Things To Consider When Buying A High-Quality Construction Work Boot
When you’re in construction you don’t really pay too much attention to your feet, until they’re injured, but the right boots can make all the difference to your job. Light enough to let you move over uneven ground, strong enough to handle kicking rocks, safe enough to protect your toes from being cut off, and waterproof enough to keep your feet dry.
The price of really good construction work boots has traditionally been quite expensive – they do need to be well manufactured, of good quality materials, otherwise they are of no use and you may as well wear cheap trainers.
Thankfully, options like Ever Boots Corporation – work boots for sale have started to exist, with footwear designed specifically for the construction industry using products that are still excellent quality, but at more affordable pricing.
However, no matter what sort of work you do, there are a few things you should think about before handing over any amount of money for new boots – your livelihood, even your life, may depend on getting decent quality footwear.
Just Like Car Tires, You Want Good Tread
The sole of your boot should be a good rubber construction, ideally with a little flexibility so you can climb over rubble or up ladders easily. The tread pattern should encourage non-slide performance, particularly on wet surfaces, while at the same time you want a tread that will help you to not stick in the mud.
The other thing to think about is how thick the sole is, as you are going to be walking over a construction site which always means nails, saw bits and shards of glass. You want to make sure that standing on a nail isn’t going to go straight through your shoe and into your food.
If you work in the electrical field, you can also ensure that your shoes are compliant with electrical safety standards and are able to prevent electrocution if you are standing near a live circuit.
Protecting Your Toes
The old-fashioned steel cap boots were great for stopping your toes from being crushed if a girder fell on them. Unfortunately, if something fell at the wrong angle, they were equally good at slicing your toes off completely.
This is why you will often find safety footwear with hardened plastic caps. This surprisingly strong and flexible material is designed to protect your toes from being crushed, while also ensuring that the safety device itself doesn’t cause more damage. You will also find steel caps but check to ensure that they allow flexibility or have protection in place that stops the cap from causing damage if the toes are is crushed.
Most people within the construction industry do their best to minimize the risk of injury, even if the Health & Safety regulations cause untold grumbling, but what is surprising is that there is a comparable rate of injury within the construction industry as there is within military branches https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/167/12/971/4915645
Solidly Made Uppers For Security And Comfort
If the upper of your boot isn’t well made, not only do you have one very uncomfortable shoe, but you also increase your risk for injuries. Most work boots should be at least a little water-resistant, as you will be in all types of weather. If your job within the industry is going to see you out in wet weather, then you should increase the level of important that you place on waterproof material. However, you do still want something that is going to breathe, as feet slipping around in their own sweat is foul.
Because projectile injuries are a problem, particularly with nail guns on site (see here), a strong leather upper is a great advantage, but you still want something that is flexible and allows you to move around easily.
Picking The Right Boot For Your Job
Although construction footwear was generally made to a one-size fits all approach historically, you will find that manufactures are rapidly becoming aware that each trade has quite different requirements for safety and comfort. The guys working with jackhammers don’t need the same type of footwear as the guys climbing up pilons, or the guys working in tunnels. Each job has a slightly different need, so make sure that you are looking for boots that are going to fit your requirements.
