Work on Concrete? Top 4 Safety Footwear Features You Need.

If you experience sore feet, lower back pain, or leg strain from standing on hard concrete floors at work all day, you are not alone! While walking distributes your weight, standing doesn’t, which can lead to discomfort, knee pain and swelling in the legs and feet. But whether you are standing or walking, hard concrete floors can be punishing on your body when working for extended periods. Over time, workers may suffer from injuries or chronic pain. Whether you are working on an assembly line at a factory, in a warehouse or in construction, making an effort to take good care of your feet can go a long way. Wearing proper safety shoes and work boots that support your feet will make a big difference.

Top 4 Features That Make Safety Footwear Comfortable on Concrete:

1. Fit: Finding quality footwear that is the correct size and fit and offers the needed support for your foot is the most crucial step when deciding what type of safety shoes you will purchase no matter what surface you work on.
2. Shock-absorbing footbed: Protect the heel and ball of your foot from the day-to-day impact of hard surfaces with safety footwear that features good shock absorption in the footbed. This is the base layer that will protect your feet.
3. Cushioned midsole: Midsoles are the area of footwear between the sole of the shoe and the bottom of the footbed. They provide an important barrier between the hard concrete surface and your feet. The amount of cushioning you will need depends on your level of activity. Standing is a bigger strain so more stationary work requires more cushioning; more active workers require lighter cushioning that does not weigh the foot down. The analogy is to walking on sand – although comfortable, it’s a lot more work.
4. Insoles: They might not come with your safety shoes or work boots but we highly recommend insoles. Insoles provide arch support that is important in helping reduce strain, pain and potential long-term musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). And, they are also another great shock absorber. Unlike anti-fatigue flooring matting, insoles provide individual foot support and travel with the worker wherever they go.

We carry a range of great options for working on hard, concrete surfaces, including:

FOR INDOOR WORKERS try Reebok Work Fusion with lightweight cushioned footbed; KEEN Utiliity's Arvada with ReGen midsole, and, Mellow Walk's Solar, with Dreamfit footbed and lightweight fit.

FOR OUTDOOR WORKERS look at Timberland PRO Boondock 89645 with anti-fatigue technology; KEEN Utility San Jose with air-injected midsole; and, Sidewinder 850 with Ortho-fit footbed.

At Mister Safety Shoes, we are committed to helping workers get the best fitting, most comfortable safety shoes and work boots, so they remain productive and protected. We provide an end-to-end safety footwear management program for all sizes of businesses in Ontario and Alberta. Please contact our business solutions team if you are looking for a safety footwear program for your company.