More and more businesses are mandating safety footwear across their operations to ensure their staff are kept safe & productive. Traditional safety boots are often quite heavy and are not always fit for purpose; a manager or executive that needs to walk the floor sometimes might not like the look of safety boots. This has lead to an increase & availability in the popularity of safety shoes which come equipped with the same safety toe and anti-slip features as boots.

This post will consider the advantages of safety shoes compared to safety boots and also clarify some of their drawbacks.

Advantages of Safety Shoes

The core benefit of safety shoes over safety boots is that they’re often more comfortable, especially if your are spending a lot of time on their feet.

• Less heavy: because they’re less bulky & smaller in size, safety shoes are often significatly lighter than safety boots. For example, KingGee’s Vapour Shoe weighs in at approximately 500g, whereas a pair of high-cut boots can sometimes weigh over 800g. If you multiply this weight saving by the number of steps you do in a day, you can imagine how this could help reduce fatigue.
• Less irritation: Many people find high-cut boots to be irritating on the ankle or leg – because shoes are a low cut style, they can be more comfortable.
• More comfortable insole & outsole: some of the safety shoes are based on sport shoe insoles & outsoles, which are very supportive & comfortable.
• Vegan-friendly options: there are a good range of safety shoes that do not use leather materials, making them suitable for vegans.
• Corporate appearance: safety shoes are available in a ‘dress’ or ‘corporate’ style for managers or office workers needing safety cap protection as well.
• More protection for chefs: safety shoes designed for the hospitality industry such as the JB’s Microfibre Slip On Shoe don’t have laces, giving you more protection from chemicals, oils etc.

Disadvantages of Safety Shoes

In certain job roles & applications, safety boots still offer the best level of comfort & protection.

• Less durable: leather safety boots from quality brands like Steel Blue & Blundstone remain the most durable & hardy safety footwear option. Safety boot soles are manufactured using sturdy materials that can cope with the tough environments they’re used in.
• Safety boot side zips makes putting them on easy: the side zips on modern safety boots are super popular because of how easy they are to put on and off. Safety shoes generally have laces which need to be done up.
• Less protection: synthetic safety shoes generally offer less protection to hazards such as chemicals than leather boots.
• Ankle support: whilst boots that cover your ankles can also cause irritation, the support they offer your ankles can also be an advantage.

A hassle-free supply of safety footwear.

Badger Australia offers a wide range of safety shoes with steel or composite toe caps. Our 365, free returns policy makes ordering online easy & hassle free, as well. If you’d like some help in finding the best safety footwear for you or your team, feel free to call the office or send us a line!