Police BootsThat Extra Element of Protection

Composite toe vs steel toe

Police boots are obviously the type of footwear that will need to be protective in a number of different ways. They will not be your typical pair of shoes! In law enforcement, it is essential that every part of the body be protected, even the feet. It is a fact that of injured workers, only 23% were wearing safety boots or shoes.

Some preferred features that are built onto, and into, police boots are extra ankle support, thermal polyurethane wrap for extra protection of the toes, ultra light midsoles, rubber outsoles, a polyurethane film that surrounds the entire shoe to provide extra protection against abrasions, and waterproofing. All over protection is key.

Including police work where police boots are a necessary item, there are an unlimited number of jobs and careers that require extra protection for worker’s feet. Anyone who works in construction, warehousing, or anyplace where heavy equipment is used needs to pay special attention to the type of shoes or boots they choose to wear on the job. Often times a company will provide work shoes or will pay for the shoes that their workers buy, as long as they comply with certain specifications. Statistics show that each year about $70 is spent on protective footwear for employees who work under conditions where foot injuries are common. Approximately 85% of workers who have suffered foot injuries on the job reported that the section of the foot injured was a section not covered by protective footwear.

The same type of protection is needed in as many different types of work shoes as is needed in police boots. Some types of protective footwear commonly used by workers are heavy duty work boots, steel toe boots, high traction work boots, and waterproof work boots.

The number one selling work boot in the world is the Magnum Stealth. It is protective and durable; however, wearers report that even in over 100 degree heat their feet stay cool. Some styles are available in all leather with side zippers that make easy work of putting them on and taking them off. Satisfied owners of the Magnum Stealth say that the boots are extremely versatile, easily comfortable and still protective on grass, dirt, concrete, and even water. Magnum Stealth and Pi2 got together in 2009 and created ion-mask TM technology which they introduced into footwear production. This technology is plasma based and was originally used for military personnel in the UK. It was successful in protecting military personnel from chemicals and chemical attack.

Protective footwear is described as shoes or boots that have a steel or reinforced toe cap strong enough to protect the toes from heavy falling items, as well as a sole constructed of a material that will absolutely not spark if the wearer is working near or around any explosives or combustibles. The toe cap of protective boots or shoes is generally made of steel, but can also be constructed of thermoplastic polyurethane or aluminum. Interestingly, over the course of time, safety shoes have become available in different styles. Safety sneakers and safety clogs are now worn by supervisors inspecting job sites where it is mandatory to wear protective footwear but they do not want to wear the traditional work boot. Another fun fact is that steel toe footwear has become a fashionable item with footwear manufacturers that were explicitly known for style in the past. Many have now become licensed to produce protective footwear that is also embraced by the fashion world.

Many types of safety boots and shoes are marked with a symbol on the outside of the shoe by which the customer can identify the type of protection the shoe offers. A green triangle on the outside of the shoe reveals that it is a class one toe cap with a puncture resistant sole. A yellow triangle means a class two, a white square means electrical protection, a yellow square means anti-static protection, a red square means it is electrically conductive, and a fir tree symbol means the shoe offers protection against chain saws.

Proper fitting of protective footwear is essential. In order to reap the most benefit from their many features, there should be a generous amount of room from the toe to the front of the shoe.

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