Boots and Footwear

Boots and Footwear Buying Guide

Buying the right footwear for work can be troublesome at times, don't take a gamble with your footwear, a pair of boots can be replaced but your feet can not. With so many things to consider such as safety specifications, slip resistance and anti-static properties it’s easy to see why it can be awkward. We have put together this guide to help raise some questions and more importantly provide some answers on the aspects and considerations of safety and none safety footwear.

Safety Specifications

Throughout our website you will see various safety symbols these symbols indicate the level and type of protection given to each individual product. When considering which footwear to buy a good place to start is with type such as; safety shoes or boots, safety trainers or none safety footwear. Safety specifications are marked with an (EN) number the primary number for safety footwear is (EN345) this is often followed by letters such as (HRO) meaning Heat Resistant Sole. For a full guide on protective footwear specifications see our Workwear by EN Spec section.

Size & Fitment

It's very important when buying footwear of any kind that you purchase a size that fits you comfortably. Having the correct fit especially in work footwear is actually more important because in order to protect your toes from falling objects the toe cap must be placed directly above your toes.

If your footwear is slightly too small your toes would be raised increasing the likely hood of injury during impact, whereas if your safety footwear is too big the toe cap would not cover enough of your toes to protect them and could lead to no protection at all. The same should also be considered about other elements of your footwear such as puncture resistant soles etc. The fact is comfortable footwear ensures you are on a stable footing to carry out your work, remember you’re probably going to be in them all day so fitment is very important.

Practicality

There are many things to consider when buying safety footwear, practicality being one of them, ensure you choose the right footwear for the environment you work in. While you may not require traditional safety footwear some aspects of your work may require slip resistance soles or protective toe caps. For full safety information including all relevant protection levels required for protective footwear sees our Workwear by EN Spec guide.

Price

We believe safety should not have to be expensive that's why we stock over 170 types of footwear with something for everybody. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get something suitable just think about your top priorities and what you want most from your footwear.