Are work boots OK for everyday use?
Work Boots
Production industries have specific guidelines regarding workplace safety. These guidelines adhere to parts of a worker’s body that need adequate protection while at work – and work boots are that ‘protection’ for your feet. Work boots are made to protect your feet from workplace hazards. They are made of thicker materials to prevent penetration of substances such as sharp objects and reactive chemicals – and these might not be the best work boots for walking all day.
Situations Where Work Boots Are Best
Work boots are needed for specific types of jobs. One example is working in the construction industry. Construction work involves transporting and lifting of heavy materials. There can be instances when such materials can slip out of their containers or attachments and coincidentally land on a worker’s feet. If the worker is wearing normal everyday boots, their feet would get crushed.
Alternatively, if the worker wears work boots, then their feet would be protected against the impact.
Similarly, there are other workplaces where work boots are efficient such as:
- Mixture processing factories
- Chemical production plants
- Heavy machinery
- Roofing work
- Meat processing plants etc.
All of these example industries involve heavy loads that are transported in piles and crates. There is always a probability of hazards related to carrying, transporting and moving heavy loads. In order to avoid these hazards, work boots are used.
What Do Work Boots Feel Like?
Work boots are made from thick materials. They also have heavier soles with more traction grip. This is particularly to provide better grip when moving on slippery surfaces and wet floors.
Working environments are particularly suitable for wearing work boots especially due to the presence of work related hazards. Such hazards may result in injury. Therefore, work boots provide the necessary protection related to foot protection and guidelines for personal safety.
Some work boots also have thick insulation on the inside for workers operating in cold temperatures. One example is working in the meat processing industry. If feet are exposed continually to cold temperatures, the skin tissue can become damaged. Insulation in work boots helps keep feet warm and regulate blood easily while providing impact protection.
Best Work Boots for Walking All Day
Work boots are a great safety measure to protect your feet from hazards. These may be a pile of heavy products falling onto your feet in the warehouse, your foot slipping and hitting the side of a sharp metal edge while roofing or carrying heavy trollies in the construction industry. But the main question still remains, “do the best work boots for walking all day actually exist?”
Work boots are good for walking within a smaller area. This may be within a factory, workstation or from your car to the place of work. However, work boots are not ideal for walking.
The reason behind this is that work boots are made specially for work places that involve hazards and require some sort of protection for your feet. That is why they are heavier, thicker and more resistant to environmental elements.
Walking long distances in work boots can become unpleasant after a while. This is due to the weight of the boots because of the thick hide, fat soles and tight-fitting of the work boots. They can also leave sores on your feet if walked with for too long. That is why work boots often are not worn when going out for a walk.
Work boots for cold working environments also have insulation pads inside the boots. Walking in such boots will make the feet sweat and make the walk unpleasant as well, especially on a sunny day or in warm weather.
Work boots for chemical processing plants are even thicker as compared to other work boots. This is to prevent absorption of chemical substances into the feet skin after being spilled onto the boots. If such boots are worn for walking purposes, then will have less breathability and make your feet uncomfortable to a great extent.
Summary
To sum up, work boots are a great feet protection tool for hazardous workplaces involving heavy loads, sharp objects, low temperatures and chemical substances. However, they are not ideal for walking purposes because they can be unpleasant, tight, heavy and tiring to walk in. If the work boots you get are specific to your shoes, then these might be even the best work boots for walking all day.
