TILING TOOLS & WORKWEAR OUR STEP
ensuring your choice of shoes or boots are comfortable is important too. John Dabb, tion tools specialist Hyde, explains more…
to negative impact. Despite having a steel toe cap, there are work boots available that are lightweight – pick a few pairs up and feel their weight for yourself, ahead of trying them out for size. Common thinking may have it that the bigger the cleat, the more robust the boot, similar to a tread on a tyre, but when it comes to safety boots this is untrue. A much more effective rule of thumb is to subject the footwear to a flex test: how well does the boot flex when you bend the soles? Just remember, the more they bend the better.
It is also important that boots or shoes don’t leave your feet feeling too hot and clammy, which can be a particular problem during the summer months – look for footwear that lets your feet breathe, while cushioning them. This will ensure each and every step taken is a comfortable one and that, if you need to take your boots off in customer’s houses, you won’t be left red-faced and offering to leave them outside.
SB is the basic safety standard for footwear and the rating that ultimately matters at point of purchase in terms of
twitter.com/TomorrowsTS
conforming to site safety requirements. An SB safety boot protects the toes against a 200-joule impact, which is the minimum legal requirement. This is all well and good and at least your feet will be somewhat protected, but this legislature does little to ensure comfort or even all-round protection for your feet. It is far better for your feet, and your pocket long-term, to invest in a still-affordable S3 boot. That way you are far more likely to get all-round comfort, including features such as a padded tongue and protection at the back for the Achilles too.
Ultimately, the purchase of safety footwear should be approached in the same way you would when purchasing a mattress, or test-driving a new car; they should be a considered purchase that you wouldn’t really make without checking their comfort levels first. Investing in a pair of quality work boots will ensure you can always put your best foot forward, and makes foot fatigue a thing of the past.
www.brianhyde.co.uk — 17 —
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
