The workplace is already dangerous so we have to increase personal security. According to the OSHA we have to wear personal protective equipment. What is the point of the personal protective equipment if it is uncomfortable and we refuse to wear it? I will therefore share with you how to make steel toe boots more comfortable.
Within certain industries the personal protective equipment include steel toed boots, gloves, goggles and high visibility jackets. A good steel toe boot will lesson the risk of crushing your toes if something heavy fell on it and from sharp objects penetrating the bottom of the boot injuring the leg.
We may buy the best quality work boot but we can still damage our foot if it is not comfortable. Remember that steel toed boots cannot stretch for a snug fit; therefore, we have to come up with another strategy that will work.
There are a number of options that you can implement today that will help you make steel toed boots more comfortable. Comfort start from buying a good quality shoe.
There are shoes available on the market that looks rugged, as if it is a proper steel toed boots, but are not. They are instead cheap knockoff boots made by factories overseas, in third world countries, that do not follow the exacting American and British standards. Stay away from these fake boots.
You should spend the extra money for a good pair of boots that offer the protection required to be safe on the joby. A preventable injury cost you less than suffering the pain for saving a few pennies on a pair of shoes. You will be standing in these boots for 6 to 12 hours per day, six days per week.
Compromising on quality is fools gold. I personally do not believe that you should skimp on quality. Now that you spend your hard earned money buying a good quality work boot, how do you make the steel toed boots more comfortable. Follow these handy tips that will show you how to make steel toe boots more comfortable.
Simple Tips On How To Make Steel Toe Boots More Comfortable
Tip #1 buy work boots that fit your feet properly
We need to buy the right size boot as the wrong size will create more problems than you want to deal with. Steel toed boots that are too narrow will be uncomfortable and if the work boots are too big, it will cause much movement of the feet within the boot causing blisters. Blisters are always uncomfortable.
Steel toe boots comes with a piece of steel at the front of the boot and steel shank that is puncture resistant at the bottom.. Even though some are made with lighter composite material. These materia cannot stretch to fit you better later on.
It is therefore important that you order boot at least one shoe size up to accommodate this. The best bet is that you try the work boot on at the stores to ensure a perfect fit. If buying online you probably can buy more than one pair at different sizes to get the perfect fit and return the ones that don’t fit properly.
If any part of the boot irritate you feet, do not buy that one because the problem cannot be rectified later on.
Tip #2 Break in your steel toe boots for a better fit
The steel toed boots recently purchased from the store can be very uncomfortable to wear. This is because it is not yet adjusted to your foot and the leather outer material has not stretched to conform to your foot and is still a bit firm.
Properly breaking in your steel toe boot may require it to be worn a few times before wearing them to work. Before you decide to wear your newly purchased work boots to work for the entire day, try wearing them for a few hours on a couple occasions at home. Wear them, walk in them, bend in them, mimic the motions that you would do at work. Doing this a few times per day will give the boot a chance to stretch.
Ways of breaking in the work boots
There are a few ways to ‘break in’ your work boot. Below I will list a few ways to ‘break in’ your boot, you can choose your favorite method or methods.
Coldwater treatment: The science behind making your boot comfortable using the cold water method is quite a simple one.
How does it work? Get a Ziploc bag, the biggest one you can find. Pour water in the Ziploc bag and place it inside your work boot. Make sure the bag with the water makes contact with all the surfaces inside of the boot. Pour enough water inside the bag until it is atleast at the height of below your ankle.
Put the boot inside your freezer for at least 12 to 24 hours. The theory is, as the water transforms into ice it will harden and expand. The expansion process will cause the shoe to stretch. Finally, take the boot from the freezer and let the ice melt then remove it from the shoe. This process should widen even the steel cap if it was a bit narrow.
Hot water method: this method involves giving your pair of work boots a hot water bath.
How does it work? immerse your footwear into a bucket of warm water. Let the boots soak for approximately thirty minutes. Once the boot is properly soaked, get rid of the excess water and then wear the boot for about an hour. While doing the stretching wear multiple pairs of thick socks.
