By admin 
Forging a confident connection with shoes
Ensuring optimal fit, durability and protection is critical to worker performance and safety.
Workers demand the best equipment to perform challenging tasks in dynamic environments and earn a living. Because of the inherent risks in the workplace, the U.S. Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970, which established specific standards to keep workers safe. Reflected in similar measures being implemented worldwide, these safety laws protect hundreds of thousands of workers from injury.
Standards include requirements that shoes worn at work have specific features such as safety toes to prevent forefoot pinching, rigid and non-slip soles, and typically have a height requirement to provide ankle support. The durability of shoes is also critical due to the harsh conditions and potential impact of breakage on income.
The fit of work boots comes down to other safety features. Employees, employers and government agencies need to gain more insight into optimizing fit, because:
• Most workers’ feet do not match the shape of their footwear.
• Footwear that does not fit properly is associated with pain and risk of injury.
• Footwear designed to hug and conform to the foot significantly improves performance in the laboratory and in practice.
While safety toes, rigid shoe cuffs and stiff, puncture-resistant soles have prevented many injuries, they create unique challenges in finding an optimal fit for workers, which can cause a variety of injuries and inefficiencies on the job.
Traditional methods of shoe production, combined with common safety features, make it difficult to find shoes that protect against hazards while still fitting properly and ensuring safe heel lock during long days at work. Most shoes are manufactured using a ‘U-throat’: a wide opening on either side of the tongue that is cut into the shape of a ‘U’. Shoemakers have used this method since the 19th century because it is efficient for factories.
When manufacturers combine a U-throat with a safety toe box, it can create a bubbling effect in the forefoot and midfoot. Shoes are so bulky that workers must find a way to secure the midfoot and heel.
Because the optimal fit of shoes is mainly related to the retention of the instep, workers compensate for the looser forefoot by selecting too high a lacing tension directly above the instep. This practice inadvertently causes reduced circulation and pressure points as workers over-tighten the laces to get the heel hold they need.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of health and safety at work.