of exactly what type of shoes you are looking for and how well suitable they are for your specific occupation.
Each occupation has a different set of requirements and after finding those out, you can find all the relevant details. This is a very important step that should not be skipped.
2. Shoe Depth and fit
When we consider the right safety footwear, we know that the shoe should not be too tight over the top of your foot and neither should it be too big or too small. This is because if it is tight it will cause the metal cap to put too much pressure on your toes making you extremely uncomfortable.
However, if you feel that there is too much gap between your laces and foot, then you have the wrong size and need to change it. Loose shoes will also cause a lot of discomfort.
Another thing to consider is the flexibility of the shoe. If you feel that the sole is too inflexible that it makes it hard for you to move your foot properly, then that shoe isn’t for you. Always try out the shoe before buying it.
3. Insole fit
When we choose normal footwear, we tend to insert our fingers to measure exactly how well-fitting the shoe. However, with the steel caps on these types of shoes, this isn’t possible. This is why we suggest you do an insole fit which will help you understand how well your shoe fits onto your foot.
There should be a 12-15 mm gap from the insole to the longest toe, otherwise it can cause multiple issues like ingrown and bruised nails. We also suggest trying them on with the right socks to prevent size issues later.