Remember to waterproof your work boots in order to protect them from damage. Do this step if your steel toe work boot is not waterproof. Or buy a waterproof work shoes.
The stick method: this method involves stretching the steel toed boots with a piece of stick (wooden mop stick). A broom stick or a mop stick is perfect for this method and is perfect for stretching the part of the shoe that is a bit tight.
How does it work? Get a mop or broom stick, insert it inside the boot against the part of the shoe that is pinching. Hold the shoe firmly against the stick and pull the shoe down with all your strength (against the mop stick with the point of the mop stick firmly against the tight section of the boot).
You may also use a rubber mallet and beat against the part of the boot that is pinching. (the part of the boot that is tight). When the affected area is adequately stretched it tends to be lighter in color or a bit of discoloration. Repeat until the boot is stretched to the desired length. There is a risk of tearing the boot so be very careful.
The oil method: This method of breaking in your work boot is quite different. It involves the use of mink oil or any other leather conditioner. The mink oil is used to coat the outer side of the work boot.
How does it work? Apply a bit on mink oil on the area of the boot that is pinching your foot. Leave on the oil overnight to soften the leather. When you wear your work boot the next time it should be stretched and fit perfectly. If not, try one of the other methods, like the stick method.
Final thought on breaking in your work boot. The methods shared here can be used to stretch your work boot for a good fit. It is advised that you stretch your boot gradually in order to reduce the risk of damaging your work boots. The Sof Sole Mink Oil is very good for Conditioning and Waterproofing Leather and works well with this process.
Tip #3 – Wear socks specifically designed to be worn with steel toe boots
The steel toed boot is tough at the front, some workers experience great discomfort while wearing steel toed boots at work, therefore it is important that you wear the right socks. Socks that provide enough cushioning. There are socks that are specifically designed to accompany work boots that comes with extra padding at the front for that little extra protection.
Therefore, If you experienced pain and discomfort while wearing your work boots, invest in a pair of steel toe socks. These can be easily identified by the specifically designed extra-thick padding integrated into the heel and toe area of the socks. The padding offers a snug fit and additional cushioning to the wearer.
This additional cushion protects your feet from discomfort. Also, thick socks help you to avoid the development of painful blisters by preventing your feet from coming in contact with the inside of the boots. Most of the guys I asked wear Carhartt Full Cushion Steel-Toe Synthetic Work Boot socks. It wicks away sweat from the foot for extra comfort. The Fox River Steel-Toe Mid-Calf Boot Work Socks is also pretty good.
Tip #4 – Invest in a good pair of Insoles
The inside of the boot can be very hard and when you stand all day in these boots you begin to feel, ball of the foot pain, heel pain, and sometimes even foot arch pain because the work boots are not very supportive.
These work boots were not designed to be supportive of the foot but instead for safety. It features a low quality regular insole that tend to cause extreme discomfort when worn all day.
It is in your best interest to buy a premium insole that offers arch support to relieve some of the pain that arise as a result of standing all day. These one comes highly recommended and can be checked out on Amazon.
Tip #5 – Use a Bandage
Some workers swear by the usage of bandages for providing additional support to the feet to prevent blisters. It may boost comfort. The bandage should be wrapped around your feet ensuring that the problem areas are wrapped.
Tip #6 – Properly Maintaining your steel toed boots
Properly maintaining your steel toed boots will ensure that they remain comfortable for the long term. Maintaining the boot will ensure that the leather remains supple and therefore not too rough on your feet.
Proper maintenance is another way to demonstrate how to make steel toe boots more comfortable. It includes keeping the boot clean, get rid of mud, keep boot dry and regularly condition the leather on the boot to keep it supple.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you found the information on how to make steel toe boots more comfortable usage. These solutions are quite effective as sworn by many in the industry. The feet are a very important part of the body but many people ignore it. Make sure you wear footwear that is comfortable and avoid the problems that can befall you if you don’t.
