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Safety Shoes Don’t Just Mean Safety Boots

Article by Emily Bennett

One of the most important things we have to consider when we’re at work is safety. It’s not just our boss’ job to make sure that the workplace is safe and free of any sort of hazard, but it’s also our job as employees to make sure that we’re protecting ourselves and putting our best foot forward (literally).

Depending on the line of work that you’re in, nowadays it’s required that safety footwear is worn in the form of a steel toe, composite toe, or alloy toe boots and shoes to make sure that you’re protected against any type of probable hazard. Lots of times we find ourselves complaining about our safety boots feeling too bulky, too hot on our feet, or just plain uncomfortable. You may not even like the look of your work safety boots just because you don’t like the style.

There happens to be a solution to your problem, and trust us, it’s simpler than you might think…

Why not give a pair of safety shoes a try instead? They give you all the protection that safety boots do and they don’t resemble your typical safety shoe. Here are our top five safety shoe styles that aren’t boots.

  • Keens Atlanta Steel Toe Hiker: This classic looking low-cut hiking shoe is one of our most favored non-boot styles. With its Electrostatic Dissipative (ESD) component to cut down on excess static electricity coupled with its oil and slip resistant outsole and steel toe protection, you’ll be just as protected as you would be in your heavy-duty work boots.

 

  • Skechers Alloy Toe Athletic: In this pair of Skechers you can get the same protection that you get from a safety boot, all while looking sharp on the job. They give you a maximum amount of comfort with their memory-foam insoles, slip-resistant outsoles for messy situations, and are fully decked out in the toe with Aluminum, ready to protect at a moment’s notice.

 

  • Timberland PRO Newbury: This popular women’s style is a great choice when it comes to a nice looking dress safety shoe. It’s built with an alloy toe, made to protect and cut down on excess static electricity with its ESD component, has a slip resistant outsole, and will provide you with maximum comfort throughout the day with its anti-fatigue footbed.

 

  • Rockport Works Steel Toe Sailing Shoe: This pair of shoes is the farthest thing from your regular looking steel-toed shoe. Not only is it strong looking, but it has a slip-resistant sole to it, protects against any type of electrical hazard, and they’re even decked out with steel in the toe to save your foot if something were to happen.

 

  • Dr. Martens Steel Toe Oxford: This popular style of Dr. Martens is a mighty fine choice when you’re looking for a low-cut oxford style safety shoe. On top of it containing the Dr. Martens Air Cushioned sole, it’s also slip resistant and is capable of cutting down on excess static electricity with its ESD component.

So what’s holding you back from a pair of safety toe shoes now? Go ahead and broaden your horizons the next time you go shopping for a new pair of work shoes. You may just find your new favorite pair.

For more information on safety footwear, be sure to check out our website www.safgard.com.

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How to Start a Shoe Program

 

For some employees, getting to a store to get safety toe shoes isn’t an easy task. Between getting to the shoe store, confirming that the shoes meet their needs,  finding a style that is comfortable, and that they will like can be a bit of a challenge.

Shoe programs can be a great solution. In fact, our goal is to help YOU reduce workplace injuries by offering the best safety shoes in the styles and brands that you know your employees actually want to wear.

With the shoe program, we give you everything you need to figure out just exactly what types of results you should be looking for.

So, are you ready to take the plunge and start your own slip-resistant shoe program? Just follow these simple steps below:

Identify Key Issues

The first thing that we recommend you do is corral all of the corporate managers, department heads, and safety directors together and have them work together to determine what problems and issues the company has had with slips and falls. Bringing the leaders of the company together to understand the true extent of the issue is the first step in starting a footwear program.

Tally the Expenses

Next, you will need to factor in what the true cost of safety accidents are and figure out what these accidents have really been costing you. If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to collecting this information, we are more than happy to help you figure it out, and help you understand the true measure in which slips and falls have affected your bottom line over the years.

Set Parameters

Now that you have determined your company is indeed in need of a shoe program, it’s time to determine what parameters you want your soon-to-be program to have. We are more than happy to meet the needs of your company specifically in order to create a custom program for you.

Get Excited!

Get your company excited about your new shoe program! There needs to be a strong level of cohesion from the boardroom, all the way to the stock room. Without basic buy-in awareness from your company, the program will more than likely fall flat. So put up posters, send emails, and create some awareness!

Are You Measuring Up?

It’s time for the fun part. That’s right, its time to measure your results! This step is necessary to quantify your program’s success. This is how you prove to your superiors that your program is successful! We recommend measuring the progress of your program at intervals of 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 18 months, 2 years, and every year after that.

A successful shoe program isn’t something that just happens overnight. You need a strategic plan, and a little help from your dedicated Saf-GardTM team in order to really make this program a true success.

Ready to start your own shoe program? Click here.