When Was the Last Time that You Bought a Quality Pair of Work Boots?
On this night, you did not need to look at the health management app on your cell phone to see how many steps you took during the day. Your feet are screaming at you as you go to bed for the evening. And instead of enthusiastically telling the number of steps you achieved, they are screaming at you that you need to get a better pair of shoes to protect your feet the next time you go on vacation.
As you try to settle in and get some sleep, your feet are aching and sore and keeping you awake. Finding the best pair of shoes to protect your feet is the first thing on the list for tomorrow’s adventures.
Good Shoes Are Important for Vacation Travel as Well as for Work Sites
Making certain that you purchase footwear to protect your feet is just as important when you are planning a hike up a mountain peak on vacation, as it is when you are preparing for your job on a construction site. In fact, while the average person who is not even on vacation may walk 10,000 steps a day, a construction worker or other kind of laborer may walk more than 30,000 steps a day. Having supportive and protective footwear is important to the ability to work a full day and to stay healthy and less tired.
Comfortable work boots, in fact, are one of the most important pieces of attire for many workers. Special safety features like steel toe boots and waterproof boots can protect the toes and the feet during the harshest of conditions. In fact, a scant 23% of the workers with foot injuries caused by the job were wearing safety shoes or boots. A foolish notion when you understand that the human foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles. IT only makes sense to follow the industry standards when it comes to the protective footwear that you purchase.
A Bureau of Labor Statistics study of foot injuries found that 75% of the accidents happened when workers were not in compliance of the safety foot code. A foot injury is detrimental to both the worker and the employer. The worker can lose income when he or she does not follow the safety guidelines; the employer can lose productivity when an employee is injured.
What Are Your Priorities When You Are Looking for New Work Boots?
One of the most important features in any kind of work shoe or a shoe that will be used for a lot of walking during vacation is, of course, comfort and fit. The decision to ever buy a shoe that is not comfortable will never end well. Once the comfort and fit are considered, the next feature to consider is the safety features. For instance, the best way to protect your feet when you are on a construction site is to make sure that you have a steel toed boot with as much coverage as is possible.
Did you know, for instance, that of the injured workers wearing safety shoes, 85% were injured because the object hit an unprotected part of the shoe or boot. As manufacturers work to develop and market shoes with better steel protection and coverage, the wise consumer will research the possible products and see what is the best and most reliable design.
Interestingly enough, as the workplace footwear industry continues to make progress on producing boots that are more and more protective and still lightweight, other industries become increasingly interested. While once worn only by the construction industry, for instance, these safety footwear options are now being used in other careers as well. From industrial cleaning services to lumber workers, the need for safe and comfortable footwear is important.
Whether you are looking for a comfortable pair of boots to wear on a vacation or you are looking for a pair of work boots for your first construction job, the footwear that you buy can determine the success of your endeavor. And while the best quality may not always be cheap, the best quality may keep you on the job day after day or help you enjoy vacations of any length.